Introduction

The Friends of Huong Phuong Orphanage Inc is a developing charity with the long term aim of assisting local village communities of Central Vietnam to reduce poverty, increase education and raise quality of life, particularly amongst the poor and those with physical and intellectual disabilities. In the short term, it completes achievable projects which benefit the community. The organisation will achieve its long term goals by continuing to build a support base in Australia and implementing sound policy.

Development and trust

The Friends of Huong Phuong Orphanage Inc have evolved their approach from dialogue with local people and from studying policies of Ausaid and charity groups. This is to:

1. Carefully stage all funding,
2. Fund only by written agreement (Funding Contract),
3. Work in partnership with locals, gaining trust by following ethical standards,
4. Assist development, not provide welfare, and
5. Give local people ownership by crediting them with successes.

The end state is to have an enduring effect on the community. Projects will increase self-reliance, rather than build expectation for continuous charity. Each time a program is proposed, it is evaluated with the question: “If the funding ceased tomorrow, would people’s lives be better, or would they just have their hands out for more money?”

1. Staging projects

Funding starts with a signed contract. Each funded project is preceded by a clear written agreement in both the native language and English. This sets out progress payments for each stage of any project. Each completed stage is the prerequisite for further funding. Progress is tracked by photographic evidence and payment receipts. Transparency is essential to the process and its importance is emphasised to the community.

2. Funding only by Agreement

Funding for individual projects is always done by written contract (in both English with Vietnamese) between us and the recipient. There is a signed, bi-lingual, Funding Contract for each project. It clearly sets out the responsibilities and undertakings of both parties to the contract (the parties being Friends of Huong Phuong Orphanage Inc and our funding partners, the womens’ monastic community of Huong Phuong). For an example of a typical Funding Contract download this file.

3. Gaining the trust of locals by following ethical standards

Working in partnership with locals requires gaining trust through direct involvement and though completion of committed projects.

Australian charities have learned hard lessons about helping poor communities. Focus is shifting from throwing cash at projects, to earning the trust of communities. To provide sustainable improvement, fund-raising groups have to maintain the trust and support of the people.

By visiting the local population several times a year for short periods, volunteers gain local trust, more than if they had “supervised” projects from outside. In-between visits, the English interpreter at the monastic community maintains the flow of communication via email, phone and Skype. This provides the fund-raising group a continuous presence within the local community and ensures that there is enough capacity for the fund-raising group to have a “hold” effect in between visits.

Any solely “kinetic” operation – for example building construction – has only a temporary effect; a lasting effect is achieved by encouraging locals to take ownership of the task.

Ethical Standards Policy

Our Ethical Standards Policy covers a wide range of topics and are based on the ACFID Code, a self- regulatory standard of good practice agreed by 123 signatories in the Australian aid and development sector. For example, the policy referencing terrorism financing is covered in ethical standards.  For our Ethical Standards Policy download this file.

Child Protection Policy

Our Child Protection Policy – to reduce risks of child abuse – is a template provided by Ausaid.  This is set out in the form of a declaration to be signed if  people are engaged by Friends of Huong Phuong Orphanage Inc. to implement aid.  For the complete guide notes notes provided by Ausaid, see http://www.ausaid.gov.au.  For our child protection policy, download this file.

4. Development

We have adopted the principle that words and promises meant little to the local community and that trust was sponsored through actions. We are careful to complete all development or action that we have committed to. Trust is built up over time through dialogue and interaction with the local people and demonstrating commitment through finishing development projects. “Spin” achieves nothing and creates a situation in which both groups posture with rhetoric.

Quick impact projects – such as the orphanage playground – were of great benefit in winning over the local population. These projects were community based and relatively easy to complete. They showed that the Australians were committed to the task of helping the local population. Unfortunately, the local population were probably dubious of Australian intentions to provide lasting support, until they saw a long-term project – the women’s tertiary scholarships – after which the trust and support started to develop.

We need to seek advice from the local community on what development projects they want, not prescribe solutions for the people. At first, small community-based projects can be recommended by local people. As trust builds, the projects can became larger. Local people have to provide guidance as to what will be needed for all future development projects.

5. Crediting local people (giving ownership)

We need to give the credit for all development efforts to the local community. For example, a health clinic might be supported by donations. Focus should not be on the Friends as a source of funding, but on local doctors and nurses. After all, they do the hard work. We just provided some funding. Sponsors of student tertiary scholarships are proud they can open up opportunities for local education. But all the hard work is done by the students. It is their achievement.

Another method of reinforcing the key messages was to invite local community leaders – including police officials – to personally visit projects under construction.