Fight corruption? Send volunteers not money

A few years ago, the head of the Kenyan anti-corruption unit was hiding in a dorm in Oxford University, on the run for his life. He had secretly taped Government ministers and officials discussing stealing millions of dollars. A lot of this was aid money.

The Global Health Fund has just released a report alleging that the Cambodian Ministry of Health has potentially misused $12m of $87m aid money. Officials asked contractors to inflate costs to then give kickbacks to the same officials. Transparency International has announced that Cambodia is perceived to be the 17^th most corruption country in the world.

It didn't take long for this guy to count his chickens. He was just sitting there waiting for a bus. With his chicken. 

Understandably, people in donor countries see this corruption and feel that their money is being wasted. I hate seeing this waste too, especially when you can see so clearly the difference the money could make. Some think that because some money is being wasted, donors should stop giving money. However, this is akin to turning off all the lights because the light bulbs lose some light energy through heat.

Embezzling money is a type of waste and waste happens in all governments, and all organisations. However, wasted money can still create some benefits as rather than the money simply disappearing, it is being used for other purposes. In Cambodia, for instance, it used to buy Lexus or Range Rover cars, expensive watches and big houses. This is disgusting but it is undeniable that this spending boosts the economy and creates wealth.

By now, you may have gathered that these photos have nothing to do with the blog. But I thought that you might find them interesting. These are coconut sellers with their carts about to spread out and start selling. 50 cents for one. 

Now, obviously this is not the optimal outcome; the money would have greater benefit if used for other purposes and contributed to more equal development. But a lot of the wasted money is being spent in the developing country, injecting millions into the economy and creating jobs. 

Corruption and waste should not be ignored however, as the negative effects on society are clear – just read It’s our turn to eat, which documents the corruption scandals in Kenya mentioned above. Donor and recipient countries should find ways to reduce corruption and waste.

November was the end of the wet season, and there was a lot of flooding, and deaths, this year. I was out for an early morning cycle with the aim of crossing the bridge and coming back down the other side. It was there a few months ago!

I believe that part of the answer is looking at VSO. VSO does not send money, VSO sends people. The aim is not to spend money and build things, but to spend time and build skills. The value is greater and the opportunity for misuse of funds, as there isn’t any, is small. VSO volunteers can also help build systems of working that make it harder for corruption to happen.

VSO can also waste money by having ineffective volunteers but there is not the same damaging effect on society of corrupt officials grabbing huge amounts of wealth. Also, working with a volunteer is hard; taking aid money is easy. Whether they want to work with volunteers is a good indication of whether they are serious about improving working methods and systems or not.

Gordon

There's nobody playing ball

Just a strange aside to get us going is that I've noticed many schools in Cambodia have basketball courts, but that they are never used. It seems a nation of smallish people are not that interested in dunking into a ring ten feet from the ground.

But they do play football, and whilst waiting at a large intersection (it had lights!) with my team-mates there was a screech of brakes as a moto crashed into the back of another one that had stopped at the red light. Standing beside us, about 10 yards from the crash, were two policemen. Glancing up, they decided to ignore the arguing moto drivers and continue their chat.

My fellow foreigner and I found this a little strange, but our Cambodian friends found it strange that people would want the police to get involved. If the police became involved, rather than one person paying for the damage, both would probably have to pay a fee to the police for some kind of traffic violation.

I have been told that some intersections are actually sold to policemen by their bosses because they give the policemen an excellent opportunity to boost their wages by pocketing fines. Policemen earning $60 or $70 a month may feel that this is their only option. Similarly, teachers charge students to pass exams or attend class, health workers charge patients for treatment, and the woman at the Royal Palace overcharges everybody by 25 cents for entrance. If a teacher earns less than a garment factory worker then this might be expected to happen.

Whilst poverty may be the cause of this corruption, it does not explain other examples. Banks are rare, so salaries like everything else are paid in cash. By the time it goes on a few journeys and handled by a few people, those at the bottom are getting even less whilst those at the top are getting much more. These people drive flash 4x4s and live in gargantuan mansions. Hunger in the belly cannot be their reason for corruption.

The Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria has recently decided Cambodia would only receive their $47m grant if it is no longer managed by the Government's National Malaria Centre. An 18 month investigation found huge irregularities, plus a coffee maker that cost $1590. In Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index, Cambodia ranks 157 out of 174 - behind Syria, Congo and Yemen.

And whilst we in the richer, donor countries feel that we are the paying the price of this large scale corruption, we are not. The one who is paying the price is the 8 year old child who drops out of school because her family cannot afford the daily (illegal) fee. Or the family who lose a father because they cannot pay medical fees.

It could be that the horror of war for nearly 30 years has left some people to think only of themselves and maybe their families. Certainly, the leaders of industry and government are likely to have been teenagers or young men fighting in civil wars or surviving the Khmer Rouge, only then to struggle for lives in refugee camps. If these are the people leading society and setting the example, the example is having a car worth more than your salary.

In ER, after Dr. Ross (Clooney) has already left, Dr. Greene (Goose from Top Gun) leaves the hospital for the last time. He walks past and takes a basketball from Carter (not famous for anything else really) who is shooting hoops. Carter feels lost and worried about what will happen to the ER now that its leader, Greene, is leaving with Ross already gone. Greene gives the ball to Carter and tells him that it is now up to him to set the tone.

And that's the problem in Cambodia - the leaders aren't playing ball.

Gordon

PS, referencing TV shows will not be a permanent theme of all future blogs. Although, I could maybe try to take requests and see how they could be linked in some way to life in Cambodia!