At the beginning of April Robert Wiggers, programme coordinator of Change the Game, travelled to Sri Lanka and Cambodia. We had an interview with him.
At the beginning of April Robert Wiggers, programme coordinator of Change the Game, travelled to Sri Lanka and Cambodia. We had an interview with him.
How long was your trip and what were your goals?
I have been travelling abroad for a week and a half. I travelled from Holland and on location was joined by two local consultants on the trip. My goal was to select national partners for Change the Game Academy in both Cambodia and Sri Lanka. We spoke to 4 organisations in Sri Lanka and 2 in Cambodia. We have selected Assembly for Social Mobilisation, a genuine grassroots organisation and TiME (a small training organisation) in Sri Lanka. In Cambodia, we have chosen Advocacy and Policy Institute and Cooperation Committee for Cambodia (CCC). CCC is a membership based organisation representing 169 CBO’s and NGO’s. I have known CCC for many years. When I worked for ICCO we supported CCC in their startup efforts. API supports 154 CBO’s, by capacity building and increasing their advocacy skills. Another goal was to visit the Embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Have you met with particular challenges?
It is quite a challenge to find a partner which is substantial enough to carry the Change the Game Academy Programme. Particularly in Sri Lanka many organisations have seen their number of staff drop drastically due to retracting donors and sponsorships. Both Sri Lanka and Cambodia are not yet very advanced in local fundraising. That is, however, where Change the Game Academy will come in.
Have you experienced anything that surprised/impressed you during your stay?
I was quite impressed with the willingness and enthusiasm to cooperate and collaborate. Spontaneously the two parties in Cambodia initiated to have their training together so I could provide an extra, very practical, workshop the next day. And this workshop was to be the first Local Fundraising training in Cambodia.
And it saddened me to see that in Sri Lanka that many NGO’s and CBO’s have been left to their own devices rather abrubtly due to the retraction of sponsors and donors from the west, who left without capacity building, or exit strategy. Many organisations are a shadow of their former self and had to cut down in staff immensely. Such a shame and a waste of human resources and capital. Its is good to see that even small organisation with only three staff members do their utmost best to develop and aim for progress.
The owner of the hotel where we stayed in Cambodia turned out to be Dutch. He is in his fities and knows Wilde Ganzen Foundation. He gave us an extra discount even though we had already a favourable quote! He offered to network for the programme. This was a heart warming experience.
You have also visited the Embassy in Sri Lanka. How did it go?
I was very pleased to hear that the people at the Embassy remembered the partnership training which Wilde Ganzen colleagues Sylvia van den Berg and Heleen Reeuwijk organised there some years ago. They spoke very positively about the trainings. The vice ambassador is also impressed with what we achieve with the Change the Game Academy, worldwide. For Sri Lanka our programme will be very relevant and necessary, we are there now just at the right time. The embassy also wishes to include Change the Game Academy in trade missions! We will start working on the contents of our contribution to these missions.
