Deep trouble. Unless a rescue plan is put in place, it might only be a matter of time before the orphanage closes down. If the African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Programme (ACHAP) did not provide temporary funding, the orphanage would have shut down by now. But this might still happen if, as expected, ACHAP terminates its involvement at the end of this month.
It is an all too familiar story - a project started and sustained by an NGO with donor funding that cannot live beyond donor fatigue. The House of Hope is in trouble because its main donor, PCI pulled out. Not too long ago it was Tebelopele, which was in crisis because of problems with donor funding. The common fate of donor funded projects that stutter to a halt once donors pull out should be reason to re-think the way we tackle certain socio-economic problems. Either we must run donor-funded projects that last till the funds dry up or we must make sure that we have measures in place to survive in the post-donor period. Starting short-term projects, say for three years or for the duration of the donor-funding programme, may be the way to go. At least it saves the promoters and beneficiaries of such initiatives the heartbreak and headache that afflict them when the cash taps in the West are closed.
