Orphans in Africa

Dear SACRENA Partners and Donors,

First, thank you so much. When people come to visit SACRENA, we try to be open and don’t tell our youths, orphans or community members what to say. More so we encourage them to tell people/guest who came what they are not happy about. Here in our community people think that we are one of the successful organization. When we receive either positive or negative criticism helps us to build on our weakness. We thank friends and donors who have stood with SACRENA and lives have been improved. In my updates we do say "please came and visit what your dollar is doing"

It is true that at SACRENA youths and orphaned children have had great opportunities for education and training. I believe GlobalGiving donors will give our beneficiaries training and development opportunities in exchange for the sports and education. In our side as SACRENA, we will take next steps in developing a more transparent and accountable organization and that we will provide resources to make that happen through the help of our GlobalGiving donors. I plead with our donors to help us not to leave us.

At every organization, home, government or non profit there may be misunderstanding. In the case of SACRENA we work with 350 youths, 250 widowed women, and 250 orphans these number is big. Considering that you cannot meet every expectation of everybody. There may be delays but some may not be pleased in that comes conflict either of interest or of passion as we know that conflict resolution requires patience and persistence.

We have encourage all our communities and our beneficiaries to open email addresses and join twitter to start going online and talk to people directly though it may take time but it will work so that they connect to donors directly in openness.

It is true with everyone in the world that when negative reports are given to what you do you feel discouraged. This will not play part in me. I will be encouraged and go on.

As human being, imagine am also feeling some pressure and uncomfortableness about the conflicts and stresses within SACRENA and what people we have changed their lives say about their own organization and how to deal with that. It's not easy being in my position. Being the leader is always a challenging position. We all know how difficult it is to make everything happen and all the complaints can be directed at me. It's not that the expectation in an organization should be that the workers complain to the boss and the boss has just to fix it. In English we have the expression that you don't want the tail wagging the dog. It's the dog that must wag the tail. But, there are times when the director has to listen to concerns and problems that the workers in an organization are having and respond and address those issues. The key is to set up an organization in which there is good communication and a feeling of mutual respect I believe there must be a channel and systems in case of SACRENA we depend on our goodwill persons will like you to get us going on with little support to help us pay a contact, office secretary and one youths manager..

From my own experience, and from what all directors and managers say about their work, that it is always the case that we have to learn how to be a good leader of an organization. So that will be true for you also. There can be a tendency to react to this kind of situation with defensiveness. But that just makes things worse. The key is to be open to hearing and learning and at the same time to be sure that everyone is in agreement that the director must continue to be the director and donor relationships be maintained with respect and openness.

All for now. Thank you again for being willing to pass my message along to the donors I think it is important that they get that from me. I think they will feel better if they know that I didn't refuse people to comment negative reports about SACRENA. And I think donors and the guest who visit SACRENA it will be better for me and for the organization that they know I and donors are not ignoring their desire to talk about their experience with the organization, to be heard and acknowledged and more so comment on what they saw and for them then to have a chance to hear from you as well. All this is kind of complicated to talk about adequately just by email but we will do the best we can.

Wycliffe Mboya.
Director. SACRENA