The Timiro Farah Foundation‘s focus is on brightening the lights that already exist in local communities, rather than simply handing down money or resources or starting projects that the community may not want or need.

 

Benefits of our approach
Our unique “Brightening the Lights” approach leads to the following benefits:

• Prioritization on projects that are considered truly needed by local communities:
  There are trends, as far as charity organizations go, from providing goats to building wells. These trends come from time to time because of one charity developing an excellent idea and all the others copying that idea. The best way to avoid falling into the trap of doing what we think we should be doing rather than what is actually needed on the ground is by taking the lead from local altruists on the ground.  For example, some charities may focus on building a well to provide clean water to reduce the incidence of diarrhea, the number one cause of death in Africa right now. Meanwhile, there may already be a well that is out of function due to contamination and a local altruist is desperately trying.

• True independence from any political, religious, or nationalistic agenda:
  By supporting local people on their projects, with the leadership and even the name of the projects attributed to the local population, we ensure that secondary gains are avoided.  While other organizations may tie their funding to ascribing to a certain religion or as a means of propagating a certain religion or simply as a means to increase their own popularity in the industry of non-profit organizations, at TFF, our focus is simply the focus of the people on the ground in the communities we serve.

• Trustworthiness:
  By supporting local people, we seek to gain more trust in the communities that we serve.  Many local projects in developing countries fail or are terminated due to a lack of trust.  We also maintain trust of the local projects being developed within the community.  It is a fact of life that people will support and trust people they have known for years in their local communities to spearhead a project rather than an outside organization, no matter what the organization may be.

• Free from corruption:
  Corruption in non-profit organizations in developing countries is now almost a cliche.  These organizations are almost universally regarded as serving the interests of their own organizations or the government.  In fact, it has been proven many times on the ground that major organizations funnel money into the government rather than provide funds to the people. Although these stories rarely make it into the news cycle in the West, it has become a fact of life in developing countries.

• Supportive of the local community:
  Anytime there is help given to a community from the outside, it can both help and hurt.  For example, transporting doctors to a local community can ease the burden of health care on the poor while simultaneously putting local doctors out of business. Providing food to a local community would help alleviate starvation but would put local cooks and restaurants out of business. Then, once the urge to help subsides and the charity organization leaves, there is a bigger hole than when they came in.  By working with the local population, we not only help alleviate suffering, but we do this by supporting the local economy and the local talents of the people.

• Locally monitored and implemented:
  By relying on local people and local communities, we tap into the best resources that can provide continuous monitoring of the project and locally implement the project.

• Continuous long-term support:
  Local control over a project can provide motivated altruists in the community to manage the project over the long-term and manage the outcomes of the project for years to come.  For example, it is good for a charity organization to build a well and leave, but it is excellent for the local people to help build a well (with our funding, resources, and support) and be motivated to continue to keep the well functional and clean for years to come.

• Empowering local people and local communities:
  What is the biggest need in developing countries? Clean water? Food? Money? At TFF, we believe that biggest need is knowledge.  With the right knowledge, talent, and motivation, a single individual can change his or her local community and even the world. By providing one-time funding or by going in for a single project and leaving, we do nothing to increase the knowledge and talent of local altruists who are already struggling to make their local communities better.  At worst, we may take over the reins, causing these local altruists to stop their work, causing their knowledge and talents to languish.  By relying on local altruists for local projects, we also help expand local knowledge bases, talents, and motivation.

• Local inspiration:
  It is difficult to be inspired by a faceless organization that swoops in, builds a well, provides a medical clinic, or starts a food pantry, and leaves.  This encourages the development of an external locus of control - the belief that good and bad things that happen in life are due to outside factors rather than internal factors. Just as individuals can have an external locus of control, entire communities can develop an external locus of control as well.  By having local altruists spearhead projects, interacting with the community, and inspiring others in the community, this inspiration will lead to others taking on the reins for future generations to come.  By including the concept of inspiration as part of our mission, this will truly provide long-term benefits for generations.

 

What if we cannot find a light to brighten?
We believe that there is always a light, a local altruist, who is struggling to improve the community around them. If we cannot find one immediately, we will begin a local project ourselves until local philanthropists rise up and take over. If you or someone you know would like to nominate an altruist to take part in our BRIGHTENING THE LIGHTS program, please email your nomination to info@tffcharity.org and explain why we should support the cause.