Small streams make big rivers : exploring motivation and idealism in Norwegian personalised aid initiatives in the Gambia

Abstract

Little is known about personalised aid organisations in Norway, and those initiatives are not recognised as part of the official Norwegian development aid structure. The organisations are small in size and by themselves do not raise enormous amounts of money, nor do they individually have a massive developmental effect. But collectively it is believed that their influence, both on sponsors in Norway as well as on aid recipients in the Global South, is quite substantial. This study explores the motivation of initiators of six personalised aid organisation in Norway, which all run development projects in the Gambia. The characteristics of a personalised aid organisation are often linked to the motivation of the initiative’s founder, such as the small size of the organisation which allows the aid worker to be close to and exert considerable control over the project. However, the personal control raises questions about project ownership and sustainability. The study finds that, in as much as there is a need for help at the recipient level, donors are also motivated by an inherent need to help.