I enjoy your magazine. Just wanted to let you know about my recent collection: Marianne Marchand and Jane Parpart, eds., Feminism/ Postmodernism/Development (London: Rowledge, 1995). I would love to see it reviewed in one Isis Women in Action. Many thanks.

Issue 2/95 was very well done and presented. Just a suggestion. Carry analytical items of how "globalization" and its various associated trends are violently affecting women in all areas of daily life while simultaneously affecting other marginalized sections of society.

Name withheld

Editor: Yes, we will.

There is an old adage that borrowed facility is short-lived and have little or no effect. The same dependence, resource crunch and follower tendency persist. Getting outside assistance frees us of risks, makes us dull and irresponsible about sustainability. And donor agencies have slowed down on funding projects and show indifference to many already existing and pressing problems.

For groups to be strong, self-reliant and erect, they must go through the processes of self-experience and management of tactical situations. The Indonesian women's attempt to raise their own resources through income generating alternatives is, in fact, the cry of the hour. However, limited the [group's] initial investment might be, if it is nurtured, it grows with care and concern, and it belongs to the group. 

The alternative for Rural Movement (ARM) Baliapal, as a committed NGO, fully shares the desire of Indonesian women groups to stand on its own through self-help.

Most of us NGOs talk about development in terms of self-reliance, self-sufficiency, independence, sustainability. If that is true, then financial self-sufficiency is one of the necessary conditions for development. But most of our organizations are dependent on external funds. Because of that, most of the lime, we have to compromise our idea of development to the donor's priorities and the availability of funds. Unless we become financially self-sufficient and self-reliant, it is impossible to promote self-reliance at the community level. The paradox is, under present conditions, we need the help of outside donors even to become self-reliant.

Problems are inter-related and global. So we cannot isolate ourselves from the global development processes. What we need is a real partnership: Help to help ourselves. To achieve that, donors have to change their funding patterns. They have to change from funding "projects" to funding organizations, to help organizations become development enterprises. Project funding is actually a tool used by donors to control the funds. Donors should (build] genuine partnerships with field level NGOs and help them become self-reliant.

We know many donors are willing to refund expenses for which they may increase the funds every year, making us more dependent, and then leave us after some time in a vulnerable position. We wish donors to change their out-of-date funding methods and explore new ways to promote self-reliance. We also have to make attempts to become self-reliant both financially and ideologically. Otherwise there is no point in preaching self-reliance to people.

Renuka & Balakrishnan

Centre for Women's Development

and Research

4A, C.G.E. Colony. Old Beach

Road

Thimvaumiyur, Madras 600 041,

India

Women's groups should definitely not just rely solely on donor funding but should develop their own income generating alternatives. The idea behind Women's groups is to do something that will give us a measure of independence, so it is only natural that if we want to be independent, we can help raise funds as well.

Women have a lot of resources at their disposal. Day-care centers and crèches for working mothers could be set up at low cost to generate funds by women's groups. Vocational training centers could be set up where young girls who cannot continue their education for one reason or another are taught skills of trade by more experienced women in order to make a living: basket making, tailoring, cloth weaving and many other such skills. Women's groups could also set up business centers that provide typing pools, photocopying services and, if affordable, computer services, telephone and fax services for a fee. In Nigeria, such business centers are good sources of funds, especially in university campuses and tertiary institutions. If individuals cannot sponsor these ventures, women's groups themselves can start something. Even summer programs can help. For example, the Nigerian Association of University Women (NAUW), Ibadan chapter, organized a four-week summer program to teach adolescents how to make adire, a native tie-and-dye done on cloth, that yielded funds. So, women's groups should get up and go. The sky is the limit!

We should not rely solely on donor-based funding. Self-respecting women do not have the begging mentality. As a matter of fact, we should encourage women to be self-sufficient and self-reliant. It would be a better world if beggars of any kind disappeared from the face of the earth.