Problematic issues in well-intentioned interventions: Reflections of an international researcher

ABSTRACT

Based on the author’s personal experiences in Guatemala, this paper outlines some problematic issues in well-intentioned interventions in that country. The distribution of community-oriented projects by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) does not align with either the population distribution nor the needs of the people as indexed by poverty levels. Instead, projects are located in areas with favorable climates that are frequented by tourists. Negative aspects of the interventions may include untoward consequences of microfinance initiatives, lack of collaboration among NGOs, exploitative use of photographs of vulnerable children, and goals inconsistent with those of parents and communities. Both short-term and long-term evaluations are essential to ensure that interventions are benefiting the well-being of individuals and strengthening the social fabric of their communities.

KEYWORDS:

• Interventions
• non-governmental organizations
• majority world countries
• Guatemala

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Harriette Rothwell of Pionero Philanthropy for providing information about the distribution of NGOs in Guatemala.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. The data set used for the analysis of the distribution of NGOs in Guatemala is available in OSF, https://osf.io/g87vj/?view_only=07abb6ae9b8b4e66b61a894d377e1053