🌍 Introduction: a conscious choice
In the collective imagination, the humanitarian world is often synonymous with selfless solidarity and total commitment. But our field experience has revealed a more nuanced reality: money and personal interests can sometimes take precedence over the beneficiaries.
At Helping Hands, we have made a clear choice: to support the smallest humanitarian organisations and to stand by the "invisible" — those local actors who transform the lives not only of children, but of all people in highly vulnerable situations.
🔗 Discover our other actions too → Our projects in Nepal| Our commitment in the Philippines
💰 When money takes the lead
In the course of our meetings, we encountered a troubling phenomenon: some NGO managers, even in the humanitarian field, prioritise their own financial security over the real needs of the beneficiaries.
A striking example: the head of a long-established international organisation insisted that we work with him. What was his motivation? His historical sponsors were pulling out after 35 years, and he was afraid of losing his salary. This experience reinforced our conviction that our help must go where the commitment is sincere, towards those who act first and foremost for the most vulnerable, and not to preserve a position.
📈 Overinflated project budgets
We have also seen projects whose costs have changed worryingly.
A school project initially presented at €60 per child per year has risen to €400, with an overall budget multiplied by three.
These discrepancies are not always linked to real needs, but sometimes to intermediaries who inflate the figures.
💡 Read more: How to ensure transparency in humanitarian projects
🤝 Opportunistic partnerships
The most difficult thing is to realise that certain 'partners' or 'friends' disappear as soon as they lose interest.
In Nepal, as elsewhere, we have seen links severed simply because we were no longer directly funding their projects.
For us, a humanitarian commitment must remain intact, even when resources are limited.
🛠️ Our guiding principle: small teams, big impact
Helping Hands focuses on small local organisations that are deeply rooted in their communities.
They know every child, every family, every vulnerable person. Working with modest means, they still achieve real impact. They do not disappear when funds run low, because their commitment is driven by values, not by a salary.
📌 Find out more about our philosophy: Our mission and values
🌱 Supporting the unseen: the heart of our mission
We call "invisible" those who, without a marketing budget or powerful networks, change lives on a daily basis.
Helping Hands exists for them. Because they children and the most vulnerable people must not be forgotten.
Humanitarianism is not measured by the size of budgets, but by the depth of its human impact.
📢 Conclusion
By choosing to support the smallest humanitarian organisations, we are opting for sincerity, proximity, and direct impact.
We will continue walking alongside those who work behind the scenes to offer a more dignified future to children and people in highly vulnerable situations.
📞 Contact us to find out more or join our mission → Contact form
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