Finding the funding, the staff, the premises, and the projects — no matter the thematic focus or geographical location, all founders Devex spoke to said building an NGO is never easy. They cited lack of sleep, years of being unable to draw a salary, needing to have an “irrational resilience,” and experiencing a mental health toll.
“I had to resign from the Norwegian Refugee Council and use my salary to do the first activities. I had to change one of my rooms into an office space,” said Irene Dawa, founder of Ugandan-based Community Empowerment for Peace and Development West Nile, which has worked to tackle conflict and promote democratic principles since 2014.
But the drive to tackle a specific problem is a powerful motivating factor. Seeing so many big, well-funded groups support refugees without tackling conflict prevention encouraged Dawa to keep going. “I could clearly see there was a gap in an alternative to dealing with anger and so I thought, being a peace-building expert, I needed to do something different,” she said.
About the author
Rebecca L. Root
Rebecca L. Root is a freelance reporter for Devex based in Bangkok. Previously senior associate & reporter, she produced news stories, video, and podcasts as well as partnership content. She has a background in finance, travel, and global development journalism and has written for a variety of publications while living and working in Bangkok, New York, London, and Barcelona.
