10+1 examples of not giving up

Positive change happens slowly and requires patience – especially when one step forward is often followed by two steps back. But with the determination to not give up, many kinds of setbacks have been overcome.

Text: Anne Salomäki
Illustration: Carla Ladau

1 Even in the midst of horror, there is hope.

In the midst of extreme crisis, maintaining hope can be difficult. Finding that hope requires persistence, but people have survived innumerable bad situations before us. Faith in the future can be seen, for example, in Ukraine, where in the midst of war, the government is striving ahead with social development, such as national school reform. It’s just one example how a country at war is still striving to bring new know-how to the country and, eventually, prosperity.

2 The pursuit of equality is worthwhile.

Diversifying opportunities for women to earn an income is a huge act of equality. In many countries, professions are strongly gendered and vocational education has a bad reputation. Persistent pursuit of equality in work and local role models are of great importance in bringing about a change of attitude in patriarchal societies such as Nepal and many countries in Africa and the Middle East. Women’s empowerment and the chance to earn a livelihood also improve their children’s status and increases opportunities to access education.

3 Communities have power.

There is enormous power in communities – for both good and bad. For example, in Somalia, the arrival of internal refugees in villages has caused tensions and disputes between communities, when conditions are already harsh. A harmonious coexistence requires perseverance from all parties. Aid organisations have, among other things, offered joint education for refugee and local children, in which case living together benefits everyone.

4 Peace requires effort.

In South Sudan and Somalia, as just one example, building peace takes a long time. And finding common goals between opposing groups that can be worked on together requires long-term work. When building local governance, significant setbacks can occur, such as armed conflicts. Difficult situations require local and international actors to be able to see the big picture in the midst of adversity.

5 Earning a living can change a life.

In developing countries, finding a stable livelihood can be difficult, and young people who leave the countryside for work in the cities may end up in conditions similar to slavery. FCA’s Creative Industries education program in Kenya is an example of how a future can be changed with the help of education. The rapidly growing young population can employ themselves and perhaps others with the help of professional skills. Earning a living builds faith in the future, instead of young people turning to other ways to find their place in life, such as extremist organisations.

6 Adaptation comes from long-term research.

The drought-prone Horn of Africa is already suffering from long conflict, and dwindling resources due to the effects of climate change threaten to accelerate the situation. Agricultural communities especially benefit from new types of farming methods and plants. Finding effective means of adaptation requires long-term research and monitoring.

7 Even one person can change things.

In Cambodia, a volunteer from FCA’s Teachers Without Borders network developed a reading circle, in which children without reading and writing skills, and who were left behind in education, learned to read and write in a few months. In difficult circumstances, the persistence of even one person can bring about big changes locally.

8 Children are the future.

Work done for the benefit of children is work for the benefit of society as a whole. Teachers in many refugee camps are a good example of not giving up. Even though a classroom in a camp may only have walls and a basic roof, teachers still find ways to engage children, create routines and inspire faith in the future. In the Central African Republic, for example, school can save a child from being sent to work. In many countries, going to school also prevents child marriages.

9 The will to not give up doesn’t stand alone.

In many countries it can be impossible for poor children with disabilities to go to school. Changes in attitudes and practical conditions are necessary. Even small things, such as functioning sanitary facilities in schools or aids that enable disabled people to move around, can have a far-reaching impact on a person’s life.

10 There is no money in giving up…

Lack of funding is a chronic problem, and at the same time it forces innovation. For example, thanks to digitisation, teacher training, among other things, has been able to reach dangerous or hard-to-reach places even in the middle of a pandemic. It should always be kept in mind that the best ways to do more with less are created in cooperation with local operators.

+1 FCA is looking long-term

The architecture of aid activities has changed, for example, due to the war in Ukraine, and instead of long-term development cooperation, the focus is now on short-term humanitarian aid. Although it is important to help in an acute emergency, if we focus on putting band-aids on big wounds, long-term development is forgotten. With the help of donors, FCA can create opportunities for a better future.

FCA Deputy Executive Director Ikali Karvinen was interviewed for the story.