humanitarian.info

I love this. Forget about all of our big aid organisations and their assessments - wouldn’t it be great if the beneficiaries just e-mailed us and told us what they needed? I’d like to shake Amadou Doutchi by the hand, and here’s why:

Doutchi, who already had his own account on a free, Web-based e-mail service, came up with a list of governments and aid groups to approach, including the World Food Program… In mid-June, Doutchi traveled 80 miles south to the regional center of Maradi to send the e-mail from an office there. When he checked his inbox a week later, he said several organizations had responded asking for more details on the community and its needs. Doutchi believes a $150,000 donation from the Canadian government can be traced to his e-mail, though Canadian officials could not immediately comment.

The full story is at CNN.