BIRD, BARD, BARC, … The list of aid agencies in Bangladesh reads like some perverted dictionary. The name of each agency is always spoken as a complete word – not the individual letters of the acronym. Each has a unique mission and many overlap with others. Navigating this complex structure is difficult as you only seem to gain insight into each organization by working with them. And there are so many that this is just not possible. It is a testament to the consciences of western societies that these agencies exist at all. There is such an outpouring of sympathy for the plight of the Bangli people that NGOs are compelled to help. On the other hand, the complexity, overhead, and independence of these organizations leaves one wondering if they can possibly help at all. Is the aid actually reaching the poor of the county? Are the individual programs in conflict? Do benefits from one program offset benefits from another?
Is Social Entrepreurship substantially different? Will using the capitalist system to provide choice and allow the market to decide indeed make for the best solutions? It will indeed be interesting to see if we can have a substantial, measureable impact in the incredibly complex milieu.
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