The Aid Files

09/01/2025

We're off to next week for the World Economic Forum!

We're so excited that our Documentary, "We Don't Do Charity" will be screening at the Social Innovation House on Monday, Jan 20th at 7pm.

Afterwards there will be a Q&A session with the Director, David Campbell, EP Alan Braithwaite, Claire Barnhoorn of Solvoz, and Nicola Banks of One World Together - all hosted by the documentary's producer Amanda Campbell of Republica Media.

It's the most amazing opportunity for us to showcase our film and hopefully meet potential partners and collaborators for our next productions, and it's all thanks to the amazing team at Catalyst 2030

If you're heading to Davos, or know someone who is, give us a shout or come along to the screening - register at: https://lnkd.in/eqzeeceT

19/12/2024

Please vote for us!

Our documentary "We Don't Do Charity" is entered for this year's Smiley Charity Film Awards! We need YOUR help to get to the judging stage - only those films with the most votes will get into the finals so we're depending on you!

And yes, if you haven't seen the film yet you can now watch it completely free until voting ends on January 29, so get watching and voting!

https://smileycharityfilmawards.com/films/we-dont-do-charity

Enjoy and thank you!

18/10/2024

Something for the weekend!

A couple of delights for this weekend (well, in our opinion).

First, there's the latest episode of Charles Kojo Vandyck's excellent podcast series. This time Charles has managed to snag a discussion with Dr. David Yambasu (PhD), Director of Ministerial Follow-Up and Strategic Coordination at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in the Republic of Sierra Leone - invaluable insights on the challenges and opportunities within civil society-government relations.

Listen here:

Tune in via Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eZXr2a6J

Listen on Afripods: https://lnkd.in/eVG4Vntz

Available on Apple: https://lnkd.in/ei6v7TrA

Second, as many of you know, we've launched our latest documentary - We Don't Do Charity - on Vimeo. So, for our followers on Facebook we're offering a 50% discount this weekend only if you use the code: AidFiles24. You can follow this link for direct access: https://vimeo.com/r/3Wbq/WTRObTQ2Mj

Enjoy!

Does charity do any good? "We Don't Do Charity" offers thought-provoking dive into the world of humanitarian aid and international development,…

14/10/2024

Our award-winning documentary "We Don't Do Charity" is now available to watch on Vimeo!

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/wedontdocharity/

Does charity do any good? "We Don't Do Charity" offers thought-provoking dive into the world of humanitarian aid and international development,…

25/09/2024

Woohoo! We've won an award!

Thank you to The Better World Film Festival who will be presenting us with the Sunrise Award on October 20th for our new documentary "We Don't Do Charity".

And we haven't even officially launched yet. It's short notice now but, if you're in London tomorrow, we still have a few free seats left for the Premier at the London Business School - North Building, 27 Sussex Pl. NW1 4RG from 4.30pm

Register free here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/we-dont-do-charity-a-new-documentary-screening-tickets-995444700897

03/09/2024

We're getting some amazing feedback from our pre-launch partner screenings of our new documentary "We Don't Do Charity". Thank you all for your kind words!

Why not join the debate? If you would like to host a screening and Q&A/discussion of our new documentary (live or online), get in touch!

Learn more here:
https://wedontdocharity.com/

17/06/2024

All eyes are on Gaza and Ukraine, but potentially one of the world's worst famines is unfolding right under our noses in Sudan.

Millions face disaster as Sudanese army and RSF accused of using food access as a weapon in on-going war

11/06/2024

At a recent presentation for a Catalyst Change Week session "Disasters are Consequences - Social Enterprise can Fix the Root Causes", Chair of the Catalyst 2030 working group on disasters, Alan Braithwaite, outlined his thoughts on how collaboration with local communities on agricultural and pastoral innovations can mitigate the effects of disasters and .

For a recording of the full session see: https://youtu.be/ynxYt6T23nA?si=ko29qAVSnx1G8sVz

04/05/2024

Climate change, floods, earthquakes, drought - natural disasters are becoming more frequent.

They’re amplified by social inequity, and poor planning and preparation.

But we can reduce their impact with better outcomes and lower dependency on international aid.

Join Alan Braithwaite for a special session with leading thinkers on Thursday, May 4 at 0900 CEST at Catalysing Change Week hosted by Catalyst 2030.

We will be joined by Charles Kojo VanDyck from West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) in Ghana, Joesph Male of Avail Group in Uganda, and other thought leaders in the sector.

The session will focus on how social entrepreneurs can improve outcomes, with a special focus on improving agricultural methods to mitigate the impact of disasters, human conflict and mass migration.

Sign up for this free one hour session on May 9, 0900 CEST here: https://catalyst2030.net/events/disasters-are-consequences-social-enterprise-can-fix-the-root-causes/

03/05/2024

Something for the weekend....

Weekends can be a great time to catch up with reading, podcasts, newsletters and more, so here are a few ideas for you:

1. PODCAST. Charles Kojo VanDyck's Alternative Convos sessions are always insightful and we try never to miss these weekly gems. We're looking forward especially this week's show with Gideon Ahenkorah from West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) on a subject close to our hearts:

Listen at

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/249zIFw0WzOwplIzdFDQgy?si=svw9CxJVTNeHitO3MpCyIg&nd=1&dlsi=5230bbb014bf4f1a

Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9kZTY2ZTkxYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==/episode/ZjQwZTMyOTctMGNiNC00MTcxLWJmYTItNDdiYWFlNjFjMTI3

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gh/podcast/alternative-convos-with-charles-kojo-vandyck/id1685985444?i=1000654374294

Another interesting show that's just popped onto our radar is "My Refugee Story" from our friend Antoine Le Guennec. He mentioned this idea to us a year or more ago while he was interning at UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency Belgium & Luxembourg. Love the angle and looking forward to listening to it at: https://open.spotify.com/show/2izE7yChxIsU4LUDO0Br7q

2. DOCUMENTARY: 20 Days in Mariupol - not strictly on the Aid and Development agenda but this is an important, Oscar-winning (and extremely harrowing) account of invasion of Ukraine by Russia by a couple of journalists from The Associated Press. Be warned: it took David Campbell of the Aid Files over 5 hours to watch, having to take a break after the worst scenes a few times to recover. If you want to understand the horrors some humans are capable of inflicting and at the same time the extreme heroism and utter humanity of others, this is a must see.

3. NEWSLETTERS: We have three favourites -

We never miss The New Humanitarian's weekly roundup here: https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/subscribe

Claire Barnhoorn is leading the way in reforming procurement in the Aid sector with her Solvoz newsletter here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/solvoz-monthly-newsletter-7143901140810682368/

And, like many, we try to keep up with the The Optimist from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which you can find here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-optimist-6975204194936909825/

Have a peaceful weekend folks and if you're in the UK, have a great Bank Holiday.

02/05/2024

When young people find no purpose in life, it's almost inevitable that they become involved in crime and violence. Unemployment and a lack of opportunity are the greatest curse on any society.

Ben Gori lives in a slum area of Nairobi noted for its high crime rate and sporadic outbursts of extreme violence. He spends almost all of his time convincing local small businesses that his apprenticeship scheme is the solution.

The results have been astonishing and hundreds of young people have escaped poverty and the endless cycle of crime to forge productive lives.

Ben now has the chance to expand his operation and help even more young people and give them a more hopeful and purposeful future.

Follow this link to learn more: https://www.airfunding.net/project/842552?hl=en

29/04/2024

There's increasing unrest in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Northern Kenya. Food rations have been cut back by the World Food Programme and refugees, trapped without any prospect of employment, are starving.

You can read more in this report by Alan Braithwaite who's been in touch with local refugee Seth Mugenyi.

https://www.theaidfiles.com/2024/04/29/living-in-nowhere-land-the-reality-for-refugees-in-kakuma-kenya/

21/03/2024

On the home straight now! Putting the final polish on our new documentary "We Don't Do Charity". Colour correction and grade almost complete. It's been a marathon, but not long now before we can start planning the launch! Find out more and watch the trailer here:
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https://republicamedia.com/2022/10/21/we-dont-do-charity-a-new-documentary/
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03/03/2024

What is it about walls? Alan Braithwaite writes about the recent proliferation of border walls across the globe, and what it means for us all.

https://www.theaidfiles.com/2024/03/03/what-is-it-about-walls/

21/02/2024

Coffee was declared a strategic crop for Africa at the African Union Summit.

The African Union (AU) heads of state Assembly, held last week in Addis Ababa, endorsed the G25 Kampala Declaration made last year on coffee, making coffee a strategic crop for the continent.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni called for African coffee producers to add value by processing coffee beans instead of exporting the raw material.

“A kilogramme of coffee beans of good quality may go for $2.5 (sh9,000) per kg. The same quantity of coffee roasted, ground and packaged may go for US $40 (sh 145,000)" he said in Kampala last year.

“This is where there is a massive haemorrhage of money from the global South to the global North. It is not only the loss of money per kg. It is also the loss of jobs.”

14/02/2024

Improving farmer income unites World Cocoa Foundation

The 2024 World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) Partnership Meeting ended with President Chris Vincent striking an upbeat chord with the 500 partners and worldwide stakeholders ...