The Uncultured Project

So I'm sitting at home, chilling because I have a sore neck.... (bah!)
And I am catching up on my blog reading (so far behind!!) and I read this:

The Uncultured Project blog

The Uncultured Project is run by Shawn Ahmed who is Bangladeshi, but lives in the US. He started the project when, instead of buying an Xbox, he decided to go to Bangladesh and use the money to benefit others by buying mosquito nets, etc. I really love what Shawn has been doing, both alone and with Save the Children, and so I have subscribed to his blog.

The link above is to his latest blog post, and I thought it was a really great read.
It is really interesting to see how many aid programmes seem to miss the boat when it comes to getting local knowledge on how communities work. I was especially wowed on Shawn's look at Orphanages.
In a Muslim country, like Bangladesh, Orphanages are the best thing for those who do not have parents, as the western way of thinking does not give the child any better opportunities than the orphanage, and may in fact be treated worse than at the orphanage.
But, should Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) follow some of the customs of the country they are entering, then fantastic things may result!

So have a read (it is a LONG read, btw), and let me know your thoughts. I would love to hear them and discuss! Plus I am on holiday, so I will happily converse with you all.