International NGO Journal Vol. 5(8), pp. 177-184, December 2010 Available online at http:// www.academicjournals.org/INGOJ ISSN 1993–8225 ©2010 Academic Journals Article In the rugged journey of bettering lives abroad: does the driver matter? Cynthia Arku 1 and Frank S. Arku 2 * 1 Department of Educational Policy Studies, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. 2 Faculty of Development Studies, Presbyterian University College, Ghana, Akuapem Campus, Ghana. Accepted 2 September, 2010 This article highlights difficulties that humanitarian organizations encounter juggling the expectations of their own organization and the donor community. Drawing on World Vision Canada’s (an NGO) case, we found that aligning their work to local priorities of beneficiaries, collaborating locally and gender mainstreaming are still wishes. Soliciting and reporting on funds within single project-based logical models is challenging. Also, a growing move towards General Budget Support (GBS) to increase national governments’ control over aid threatens their religious agenda. For effective aid uses, this article encourages developing Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRSs) to guide development efforts and slowly adopting GBS while utilizing program-based funding approaches, actors’ comparative advantage and gender sensitive staff. Key words: International aid effectiveness, humanitarian organizations, World Vision Canada, NGOs, poverty reduction. INTRODUCTION International development continues to be supported by insights and guidelines from the international community. This has especially been the case in hopes of attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - the world’s 2015 target to dramatically reduce extreme poverty in the areas of income poverty, hunger, disease, exclusion, lack of infrastructure and shelter and other dimensions while promoting gender equality, education, health and environmental sustainability (United Nations Millennium Project, 2006). Achieving the MDGs will depend on the support of state actors, private partners, international community and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Charitable and community organizations that serve as instruments to meet community needs, defend interests and promote new policies have been present since the eighteenth century. Particularly, anti-slavery movement and international committee for the Red Cross emerged during this time in America and Europe. By the nineteenth century they broadened their focus to include issues on women's rights, poverty, alcohol abuse, municipal reforms and the Trade Union. Today, these *Corresponding author. E-mail: fsarku@gmail.com. organizations which can be found in every part of the world address any imaginable issue. The United Nations System refers to them as NGOs to distinguish their representatives from those of governments. Most NGOs often operate in their local country settings (e.g., Chamber of Commerce and neighbourhood associations) and thousands exist internationally. Their main sources of funding have been from membership dues, grants and donations from corporations, individuals and governments, and international contracts. This sector which economists refer to as the ‘third sector’ produces ‘public goods’ that would not otherwise be offered in the marketplace. They can command greater legitimacy and be more effective than national authorities (noting that some can have criminal interests). Their role in the twenty first century could be larger because of the cross- border issues that come with globalization. According to former Secretary General Boutros Ghali, NGOs "are an indispensable part of the legitimacy" of the United Nations, while his successor Kofi Annan indicated that NGOs are "the conscience of humanity" (Paul, 2010). Often NGOs are said to be characterized by several challenges. Most common of them noted include: duplication of efforts; lack of awareness of inter- organizational linkages to other NGOs and divisive