“I think that if every overly bright, well-dressed 20something would just get together and co-run the skinny jeans appreciation society in their respective countries, the rest of us could put all that money and press to actual use.” -20 something female, HQ aid worker w/5+ experience “Deep breaths.    Too many.” -41-45 yo female HQ worker [extra spaces for emphasis in the original] “They are petty indulgences normally of middle class white people who want to help someone and feel better about their privilege.” Aid worker views regarding MONGOs (My Own NGO):  mostly negative The 2014 kidnapping of two young Italian women in Syria (see here) underscores the fact that being an aid worker comes with risks. There may be something specifically about this particular episode that merits a deeper understanding, and a start might be to examine aid worker voices about the kind of organization to which these young women were associated, namely a … Continue reading Aid worker views regarding MONGOs (My Own NGO)