The USA, Europe and many rich nations present a wide spectrum of opportunities for diasporas from African countries and other continents around the globe. Many Africans work tirelessly to develop themselves, relatives, and their communities in Africa. It is an opportunity worth taking if presented. Because of the cost involved in planning to travel to Africa, in case of a deceased relative for instance, a parent, a sibling, grandparents, or a cousin etc. most African diasporas normally come together to form groups to consolidate little contributions into substantial amount to help their own incase of such an eventuality.
Africans understand how traumatizing it can be to lose a close family member, at the same time look for funds to travel to Africa, since death comes unannounced. This has apparently motivated many Africans to form benevolent groups or joining existing ones without second thought. Unfortunately, some leaders in some groups are taking advantage of vulnerable members to harass and extort them. Some groups are governed with iron fist, where members must abide without questioning. This ends up frustrating members, making them to discord such leadership.
Members are not supposed to question how money comes in and out hence, accountability is not a key word in such groups. Funds are misappropriated, favoritism crops in and becomes expensive for members to seek justice, hence most cease to be members losing their contributions. Others are not given their claims when they lose a relative, hence, such members are devastated and confused what to do next. Some leaders of such groups make accountability a daunting issue, giving lame and unfounded excuses to evade giving out financial reports, illustrating cashflow in the group accounts. Such leaders profoundly fear the ugliness that has been transpiring in those accounts.
What is even more barbaric is that some of such leaders retaliate against those members asking pertinent and concerning questions. They use all sorts of attacks including blocking members from communications channels and paying unorthodox journalists with credibility issues and questionable characters to attack members, who openly raise concerns. A recent case that went viral recently, exposes unrelenting leader determined to fight some of the members to the end, despite the glaring concerns in her leadership style and character. In this modern world rich of civilization, leaders are answerable and accountable to their people. Group leadership must be accountable and protect members’ funds, especially in benevolent groups, because people will always come for help when in dire need. It looks absurd when such members in desperate need are abandoned in the hour of dire need.
It can be challenging to seek justice in a civil court, but it is important to take that path to stop this culture of group leaders taking advantage of members. If members are contributing certain amounts every month or wherever a member is in need, they can also join hands to raise funds to seek justice to recover misappropriated funds or to subpoena leaders to produce financial reports for accountability purposes. Members abandoning messed up groups is giving leaders of such groups a leeway to swindle members’ funds. I understand that members can avoid court redress due to finances and technicalities involved. But it is the most assured way of putting group leadership in staying away from conflict of interest.
Perhaps, before joining a benevolent group, it is important to excavate the leadership background and reputation of the group. It is also important for new members to ask for a group certificate of registration, bank account details, and sign a contract of agreement. This is an assured way of trust, when joining a group. This issue of just trusting leadership without signed documents should be out of picture. The traditional way of just trusting people one has never grown with or met is out of picture in this modern world, where people adore money more than their integrity. Document signing is a better way of protecting yourself and your contribution to the group. Due to the recent issue of a group, where one leader has shown a ruthless heart towards some group members for raising pertinent concerns, it is important to be extra careful to avoid falling into such a hopeless trap.