There are many Non-Governmental Organizations(NGOs) which have been working in many countries based in Southeast Asia region and other locations, especially located in the developing countries that they contribute in facilitation and make progress in all sectors of development program alongside the government's national strategic action plan including health, agriculture, education, rural structure, democracy, small business and so on.
Though, we may wonder what is the actual role of NGOs? Actually, the NGOs play roles in coordination, collaboration and bridging the communication between the government, private sector and local inhabitants toward a concerted effort so that they could raise the issues and concern as well as community voices to be heard by the government for intervention or seeking for building support in the development project purposes. The responsibility of NGOs are briefly designed as following:
1-Charity Mission Fulfillment
Most of NGOs which implement their activity as humanitarian performances mostly are Christian NGOs to assist the target areas through love education, healthcare, saving bank goal for self-help groups, for instance, providing cow or rice loan without an interest charge.
2-Community based Organization(CBO)
The activity of the NGOs is based on the rural targets which focused on the disadvantaged beneficiaries. They create the grassroots community volunteer and community member networking or member organizing for their specific goal implementation. For example, the Village Health Volunteer(VHV) or commune development committee works directly with local people to promote healthcare to them.
3-Construction Assistance
Some of the NGOs' activities are building development of infrastructure like construction of health center, irrigation system related to agriculture, digging well as the water sources, construct a path road, community school, dam, a bridge for people use.
4-Facilitation Process
Basic community development projects which stand benefit to the local people entail the participation from them and facilitated by the NGOs for the result-based outcome. This called a participatory rural assessment.
5-Communication and Relationship
A community’s need maybe not enough even they have mobilized the existing natural resources, sometimes they need the expert come to explain or provide them the skill training or approach to address any issue happens in their region. That is the point in which NGOs are also making the connection to make fundraising or donation to the target areas. Furthermore, NGOs act as the mediator to resolve any rural conflict. And other communications for services available for local people like legal consulting.
6-Advocacy and Lobbying
The rural people’s concern maybe not heard by the government or the local people want the government to make some reforms or review a process of its policy implementation through NGOs’ lobbying and advocacy so that NGOs raise those issues to the government to reconsider.
7-Bring voice to Government
The only side of government working alone does not have enough information to cope with regional villager’s hardship or difficulties. That is why the NGOs act a role to bring off all vocal efforts of stakeholders to the government for intervention.
8-Bring Initiatives and new Technology
The NGOs can take new initiatives or modern technology to develop community rural areas through the expert or provide the training to the development project outcome beneficiary.
9-Suggest and give Recommendation to the Government
Through the NGOs, the government could receive any recommendations or suggestions stem from the plenary sessions or workshops in order to review its national policy or strategy and fulfill the gaps more effectively.
In conclusion, the NGOs are playing a key role to bridge the rural areas and government as development partners intent toward community development goals and achieve the government’s objective. The need for the government in developing the country for NGO's role is inevitable for working as collaborative players.
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