Posted on 10 April 2025
Stuart Batty - Executive Director of RNZWCS
Given your long-standing involvement in global service through RNZWCS, what keeps you energised in this work?
I take the opportunity each time I visit international partners to also spend time visiting beneficiaries in their communities. Without doubt, they are undeniably grateful for the hand up they receive from RNZWCS through its in-country partners and are actively engaged to ensure the long-term sustainability of the activities, whether as a community leader or a member of a designated community committee e.g. WASH. Beneficiaries very often want to be “hands on” which means they take ownership of the activity which is essential for long term sustainability.
What’s keeping you up at night? As someone supporting communities through disasters, access to clean water, and sustainable development, what are the biggest challenges or opportunities you see ahead—particularly in the Pacific?
It is the collective responsibility of people of like mind to improve the lives of less fortunate across the world including the Pacific. Sadly, one of today’s growth industries is the aid and development sector with hundreds of millions of dollars spent on questionable International Talk Fests. Billions of donor dollars are being withheld by NGOs across the world for months, if not years on the pretext of spending only the interest earned. Most often inflation outweighs interest earned. When responding to Natural Disasters, Govt’s are taking a less proactive approach in the interests of reducing their administration costs, by taking a default position supporting International Networks with little accountability obvious to tax payers. If Govt’s are to provide tax credits for donations to registered charities, it should be mandatory that those to whom the donation is made distributes it before the end of the next tax year in my view.
RNZWCS has delivered life-changing programmes across areas like water, education, and livelihoods. What’s one project or approach you’re especially proud of right now that’s demonstrating real impact on the ground?
Long term active partnerships are essential as is the case for RNZWCS partnering with the Rotary organisation in Tanzania. This has resulted over the past 25 years to markedly lift communities out of poverty including establishing major fruit and vegetable markets and a milk processing plant for subsistence farmers to significantly improve livelihoods through income generation. The income generated has resulted in local authorities being in a better financial position to improve infrastructure and services. 44% of Tanzania’s population are estimated to be under 15 years of age placing an increasing burden on education and health. RNZWCS donors responded building new schools and increasing capacity by improving infrastructure and WASH facilities at existing.
With shifts in global aid funding and changing donor priorities, how is RNZWCS adapting to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of its programmes—especially in a Rotary volunteer-led model?
While some in the sector are in part volunteer organisations, their future is less certain as society more so embraces “user pays”. I do not consider the impact on the sector has been seriously considered by many as the last of the “dedicated volunteers and generous givers” depart this world. Whilst volunteers have made a tremendous impact on the sector, their interest in outcomes has been short lived. The future effectiveness of aid and development is dependent on a business and professional organisational model with accountabilities on both the deliverers and receivers.
‘Locally-led development is now a guiding principle across the sector. How does RNZWCS ensure its work is genuinely shaped and driven by the communities you support?
RNZWCS recognises that the needs of the people must be determined by the communities themselves rather than by donor partners as has, and still is, all too often the case. I have been heartened on a number of occasions when communities have openly thanked me for supporting what they have assessed to be best to improve their quality of life and livelihood for the long-term benefit of their families and that of future generations whilst others they say take the approach of dictating what’s best for the beneficiaries. Whilst we might not necessarily agree, it is essential we respect local customs and standards and do not endeavour to impose ours on them.
If you could change one thing about the way international development and humanitarian aid is delivered, what would it be?
The cost to the donor. The sector has become an industry where individual organisations and entities work in silos, rather than take a common interest approach. When an event occurs requiring an immediate response, the sector by and large appears to compete for donors using social media and other media responses to encourage would be donors to support them. In my view in some most recent events, the media have whipped up a frenzy exaggerating the reality of need. It is rare to see sector members advise the public after an event as to the level of donations received and to whom and for what purpose the money was spent.
What would you say to the next generation of development and humanitarian leaders—especially those interested in grassroots, community-based responses and partnerships?
They should support the notion of “redundancy” rather than perpetuating the notion that there will always be a need for them. In 2008, again in Tanzania, I was guest at a large gathering of several hundred primary and secondary school students. A wise elder introduced me and informed the students as to who I was and that I represented just one of many international donors supporting Tanzania. He asked them that in the course of their lifetime, to make every effort to ensure that international donors were made redundant. Otherwise, he said “the country will forever be donor dependent”.
Is there a book, article, or podcast that’s shaped your thinking recently or that you’d recommend to others in the sector?
None specifically, I read many articles and publications put out by like minded people and check out often inciteful comments and posts on LinkedIn. I do not agree with those who consider everything should be under constant change. Change should always come from within rather than by self- appointed experts (often failed bureaucrats and/or academics) who consider they know best because they have read it in a text book.