World Vision defended

Press, 7 December 1978, Page 18

World Vision defended

It is a common misunderstanding that money sent through World Vision and other organisations to under-developed countries is not put to supervised use, according to Mr H. Barber, assistant to the president of World Vision International.

Most of the people in these countries were not used to handling money, said Mr Barber. It was essential that aid money be used to supply necessary services, such as health and education, and to teach the people to manage their own lives. Mr Barber who lives in California, was only recently appointed assistant to the president of the organisation, Dr S. Mooneyham. He joined in 1973 and set up World Vision’s Relief and Development Divison.

He visited Christchurch this week for the first time to meet local people involved in World Vision and to discuss the organisation’s projects. He left for Kuala Lumpur, where he will investigate the plight of Vietnamese refugees. Criticism that money was taken from aid funds to pay the running costs of organisations like World Vision was, Mr Barber said, quite wrong. “Last year, the combined administration and fundraising cqsts of World Vision equalled only 20 per cent of the total funds available.”

People were becoming increasingly sensitive to the problems of the underdeveloped countries. This response has been a boost to the work of World Vision, he said.