Procedures of Nongovernmental Organizations and Social Entrepreneurship in International Development: Two Case Studies

In a world where nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and social entrepreneurs are becoming increasingly significant in the development of disadvantaged communities around the globe, specific methodological research in the field is more important than ever before. With heightened demand, however, also comes greater responsibility for such organizations to successfully and efficiently ignite positive change in the communities they serve. This paper broadly explores the structures and intentions of NGOs and social enterprises in international community development, particularly discussing steps taken by two comparable case study organizations attempting to establish trusting relationships with community members and respond appropriately to their needs. This paper examines in detail one nongovernmental organization and one social enterprise working to improve public health conditions in rural Guatemala. Curamericas Global, Inc. is an NGO dedicated to improving overall health standards of families through creating self-sustaining, community-run maternal and neonatal health clinics in remote, impoverished communities; Tiendas de Salud is a social enterprise which builds micro-pharmacies in isolated communities, engaging in microlending to employ locals in order to bolster household economic autonomy and improve the access and affordability of medicines for these populations. In this most-similar focused comparison analysis, evaluations of each organization’s projects are closely studied to understand their procedures when intervening in communities.