Remittances: philanthropy without publicity.
The world’s top philanthropist is the Global South.
↳ For itself.
But the Global North gets all the donor credit.
So the savior mentality of some Westerners — “first they should help themselves” — is a delusional colonial relic.
Because the Global South diaspora already 𝘪𝘴 helping themselves. To the tune of $590B a year in remittances.
These silent giants of giving donate more to families and communities than all other international aid.
Combined.
🏦 Like official development assistance: $180B
💸 Or cross-border philanthropy: $70B
💰 And private capital: $400M
For example, Indian migrants make it the top remittance country at $83B — sending itself more than all global philanthropy and private capital.
This is a wake-up call.
“Global South countries have predominantly been labeled as ‘donor dependant,’ perpetuating the vicious cycle of unequal power dynamics between the Global North and South,” says Willson Chivhanga.
“The consequence has been skewed foreign and domestic policy… and development apathy among Global South citizens who have been systematically conditioned to believe that they have nothing to contribute towards their own development.”
Shift the spotlight.
Here’s the storytelling opportunity. 👇🏽
Migrants donate ~15% of earnings as remittances. Americans, by contrast, give just 2% to charity.
“It challenges the notion that we are beggars — even though aid plays a key role in our development, we are playing a much bigger role,” Chivhanga continues.
“This knowledge allows us to reclaim and own our developmental agenda.”
Truth.
Notably, you can bet your bottom dollar on remittance reliability.
According to the 2023 Global Philanthropy Tracker, during economic crises or natural disasters, migrants cut their living costs to cushion the remittance recipients.
Like during Covid:
📉 ODA decreased 1%
📉 Philanthropy dipped 0.5%
📉 Private capital dropped 100%
📈 But remittances increased 19%
And stop saying remittances aren’t as impactful as philanthropy because it’s just “subsistence money” for family consumption. Western Union found the top uses of remittances were healthcare, food, housing, and education — the same stuff Western donors invest in.
So it’s paternalistic to think the Global South diaspora can’t deploy donations wisely.
“Migrant workers make an invaluable contribution to SDGs through remittances and investments,” says the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Especially because many communities pool remittances for long-term sustainability — like a water project or building schools and hospitals, according to Una Osili.
In short:
Remittances are an unsung hero of global development.
Let’s rebrand them as a headliner in our narratives.
And dismantle the “donor dependency” myth.
What ideas do you have?
💪🏽💛
The Daily Bonus
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