Language Bank
At MAMA HOPE, we believe that language shapes narratives, and narratives shape systems. The words we use reflect our values of love, partnership, integrity, and transformation — and they help shift global development from top-down charity to eye-level collaboration.
Why a Language Bank?
Too often, the development sector reinforces harmful power dynamics through the language of charity, pity, or saviorism. Our Language Bank challenges that by offering terms that affirm the dignity, expertise, and leadership of the communities we work with.
This guide ensures we tell stories with, not for, our partners — always centering proximity, partnership, and ethical storytelling.
TERMINOLOGY |
PROPOSED LANGUAGE |
|---|---|
| Word to refer to the type of groups we work with | Locally-led Organizations (LLOs)
Partner Organizations |
| Words to refer to the type of work we do | Locally-led Development and Advocacy for ethical development practices.
We use the word ‘Systems & Capacity Strengthening’ to refer to the service we offer partners. We use the term ‘Impact Investing’ to refer to the income-generating projects we support social entrepreneurs set up. We use the term ‘Invest’ to refer to the partnerships we establish with locally-led organizations. As we input resources in time, knowledge, collaboration and financial. Do not use: Empowerment, Help, Assist, Let, Allow, Give, Enable, Charity, etc |
| Words to refer to our partners and people we work with: | We use the term ‘Locally-Led Partners, Proximate Leaders, Emerging Leaders and Social Entrepreneurs’ to refer to our partners and people we work with.
Do not use: Grantees, Recipients, Local Leaders, and Beneficiaries |
| Words to refer to the people whose lives our work is impacting: | Stakeholders/Participants for broad-scale numbers.
Specified descriptions for individual programs, e.g. if the work has impacted 200 school students, say that. Do not use Beneficiaries, Vulnerable People, Underserved, etc. Also, avoid using single-story labels like ‘Orphan’, ‘Widow’ |
| Word to refer to different economic categories of the country | Global Majority
High / Low / Middle Income Countries Do not use: Developing/developed, Global North, Global South, First World, Third World, Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Word to refer to people who provide financial resources to us and our partners | Donors, Investors, Funders & Strategic Partners.
Do not use: Well-wishers |
| Word to refer to the money that we send | Funds, Investments, Resources & Capital
Do not use: Aid, Donations, Charitable Giving |
| Word to refer to what we are doing when we send money | Investing, Sharing Resources, Systems Strengthening & Boot Camps
Do not use: Helping, Giving Note: We provide a return on impact. The word invest is more in line with our ‘change, not charity messaging’ and imparts some accountability on the donor and our team. |
| Word to refer to the sector we work in | Global Development
Do not use: International Development Note: International Development has connotations of ‘the other.’ Our partners are not working internationally, but they are contributing to global development. |
| Word to refer to peer organizations that we work alongside | Allies & Peer Organizations |
| WORDS TO USE CAREFULLY AND CONTEXTUALLY | |
| Local | Okay, from a “locally-rooted solutions” or a “locally-generated income” perspective, but not to be used to refer to people or where they are based/or from. The term local downplays an individual’s potential as that which is limited to a geographical scope, often, where they were born and raised. Which is not always true. |
| Support | It should be used only when referencing the specific actions offered to our partners through the LDA program.
Better to use: Work with, Alongside, In Partnership with |
| Empower | Empower fails to acknowledge communities’ agency as experts in determining their futures. It places them as subjects that require saving, failing to acknowledge that most communities are in the situations they are in due to systemic issues. |
| ETHICAL DEVELOPMENT TERMS & CONCEPTS | |
| Eye Level Partnerships | We acknowledge the expertise and decision-making powers that proximate leaders have in developing their community solutions. We meet partners where they’re at and invest in relationship building. |
| “Staying for Tea” | We sit with proximate leaders, listen to them, and develop collaborative strategies that shape a common destiny. We get to know partners on a personal level investing in relationships allows us to better work with our partners. Read more: Staying for Tea |
| Representation | We believe that proximate leaders deserve a seat at the table, where their voices are amplified and are actively included in any decision-making step.
At MAMA HOPE, we see the value of representation in our team and Board of Directors to ensure there is a deep understanding of the communities we serve. |
| Storytelling | We believe that storytelling is a powerful tool that can either credit or discredit someone and must be used ethically. We are always constantly reminding ourselves to be mindful when talking about our work and that of our partners.
Note: In our stories, we do not perpetuate pity, charity; we steer clear of the single story and white saviorism narratives. |
| Photography | Our partners and the work they do should be centred as much as possible
When posting photos of anyone (partners, the community members they work Always include the names of as many people as possible. When collecting content, be respectful of each situation and person. Ask if you can take photos and/or share their stories across our platforms. We are also mindful of how we portray children: We do not take or share photos of children in any MAMA HOPE communications because children cannot give consent, and parents cannot know how their children will feel about their photos being shared once they are older. Photos where children have their backs turned or where they are unidentifiable are okay. Whenever possible, photos should be taken at the eye level of the people in them. |
| Proximity | We acknowledge the power held by those close to the challenges in their communities, and their ability to come up with solutions. |
| Culture | We believe in the beauty of our differences and we recognise the power it holds. In solving global problems. We also recognize that with different cultures come different working styles, and we come to the table with openness and understanding. |
| Listening | We value the importance of listening to proximate leaders, understanding their challenges, and being a sounding board in amplifying their work. |
| Localization | This is a systems change approach in which human capital, resources, assets, and expertise are invested without conditionalities from external actors, leading to a balance in decision-making powers. |
| Decolonization | This is a mindset shift approach in which historical power dynamics are acknowledged and dismantled, leading to working towards a common goal. |
| Power Balance | Acknowledging the power that exists and allocating resources where they belong without strings attached.
Normally, the global development sector see funders as the holders of power as they are known to contribute financial resources and a global perspective. However, at MAMA HOPE, we strongly recognise that locally-led organizations have power as well, providing proximity to challenges, and using human capital, assets, expertise, and the ability to create tailored solutions. This recognition creates a power balance, allowing all parties to feel they bring something to the table and that financial resources are not the end-all be-all of sustainable global development. |
| Locally-led Organizations | These are entities formed and run by community members who have shared experiences, fulfilling a need or challenge in their setting.
These organizations also have strong buy-in from the communities they work with/for, meaning the community members approve, take part, and are impacted greatly by the work of the LLO. |
| Systems Strengthening – versus Capacity Building | Systems strengthening is a holistic approach to building and implementing organizational structures for systemic change, whereas capacity building is a single-lensed approach that fails to employ a sustainable approach. It fails to capture the existing expertise that community leaders hold. |
| Asset-Based Community (ABC) Development | Asset-Based Community (ABC Mapping approach) is a participatory process used in community development to identify and leverage the existing strengths, resources, and assets of a community.
Unlike needs-based approaches that focus on what a community lacks, ABC Mapping emphasizes what a community already has: its people, organizations, skills, and infrastructure. |
| Intermediary | An intermediary organization in the global development sector acts as a bridge between funders and locally-led grassroots organizations, facilitating collaboration while recognizing the power both sides bring to the table.
Intermediaries operate across fiscal, programmatic, technical, and convening functions, with different organizations prioritizing these areas to varying degrees. For example, MAMA HOPE is primarily a programmatic intermediary while also engaging in technical, convening, and fiscal roles. By aligning these strengths, intermediaries enable more equitable partnerships and effective outcomes. |
| Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) | As opposed to Monitoring & Evaluation. This is because when we Monitor, Evaluate, and Learn, we create a space for reflection and moving forward. This allows us to develop programs that centre community voices rooted in learning and reflection. |