In a previous life I worked in the academic realm and had occasion to instruct quite a few students from African and Middle Eastern countries. On balance they were tremendously intelligent and motivated to excel academically, and did so. But when it came time to graduate and move on, almost all of them were desperate to stay here, and not go home. I found that telling. Those that did go back I have kept in contact with and they all find that the political environments in many of those places don't lend encourage reform or innovation or progress towards what might be considered a modern, well-organized and relatively ethical societies. And any attempts at reform are suppressed, sometimes with extreme brutality.
So, you're right, the toilet has to want to be cleaned, and that is often lacking.
It requires a vision. Otherwise people will just hang on to their bit of dirt.