Effective community development must take into account the participation of all, and the sustainability of the programs. Programs are global and demand a good coordination between various components, which all respond to specific needs.
Participation & sustainability
We work with and for the poor. A lot of time and patience is required to understand their needs and their priorities. Also to understand what they can and want to do, because the actions must be sustainable and participatory. The 2 words are closely connected..
We like very much the words of Lao Tseu:
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There will be no sustainable action without:
- An improvement in the economic condition of the poor,
- More solidarity between them,
- A strong and total commitment of local organizations and authorities.
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A variety of programs
In Vietnam
The programs are about human development, training is thus a crucial dimension. Every day dozens of people, mainly women, participate in training sessions to become more effective actors, in their family or the community.
Starting from the people's priorities, it is often access to credit, and the protection of savings which come first. The banks are however now providing much better and easier access to credit in the areas where we operate. So much so that over endebtness has become a problem. We have reduced our programs in this field and priority is put on savings and solidarity.
Essential services are often not available. In remote places, 1/3 of the animals die of various diseases till we trained para-veterinary doctors: local farmers, trained locally with a lot of practical inputs. Since then they treat the animals in their village and around, and save each an estimated 200 € worth every month. More than the cost of their training by Viêt Nam Plus (about 180 €) !
The farmers want to know more about the best techniques; they also ask for better seeds. If their wives belong to savings-credit groups, this is not enough: they need to share with other farmers their problems and questions about agriculture. Every month over 600 farmers meet with the assistance of agronomists.
The members of the saving-credit groups meet regularly and discuss the health problems of their children and their family. The programs respond with training on preventive health, hygiene, assistance for latrines or wells, water filters. Mosquito nets are impregnated with insecticide, deworming tablets are distributed at cost.
In primary schools the teachers are trained in active pedagogy: the children work in groups, games and practical exercizes, and every week all childre brush their teeth on the school play ground. In the evening, 3 theatre groups, 3 groups of local farmers trained by the program, produce shows on various topics: alcoholism, hygiene etc.
Little by little, all essential aspects of the community are changing. Slowly, but with long lasting results. Attitudes change, which is very obvious amongst women. They become more confident and actively participate in the community, they express themselves with strenght and clearly; they are a real asset for the community.
In Cambodia: see the great work of Rade
