As you may have already heard, I am currently traveling around Peru (and find myself at the moment in the magnificent mountain city of Huaraz). Though I am thoroughly enjoying my travels here in Peru, I am a little to sad to have left Ecuador, my projects, and the people with whom I am working. I am comforted by the fact, however, that we have an incredibly talented and gifted group of new Program Directors to take over responsibility for the MPI-Ecuador site and look forward to the great things they will do in the coming year.
One of the most important activities that the MPI-E ´07-´08 team has accomplished in recent months has been a clearer definition of our approach to community development. We have come to realize that there are two principles approaches to community development. The first of which is based on the needs of the community. In this model a group of people, generally outsiders, be they government institutions, academics, or a non-profit like ourselves, enters a community and tries to help people. Upon arrival in said community these groups will look for needs (i.e. what is missing or where there are problems) and try to figure out what is the best way to fill these needs or fix these problems. Then, upon a clear understanding of where all the problems all, they will launch programs to fix the needs and thus help the people.
This has been the predominant model for community development around the world and sounds very clean and efficient, except for one minor problem. You enter a community with the basic assumption that it is a problem and needs to be fixed.
This model has forgotten about the most important aspect to community development: the community comprised of skillful and competent individuals, organizations, and institutions.
This brings us to our second model. One that first assumes that every community already has the strengths, assets, and ability to build and develop itself. Upon entering said community, the work begins by identifying these strengths and assets (and this is not merely limited to already established institutions, but rather also includes informal groups and individuals). Once an exhaustive map of the community has been created then our three axes of community development come into play:
One of the most important activities that the MPI-E ´07-´08 team has accomplished in recent months has been a clearer definition of our approach to community development. We have come to realize that there are two principles approaches to community development. The first of which is based on the needs of the community. In this model a group of people, generally outsiders, be they government institutions, academics, or a non-profit like ourselves, enters a community and tries to help people. Upon arrival in said community these groups will look for needs (i.e. what is missing or where there are problems) and try to figure out what is the best way to fill these needs or fix these problems. Then, upon a clear understanding of where all the problems all, they will launch programs to fix the needs and thus help the people.
This has been the predominant model for community development around the world and sounds very clean and efficient, except for one minor problem. You enter a community with the basic assumption that it is a problem and needs to be fixed.
This model has forgotten about the most important aspect to community development: the community comprised of skillful and competent individuals, organizations, and institutions.
This brings us to our second model. One that first assumes that every community already has the strengths, assets, and ability to build and develop itself. Upon entering said community, the work begins by identifying these strengths and assets (and this is not merely limited to already established institutions, but rather also includes informal groups and individuals). Once an exhaustive map of the community has been created then our three axes of community development come into play:
· Empower individuals through programs that develop their capacities to advance economically and educationally, and to become leaders in their communities.
· Strengthen institutions by working alongside them to introduce best practices, connect them to national and international resources, and expand their services.
· Build networks by creating stronger links among community members, connecting people to local institutions, and promoting inter-institutional collaboration.
You will notice that you do not see activities here based on problems (i.e. no access to potable water or illiteracy); however, what you do see is a grass-roots based approach to community development in which our priniciple role as Manna Project International is one of a connector and a catalyst of sustainable and community-driven development. We know (trust me, you see all the data we have entered over the last months) that within the community there already exists countless strengths and assets. The goal now is to mobilize these strengths.
In many ways, we have already begun. One of the biggest industries for women in the neighborhoods where we work is that of sewing, tailoring, and embroidering. New Program Director Jocelyn Lancaster is currently working with three local women to organize an 8 week long workshop on these topics for other local women. What is great about this activity is that it does require MPI volunteers to have this skill, but rather the experts come straight from the community (and earn a little extra money in the process). At the same time other women in the community are able to gain a skill which not only is of interest to them, but also makes them more marketable when searching for employment.
A second activity that current PD Luke Lockwood has been working on is organizing a series of mingas in the various neighborhoods we work. A minga is an Andean tradition in which the whole community (men, women, and children) come out together for the purpose of completing some sort of neighborhood improvement or restoration project. We have found in our research that nearly every family has not only participated in mingas in the past, but would also be willing to do so in the future. By organizing these events, we see this as a great opportunity to work together with the individuals in the community as they build and strengthen their own neighborhood.
Finally, another finding that has come out of our research has been that a large number of the people have an entrepreneurial interest, but lack the start-up capital to bring their dreams to fruition. Exiting Program Director Zak Schwarzman with the help of new PD´s Eliah McCalla and Dunc Fulton have set about trying to connect these people not only with micro-loans from our local savings and loan partner Cooperativa de Ahorra y Crédito - Esperanza y Progreso del Valle, but also with money management and small business management training taught by Ecuadorian businesspeople and Ecuadorian scholars. Again this benefits both the individuals as they receive the necessary start-up capital as well as technical training to improve their chances of running a successful business, but it is also beneficial to the savings and loan cooperative because in addition to increasing their clientele they also are able to provide loans with a greater chance for repayment. In a related note, Zak has also connected the cooperative with the Red Financiera Rural (RFR), an Ecuadorian network of micro-lending institutions that provides both access to low-interest loans as well technical training for the handling and administration of micro-loans.
As always, I thank you so much for your support as we continue to work alongside Ecuadorians in San Francisco and the surrounding neighborhoods.
In many ways, we have already begun. One of the biggest industries for women in the neighborhoods where we work is that of sewing, tailoring, and embroidering. New Program Director Jocelyn Lancaster is currently working with three local women to organize an 8 week long workshop on these topics for other local women. What is great about this activity is that it does require MPI volunteers to have this skill, but rather the experts come straight from the community (and earn a little extra money in the process). At the same time other women in the community are able to gain a skill which not only is of interest to them, but also makes them more marketable when searching for employment.
A second activity that current PD Luke Lockwood has been working on is organizing a series of mingas in the various neighborhoods we work. A minga is an Andean tradition in which the whole community (men, women, and children) come out together for the purpose of completing some sort of neighborhood improvement or restoration project. We have found in our research that nearly every family has not only participated in mingas in the past, but would also be willing to do so in the future. By organizing these events, we see this as a great opportunity to work together with the individuals in the community as they build and strengthen their own neighborhood.
Finally, another finding that has come out of our research has been that a large number of the people have an entrepreneurial interest, but lack the start-up capital to bring their dreams to fruition. Exiting Program Director Zak Schwarzman with the help of new PD´s Eliah McCalla and Dunc Fulton have set about trying to connect these people not only with micro-loans from our local savings and loan partner Cooperativa de Ahorra y Crédito - Esperanza y Progreso del Valle, but also with money management and small business management training taught by Ecuadorian businesspeople and Ecuadorian scholars. Again this benefits both the individuals as they receive the necessary start-up capital as well as technical training to improve their chances of running a successful business, but it is also beneficial to the savings and loan cooperative because in addition to increasing their clientele they also are able to provide loans with a greater chance for repayment. In a related note, Zak has also connected the cooperative with the Red Financiera Rural (RFR), an Ecuadorian network of micro-lending institutions that provides both access to low-interest loans as well technical training for the handling and administration of micro-loans.
As always, I thank you so much for your support as we continue to work alongside Ecuadorians in San Francisco and the surrounding neighborhoods.
