Tell us what you’d like. We won’t be giving it to you.
Written by: Adam Braun May 15th, 2010
One of my favorite references when considering the PoP approach to development is a simple fact: The United States wasn’t created through NGO support.
What does this imply? It acknowledges that it takes self-initiated action to create a profound change in one’s quality of life. Giving single-sided handouts to poor populations only perpetuates a cycle of poverty and neediness. There are situations (i.e. natural disasters, refugee situations, emergency relief, etc.) where true aid is needed, but this is not the sphere Pencils of Promise plays within.
We ask local populations not to put a hand up, but to put a hand out that we can meet halfway.
Our model affirms this approach by requiring that:
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Every single on-the-ground PoP Coordinator is a young woman of the local population.
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The Education Ministry must agree to assign a local teacher once a school is completed.
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We only work with local building companies using locally-produced but sustainable materials.
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Each village must make up at least 10% of school funding. Since they rarely have this in cash, they make this up in raw materials and physical labor. The community itself ends up building and then maintaining their own school.
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We coordinate, oversee and train key individuals at each step of the process from our staff to the builders, community and teachers. We want to help those we support to help themselves.
This entire process starts with a village visit to create a community profile. Sitting at the table is usually the village chief, elders, teachers, Education Ministry officials, local builders, our local coordinators and myself or Country Director Leslie Engle.
One of the first questions we ask is what they want most for their community. We won’t be giving it to them; we’ll be helping them to create it for themselves.
Photo credit: Bryce Eriksen
Tags: Adam Braun, community involvment, education, impact, international development, Laos, sustainability, The PoP Process
