Juan 23: Working Together to Get the Job Done

SCIAF funds start-up projects for each newly formed community organisation so that they can gain valuable experience in setting up and managing their own initiatives.

Juan 23 is on hand to help the groups design and implement their small projects. This first hand experience will give them the confidence and skills to take on bigger challenges and successfully lobby local government for the funding needed to run larger projects.

Each group began by meeting to discuss the main issues they faced as a community. They then agreed on simple ways in which their lives could be improved, for example, better roads and housing, improved access to running water, medication and electricity, a second classroom or a community health centre. Once they have decided what they will aim to achieve as a community, the group then assess their current situation so that they can measure their progress as they work towards their agreed goal.

The local organisations begin by looking at what they can do with the funds provided by SCIAF and building up the skills needed to design a project. Most are now in the process of getting these projects off the ground. One of the committees in a village called ‘Rincon del Diablo’, has just finished building a wall to protect their community well from landslides, another in ‘El Cacao’ has set up a small productive sewing and handicraft project for women, a third in ‘Los Llanos’ is improving the condition of the community classroom.

Armed with these new skills, some of the organisations are now engaging with local government on health service delivery, education and access to water. One has even made a successful bid to have the road which links them to local markets upgraded.