|
Working Approach
Years of experience of working with communities has taught Heifer some valued lessons. It is by embracing this knowledge that Heifer has been able to help millions of families all over the world lead dignified lives and help other families achieve the same. Heifer's success is defined by the families who are happily sustaining themselves doing what they do best; raising livestock and growing food.
Heifer's 12 Cornerstones are a collage of values that leads the way to spiritual and sustainable way of life. In a sense, it reiterates the societal values and norms inherent in every community. These values form the foundation on which stands Heifer's Values - Based Holistic Community Development (VBHCD) model. Heifer believes that the communities it works with have unlimited potential and that proper nurturing and guidance will unravel this potential. One part of VBHCD, the livestock and farming , ensure that families have food and enough resources for necessities like health and education. The other part, training and education , leads to aware and empowered individuals and communities. The VHBCD is guided by the community's vision for the future and puts the power to achieve it in their hands using the livestock and training as the tools for its all-round development.
VBHCD flourishes in the lateral partnership of all parties involved called the Triadic Partnership Model. The country program, the NGO partners and the project participant all have equally important roles to play in the equation of VBHCD. Transfer of knowledge and ideas, co-mentoring, co-monitoring, backstopping and feedback are all the components of a successful partnership that lead to a successful project and hence to vibrant communities.
Although VBHCD is an intricate and not an absolute process, there are various steps to it.
Forming Self-Help-Groups (SHG's):
Bringing people together in groups takes advantage of strength in numbers. Together as a group, the members can dream and achieve more than they can individually. They draw strength from each other to stand-up to social attitudes that foster discrimination and limit the society's potential to develop. A savings and credit practice serves the dual purpose of encouraging the people to invest in their future and a basis for long term commitment. Having their stake in the project gives the participants a motive to put in their best effort and work out the differences that may arise.
Reinforcing the Cornerstones:
Internalizing the cornerstones through various activities ranging from improving nutrition and income to improving the environment, from understanding and practicing gender justice to spirituality is a work in progress. Discussions during the group meeting helps build their understanding and learn from each others experience. It also contributes to reinforcing the values that each cornerstone embodies strengthening the personal and societal values and hence the core values of the project.
Placing the Physical Inputs:
Goats, buffalos, pigs, chicken along with farming inputs like seeds, irrigation and manure is what resilient and hardworking families need to break the vicious cycle. With the help of the inputs families can make enough for a decent living and if they are industrious, save enough for a flock of chickens, a buffalo or even a small piece of land. With their basic needs addressed, they can now focus on the greater task of helping others and working towards building a sustainable community.
Empowerment:
Brought together by the project and bonded by their common journey of overcoming poverty, the community is now a strong force driven towards holistic and sustainable development. Fostering their common vision for the future, they venture towards finding the resources that will help them achieve this dream. The outcomes of their efforts are seen as impacts of deeper level (within the person and community), of ground level (in terms of physical improvements) and of external level (reflected in the changes outside of the community).
|
|
|
|
|
