Meeting with members of the Paymar Community Garden - a potential site for 2020 development.
I am writing this from Senegal, where I am fortunate enough to spend a few weeks working with our partners, visiting projects, speaking with participants, and developing new programs. These activities take a good deal of time, but they are all a huge part of our success.
We at Andando value taking the time to listen to community members to identify the real needs before developing sustainable programs that operate within existing structures. Rather than going in and reinventing the wheel, we equip and encourage people to better utilize their existing strengths and potential.
“Andando is our best partner in these areas. Sometimes, other NGOs don’t respect the wishes or methods of the community, and the lagging results show it. But with Andando, we are 100% satisfied.”
With our community gardens, for example, the women already have some of the knowledge, land to grow on, and a cooperative structure – they just need increased access to water to irrigate their crops. Once we work with them to provide this, they thrive.
Deputy Governor of the Keur Soce region touring Andando gardens and health posts.
I recently met with the Deputy Governor of the Keur Soce region, who told me, “Andando is our best partner in these areas. Sometimes, other NGOs don’t respect the wishes or methods of the community, and the lagging results show it. But with Andando, we are 100% satisfied.”
Through the use of this asset-based model of community development, those in our programs are active participants instead of just recipients of outside aid. Promoting the agency of those we work with results in much more self-sustaining programs which we believe will maintain these communities on the path to a better future.
“Jéréjëf!” – Thank You!
Lewis Kiker, Executive Director