CONNECTING PEOPLE WORLDWIDE

20 countries / 39 partners)

Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, Sri lanka,

Colombia, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, the Netherlands

MKC-RDA

Church-based organization, partner organisation Woord en Daad

Works in Jeldu (rural area, located at 3 hours driving West of Addis Ababa)

FAL/SHG approach: Vocational education is given to around 200 trainees who

participate in adult functional literacy training

Combined with group savings

FAL groups in Ethiopië

Context in rural setting

Through FAL (functional Adult Literacy) groups many saving groups formed

Groups members choose a topic for learning and saving

Skill training is provided

It is a must that all groups members participate / contribute to saving

Group members are excepted by selection criteria and procedures

Social exclusion

Despite the fact that:

All persons were welcome and have access to the groups ( clear selection criteria)

All people participated in the group (even the poorest)

Positive changes/transformation was seen in individuals / families and community

The REALITY was: During the ( two months) in-dept study by an external the reality came out. The feelings of the poor(est) were expressed what was different from what we thought.

EYE OPENER !

http://www.padev.nl/video.htm

Dilemma’s

More man as woman join the group

Hardly no disability people are seen

Social inclusive is preached but not practised (poorest did not join)

Selection criteria clearly defined, poor(est) are welcome but in reality not.

The poorest feel not free to join (shame, lack of confident, low esteem)

Who are the poorest?

Very poor include often: widows, single-mothers, elderly people

In the case of Jeldu: also young people who do not have access to land

Characteristics: work for food at the rich, dirty and difficult work, children

don’t go to school, do not have any land or cattle

Factors for exclusiviness

Disability

Age

No assests (like land, house, capital)

Sickness

Death of family members

Lessons learned (1)

Context analyses

Inclusion starts with a précised context analyses (like power structures,

characteristics of the poor(est), obstacles for the poor, mindset of poor and mindset

of community to the poor).

This will provide right information/data for the type of intervention/programs

needed not to exclude

Lessons learned (2)

Mind set stakeholders Inclusion takes extra effort / time and sometimes change in mindset of the poor and towards the poor. This needs and can be addressed in different ways ( though government policies, religion, families and community structures, media, etc..). be creative and innovative. Give the poor an active voice in this

Lessons learned (3)

Information/commitment donor

Right from the program design/planning take social inclusion as a serious point.

Inclusive takes extra time/effort while donors want quick results and impact

It is time and needed to put inclusion on the agenda of the donors to address a

long term solution

Lessons learned (4)

Know / remove obstacles It is obvious to assume that the poorest are included for the start by having good selection criteria and to keep them by good procedures. There is more like: social pressure, groups attitude to the poorest, unwritten laws / prejudices in communities, self esteem poor. Etc.

Give the poor an active voice in this!

Lessons learned (5)

Program design

Inclusion needs te right mindset / approach / skills of the particular organisation

and staff. Awareness and training is needed

Inclusive assumes creativity in program design and implementation as we have to

make adjustments like literacy training, assertively training, self-esteem etc.

Lessons learned (6)

PMEL

Right from the program design / planning take social inclusion as a serious point.

Include creative and adequate M&E mechanism ( indicators or other monitoring

tools like life stories) in the planning / monitoring and for the evaluation