Locally-Driven Behaivor Change

Teachers taught us about the effects of open defecation, but this was too theoretical because we did not have latrines and water facilities.
–Schoolgirl at Ipagala “B” in Tanzania, where Africare provided latrines so students could act on the health knowledge they had

Africare does not decide what an African community should do. Development organizations and donors do not have that right.

Africare supports communities in overcoming problems they identify by empowering communities to lead the change themselves. We provide access to techniques and technologies, but these are only successful if communities voluntarily adopt them. And the biggest positive impacts are achieved when community members continue to pass these skills and tools on to their families and neighbors.

Africare’s 98% African project staff knows how to marry respect for tradition with innovation, effectively demonstrating to communities what actions they can take to improve their lives. Africare’s legacy of trust earned through over four decades of work on the continent positions us to be great communicators of new knowledge and skills, but the credit for project success should go to our community participants, because they are the ones who drive it.

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