PROMOTING SELF-RELIANCE
Overview
Fundamental to The Hunger Project’s values is the inherent belief that all people
are extraordinary. People are creative, visionary and hardworking. We value
human dignity and believe in people’s inherent entrepreneurial spirit. We stand
in solidarity with those living in hunger and poverty as the principal leaders
of their own change who are taking self-reliant actions to improve their lives
and conditions in their communities. This is the sustainable pathway to ending
hunger once and for all.
At the heart of The Hunger Project’s approaches are holistic, multi-sectoral
strategies with multi-year partnerships that acknowledge that complex human
development takes time. This process — which we call “gender-focused
community-led development” — must become available to all who need it if
the world is to meet the Sustainable Development Goal to end hunger by 2030.
Community partner at Atuobikrom Epicenter in Ghana
As of October 2016, five epicenters have graduated to self-reliance: Atuobikrom,
Akotekrom and Nsuta-Aweregya Epicenters in Ghana, and Champiti and
Ligowe Epicenters in Malawi.
ABOUT THE HUNGER PROJECT
The Hunger Project has a 39-year track record of
partnering with people living in poverty as they work
to end their own chronic hunger. Our approach is
based on three fundamental pillars: (1) Mobilize people
at the grassroots level, (2) Empower women as key
change agents of their own development, and (3) Forge
partnerships with local government. Our work reaches
18.1 million people in nearly 20,000 communities in
Africa, South Asia and Latin America.
107%
increase in women who have
prenatal care coverage at
Nsuta-Aweregya Epicenter in Ghana
(‘08-’14)
92%
of children aged 4-18 attending
school at Akotekrom Epicenter in
Ghana
99%
births attended by licensed
professional at Ligowe Epicenter in
Malawi
The Epicenter Strategy in Africa
In eight countries of Africa, our Epicenter Strategy mobilizes clusters of rural
villages into “epicenters,” which band together 5,000-15,000 people in a cluster
of villages to create an “epicenter,” or a dynamic center where communities are
mobilized for action to meet their basic needs.
This strategy is designed to partner with communities over a period of about
eight years to graduate to a phase of “sustainable self-reliance,” which means
that communities have demonstrated the confidence, capacity and skills to act
as agents of their own development.
What do we mean by “self-reliance?”
The Hunger Project defines self-reliance to be when community members
are confident and have the capacity and skills to act as agents of their own
development. The Hunger Project orients its work around reinforcing local
knowledge and skills, such that communities and local governments take
charge of their own development processes, and can therefore perpetuate,
sustain and enhance the work begun in partnership with The Hunger Project.
By stimulating community-led development, The Hunger Project fosters a
culture of self-determination and economic viability in which the community
itself is the driver of continued change.
A self-reliant epicenter does not necessarily have every single need fulfilled. Yet,
these communities do have an increased ability, willingness and skills to tackle
development challenges and identify ways to have additional needs met thanks
to the capacities built in partnership with The Hunger Project.
THE HUNGER PROJECT 5 Union Square West, 7th Floor New York, NY 10003 USA [email protected] www.thp.org
Updated October 2016
Does self-reliance mean “self-sufficient?”
In short, no. Self-sufficiency implies needing no outside help in
satisfying one’s basic needs.
Epicenters are not self-sufficient. Whereas before these
communities were largely isolated from public services, they
are now managing effective links with district resources to build
skills, develop additional infrastructure and increase access to
services. The epicenter communities are active members of civil
society and remain committed to the fulfillment of ongoing and
future needs. They both give and take from their wider circles
of contact.
Measuring Self-reliance
The measure of community self-reliance is based on indicators
that evaluate progress in all integrated, epicenter-level program
areas. The Hunger Project has identified a diverse set of indicators
to measure program outputs, outcomes and impact. The
community declares its self-reliance when it demonstrates sufficient local capacity (defined as meeting the locally set targets) in
each program area.
What does self-reliance look like?
Blessings, Epicenter Committee Member, Community Data Presentation,
Champiti Epicenter
Achieving Its Targets for Self-Reliance:
Champiti Epicenter
Champiti Epicenter is legally recognized as a community
based organization, has democratic operations led by
an elected epicenter committee and a land deed. There
is a preschool within the epicenter radius as well as a
government-run operational health clinic. Women make
up 54% of executive positions on committees.
Champiti has taken big steps to improve access to safe
drinking water and sanitation facilities. In the first half
of 2016, the epicenter’s animators conducted a number
of village-based workshops and went door-to-door to
educate communities on water sanitation and hygiene
practices; 100% of households now have clean drinking
water. In addition, after the door-to-door hygiene campaign, the epicenter registered commendable progress
as more households reported to have constructed
toilets, installed hand-washing facilities just outside
their toilets and dug rubbish pits.
Champiti Epicenter has had a robust improvement in
healthcare. As of the third quarter of 2016, 100% of
births were attended by a licensed professional, and
99% of women accessed antenatal services. Since the
beginning of 2016, a total of 1,490 under-five children
were vaccinated, representing a 266% achievement over
the planned target, as a result of the “Child Health Days”
campaigns which were conducted to underscore the
importance of vaccinations.
Self-reliant communities have demonstrated progress in the
following eight goals:
•
Mobilized communities that continuously set and
achieve their own development goals
•
Empowered women and girls
•
Improved access to safe drinking water and
sanitation facilities
•
Improved literacy and education
•
Reduced prevalence of hunger and malnutrition,
especially for women and children
•
Improved access to and use of health resources
•
Reduced incidence of poverty
•
Improved land productivity and climate resilience of
smallholder farmers
When a community has achieved the targets set to demonstrate
its self-reliance, The Hunger Project has activated its exit strategy,
and it is anticipated that there will be no further financial inputs,
with the exception of not-as-frequent staff visits and a post-evaluation three to five years later in a select number of epicenters.
Before this milestone is achieved, communities go through a
The extraordinary accomplishments of the Champiti
transition period during which The Hunger Project has scaled
Epicenter community have been achieved in partnership down its program activities and the community solidifies its own
with investment from the Eureka Benevolent Foundation leadership and management.
in Australia.
THE HUNGER PROJECT 5 Union Square West, 7th Floor New York, NY 10003 USA [email protected] www.thp.org