Asset Based Community Development (Philippines)

Summary

The script narrates the story of a small, impoverished community in the mountainous north of the Philippines, where people earn less than a dollar per day. Seeking to improve their situation, they approached the Episcopal Church of the Philippines for a water project. The church, focusing on sustainable development, introduced Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), empowering the community to identify and utilize their own resources. Through this approach, they discovered the value of their water catchment area and initiated a reforestation project with native trees. The community also committed to self-funding their water system, demonstrating resilience and self-reliance, a testament to effective community development by the Episcopal Church.

Takeaways

• 🏔️ The community of Pang is located in the mountainous north of the Philippines and consists of around 100 people who migrated there for land to build homes and sustain their families.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The inhabitants of Pang are proud and hardworking but face poverty, with most families surviving on less than one dollar per person per day.
• 💧 In 2011, the community sought help from the Episcopal Church of the Philippines for a water project, recognizing the church's experience in constructing water and sanitation facilities.
• 🤔 The church is concerned about ensuring that external interventions are sustainable and do not increase the community's reliance on external donors.
• 🌐 The community had expectations of receiving substantial resources from the church based on what they heard from neighboring communities that had received help.
• 🔄 The church realized that a better approach to development is through asset-based community development, focusing on the community's existing resources and capacities.
• 📚 Community members attended training and seminars on asset-based community development (ABCD) to learn how to identify and utilize their community's strengths.
• 🌱 The community identified the value of their water catchment area and the need to protect this resource, leading to initiatives to reforest the watershed with native trees.
• 💰 A major decision from the asset-based process was for the community to raise their own funds to build a new water system, demonstrating self-reliance and resourcefulness.
• 🌳 The community began a nursery to propagate native trees for reforestation, showing a commitment to environmental sustainability and the protection of their water source.
• 👍 The story of Pang is an example of community initiative and hard work, highlighting the effectiveness of the Episcopal Church's community development processes in addressing poverty and promoting self-sufficiency.
• 🤝 The partnership with the Episcopal Church brings tools and insights from community development experience to ensure that interventions are beneficial and empower the community.

Q & A

What is the size of the community in the mountainous north of the Philippines mentioned in the script?

The community is small, consisting of around 100 people.

Why did the inhabitants of the community migrate to the mountainous region?

The inhabitants migrated in search of land where they could build their homes and feed their families.

What is the economic condition of most families in the community as described in the script?

Most families in the community survive on less than one dollar per person per day, indicating they are living in poverty.

What did the community approach the Episcopal Church of the Philippines for in 2011?

The community approached the Episcopal Church of the Philippines to help them with a water project.

What is the Episcopal Church of the Philippines' concern regarding external intervention in communities?

The church is concerned that external intervention should bring long-term sustainable benefits and not inadvertently increase the community's reliance on external donors.

What is the new approach being introduced for community development mentioned in the script?

The new approach is known as Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), which focuses on identifying and utilizing the community's existing resources and strengths.

What is the significance of asset mapping in the ABCD process as described in the script?

Asset mapping helps the community to focus on their strengths and skills, and to identify hidden talents and resources already present within the community.

What was the community's initiative to protect their water catchment area?

The community initiated a plan to take care of their water catchment area, which included starting a nursery to propagate native trees for reforestation.

What was the community's decision regarding the funding for their new water system?

The community decided to raise their own funds within the community to build the new water system, so that the external funding could be used by another community with a greater need.

What is one of the successful outcomes of the ABCD engagement in the community?

One successful outcome is the community's collective realization and commitment to do things on their own, demonstrating self-reliance and initiative.

What message does the story of the community highlight about effective community development?

The story highlights the importance of effective community development processes that help rather than hinder the people, and the need for communities to appreciate and utilize what they have.