We believe in development that mobilizes people’s own human and LOCALLY AVAILABLE environmental resources
Our experience is that self-esteem, knowledge and creativity grow with responsibility.
We support people by taking the initiative to start self-help groups, sports activities or any topic out of the 16 we can offer to facilitate. We start with organizing a village meeting, introducing what we can offer (no hand-outs). A huge number of people, including the Head of the village, always take part in this meeting. After discussions, and a range of different opinions popping up, the people ultimately identify areas they want to improve and what kind of actvities they want to start.
We then help them start and organize these activities. In order to do so, we have a facilitator in the village. A trustworthy person, whom we pay a small fee, to support and follow up the acitivites chosen.
Development through self-help activities
We are facilitating village self-help programs. Through a knowledge-based methodology of encouragement and information delivered by skilled facilitators, we motivate villages to start and run self-help activities to improve the residents’ life situation. As a base for village programs, we use self-help manuals providing detailed information on how to start and run self-help clubs within the following thematic areas.:
Manuals
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Community schools/Inclusive education
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Adult literacy
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Skills training
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Know your rights
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Women’s/girls rights/sexual abuse
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Health and nutrition
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HIV/AIDS
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Children with special needs
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Sports for development
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Women’s save and borrow clubs
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Organic vegetable growing
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Disabled children
Results
Over time, astonishing results have been achieved. Communities truly appreciate the approach and have proved to have a huge underlying source of initiative. From 2005 to 2022 Response Network has facilitated village programs in more than 1000 villages. This has seen the start up of hundreds of self-help clubs, i.e. women's, organic vegetable growing, literacy, skills, sports, alcohol awareness clubs, etc.
Response Network has supported rural communities with 130 classrooms and 50 staff (teacher) houses in 74 community schools across Zimba, Kazungual, and Kalomo Districts.
Under the Sponsorship 'Kubala Girls' Program, we sponsor 600 girls in school each year. Support runs from Grade 1 to 12 and includes Skills Training for interested girls and Tertiary support for a select few, funding allowing.
Are you eager to help us achieve even more remarkable results?