Created by: Medical Ambassadors and Global CHE Network

Seminar: TA090, TOT2, Urban TOT

Building Community Ownership

Objectives 1. Participants will understand how to leave ownership of a project with insiders and not
to take control as outsiders.
2. Participants will understand the benefits of projects owned by insiders, and the hazards
of projects funded and controlled by outsiders.
3. Participants will know what outsiders can do to help a community take control of its
own development and create their own solutions.

Overview for This lesson was created as part of a series for training short term teams.
facilitators

Materials  Newsprint
 Marking pens
 Masking tape
 Mountain Story Showing Ownership
 Mountain Story Illustrations

LESSON 1 HOUR

10” Tell the attached Mountain Story Showing Ownership.

SHOW QUESTIONS What did you See? What was Happening? Does this happen in Our place? Why does this happen?

50” I. Potential Hazards of solutions designed and funded by Outsiders

Break into small groups and remain in small groups for the remainder of the session. Be
sure every member of the small group fully participates in the group’s discussion.

After allowing time for discussion of the first question have each small group report
back and scribe their answers. Move to the next question and repeat the process for each
question.

1. What are the potential hazards of solutions designed and funded entirely by outsiders?
(Small groups)

Potential Hazards of solutions designed and funded by outsiders:

1. Addressing symptoms but not the cause.
2. Creating dependencies.
3. Introducing solutions that are unsustainable or impractical.
4. Denying community opportunity to think together and create their own solutions.

2. What are the benefits of a solution that is created by the people using local resources?
(Small groups)

Benefits of a solution that is created by the people using local resources:

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1. Solution more likely to be sustainable.

2. Community has control over their own future.
3. Community learns to work together.
4. Community sees what they have and not just what they lack.
5. Community inspired by hope.

3. What mistakes did the outsiders make that eventually required them to back out of the
project? (Small groups)

Mistakes outsiders make that eventually require them to back out of the project:
1. Made assumptions that were unrealistic
2. Did the thinking for the people
3. Saw money as the solution
4. Ignored local resources
5. Lacked confidence in the people to solve their own problems.
6. Wanted to be the Savior
7. Wanted a solution that would involve their people at home in the project.
8. Failed to listen carefully, and ignored solutions being proposed by the old
man.

4. What can outsiders do to help the community to take control of their own development
and create their own the solutions? (Small groups)

What can outsiders do to help the community to take control of their own development:
1. Start by asking “What do you have?” instead of “What do you need?”
2. Help people see what they can do for themselves instead of doing things for
them.
3. Be a facilitator, not a controller.
4. Build relationships.
5. Spend time with the people – building trust, friendships, and a mutual
commitment.
6. Encourage people to make changes themselves rather than doing things for
them.
7. Give input as needed and requested.
8. Resist giving things away. People value what they pay or work for.
9. Map assets and identify local resources.
10. Raise awareness of causes and hazards. Help people understand why they
have a problem and make it a priority to find a solution.
11. Facilitate discussion and planning.
12. Start with small, viable projects.
13. Walk in the Spirit and pray.
14. “Get dirty” and work together with the people on their initiatives even if it
isn’t what you would have done.
15. Facilitate community meetings.
16. Involve people in analyzing their problems and creating solutions.
17. Help the community to see the real root problem, not just the apparent
problem.
18. Wait for them to take initiative. Be patient.
19. Build confidence in people by considering their ideas as worthwhile.
20. Help them develop plans to accomplish their objectives.

Give the definition of community ownership:

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Community ownership is the people of a community choosing their own priorities, finding
their own resources, and managing their own development programs.

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MOUNTAIN STORY SHOWING OWNERSHIP

There once was a village located on top of a steep mountain. On a regular basis, as people were coming down the
mountain, they would slip off the trail and fall to the valley below. A number of people were injured and some even
killed.

A short-term team came to their village, saw this problem and wanted to do something about it. They thought about
what they could do and then decided that the best thing would be to station an ambulance at the base of the
mountain. Therefore when a person fell, a driver could rush with the ambulance to pick him up and bring him to the
closest hospital 10 kilometers away. The people in the village were excited about this idea. The short-term team
went home and raised the funds for the ambulance. The people at home were excited that they could get involved
and help.

One day the ambulance broke down, but the people ignored the problem until another person fell off the trail and
needed the ambulance to be taken to the hospital, but there was no transport available. They then became very
concerned and went looking for the short-term team that had put the ambulance there. They complained that the
team’s ambulance was broken down and wanted to know why they didn't keep the vehicle in good repair. The team
raised more money and fixed it for them. However, the same problem happened several more times, again with the
people coming to the the team wanting them to sort out the problem.

The short-term team finally decided that there were too many repairs required on the vehicle and they couldn’t keep
raising more money to fix it. They told the people it was their problem. The team had tried but could no longer help.
The people felt sad about this, but did nothing. They were now back to the place where they had begun.

Representatives from the church diocese came, saw the problem and said they wanted to help. The diocese decided
that what was really needed was a clinic at the foot of the mountain, so if someone fell they could get immediate
medical care. The diocese then built a clinic, provided equipment, staff and drugs. The people were very happy that
those who fell could now get immediate attention and not have to make the 10-kilometer drive to the other clinic.

This worked well for a while, but eventually those working at the clinic wanted some time off so the clinic was left
unattended. The people went to the diocese and complained about the poor service that the clinic was providing and
said the diocese had to give them better care. The diocese put in extra staff to cover during the holidays.

Several times the clinic ran out of drugs and the people complained about the poor care the diocese was providing
for them. The diocese ran low on money and had to stop some of their operations to conserve their money. They
decided to stop staffing this clinic and providing drugs for it. They shut it down. The people were very angry with
the diocese.

The people didn't know what to do. The two ideas that outsiders had done for them, the ambulance and clinic, were
no longer available and working. A respected man in the community said, "Let's meet to talk about the real
problem." They looked back at their original need, which was to somehow take care of those who fell off the path
as they were traveling up and down the mountain from the village. The two solutions helped somewhat, but there
were problems with each solution.

As they talked, the respected man said, "I had an idea when we first talked about the problem, but no one would
listen to me. The outsider was going to do everything for us for free. My idea would have taken some work and
money on our part so no one was interested in what I had to offer."

He then told them his idea, which was to build a fence along the trail to keep people from falling over the edge. It
would take work on the part of the people to cut the wood for the fence and to put it up. It would take a little money
to put the fence posts in cement so they would last longer.

The people responded with, "That's a great idea. Let's do it.” So they raised the little money they needed and began
to work. After several weeks the work was done. Now, when someone slipped, the fence stopped them from falling
over the edge to the valley below. After a few years the wood began to rot, but instead of going to an outsider, they
went and fixed the fence themselves.

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Now, instead of looking to the outside for help, they began to look to their own community for solving the problem.
This one project gave them confidence that they could do things for themselves. Now when someone from the
outside came to give them something, they said "Thank you, but if we think it is important we will do it ourselves.

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MOUNTAIN STORY ILLUSTRATIONS

Provided by Jeannie Seck