When people assess their own strengths and needs, then share that information, and then tell you what they are doing about issues in their communities – in their own words…how does that change how we do-gooders “do” development work?
Here’s a great example to get you thinking (and acting)! Cassa Banana is an informal settlement of 850 people about 28kms outside of Harare, Zimbabwe. The residents of Cassa Banana produced a booklet last year that was shared by Kubatana.net as they “were very inspired by what they are doing to improve their lives and their community,” and hoped that it would “inspires others to engage creatively in your community.”
As the authors wrote,
“We produced this book so we can tell more people about the issues we see affecting our health and wellbeing…We want to build an understanding of our situation, and support for what we are doing to improve it…You’ll see that we have few resources but, what we do have, we use as best as we can.”
Simply click here on on the image above to download the “Introducing Cassa Banana” booklet. It was produced by Cassa Banana Community Health Committee and Cassa Banana community photographers in cooperation with Training and Research Support Centre (TARSC) and Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights.
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