Savings groups—often referred to as informal community banks—are small groups of people who save together and lend to each other from their pooled funds. Globally, as many as 500 million people belong to savings groups. Approximately 80% of members are women, and many savings groups programs are designed to advance gender equality.  

This is the quintessential principle of Global Communities’ Women Empowered (WE) initiative. While helping women access financial resources and build sustainable livelihoods, WE employs innovative solutions to promote women’s participation, leadership and collective action, enabling them to become confident leaders in their homes and communities. 

But how can groups achieve the same level of agency and participation for women in communities with low literacy and financial numeracy levels? Nearly 800 million people globally are non-literate and close to one billion are unable to read and write multi-digit numbers. Two-thirds of them are women. 

In the South Omo region of Ethiopia, many communities share an unwritten mother tongue and rely on oral or visual communication, preserving cultural history through storytelling traditions. However, the lack of written language can exclude women from formal economies, negatively impact their education and economic opportunities, and make them more vulnerable to exploitation and financial losses.  

To address this challenge, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Resilience in Pastoral Areas South (RIPA South) project, in collaboration with My Oral Village (MOVE) and private funders, launched a pilot program called WE Record! in 2022. This collaboration set out to trial an Oral Information Management (OIM) solution with 12 WE groups in three woredas in the southern region of Ethiopia. Subsequently, 13 additional groups were engaged in the OIM and numeracy trainings in South Omo.  

The goal of this initiative was to design visual savings group tools, build the capacity of savings groups members to use them, and foster numeracy and recordkeeping skills. By centering inclusivity, WE Record! also hoped to create a safe environment for deeply oral communities to develop financial literacy and protect their economic investments.  

“Before I participated in OIM and my practice group, I was challenged to count over 2000 birr. I lost money selling my livestock because I couldn’t clearly identify notes or count large sums of money. I would sometimes pay a fee to a person who could count and identify notes very well.” 
– WE savings group member 

The collaboration between RIPA South and MOVE yielded a suite of innovative Oral Information Management (OIM) tools specifically tailored for the financial interfaces of WE groups in this region. The toolkit includes a visually intuitive passbook and ‘mini ledger’, exercise book, training manual, practice group guide, share-out form and share-out guide. These instruments are designed with step-by-step visual instructions, employing two pivotal design innovations, oral iconography and currency frames, to guide members through the WE savings group rules and procedures. 

Understanding the WE passbook is critical to participation in savings groups. Typically, the pages are text-based, but in the OIM version, they have been converted to carefully field-tested mnemonic iconography. By retaining the same structure and format, users can build their knowledge of financial syntax when comparing the original and OIM passbooks. 

The exercise book supports member learning, because it contains many blank pages and pages with currency frames. Learning depends on doing, and this is where participants practice and can keep any record they wish, such as loans they have given to others or sales they have made in the markets. 

Members use the practice group guide as a graphical, step-by-step introduction to numeracy and record-keeping that does not depend on the ability to read.  

Annually, groups perform a share-out to capture the performance and contributions, involving a lengthy and arithmetically complex process. The OIM share-out form and guide illustrates how to complete the form and undergo the process to increase participants’ confidence and ensure the long-term sustainability and transparency of the savings group.  

This suite of tools not only empowers individuals but also strengthens the financial infrastructure of the communities they serve, marking a significant stride towards inclusive financial literacy and autonomy. 

Implementing innovative solutions like OIM in rural settings has shown to help reduce WE savings groups’ dependency on community facilitators, allowing participants to have full control of their finances and creating a safe context for transactions. It’s a step towards bridging the gender gap by creating opportunities for women to take control of their finances through Women Empowered, ensuring they have the resources they need to support themselves and their families. 

“[Oral Information Management] is useful for managing our daily financial transactions. When we go to the market to sell and purchase goods and services, we don’t face stress, fear, or need additional assistance because these skills support counting and calculating numbers and transactions so easily that our confidence is increased.” 
– WE savings group member, Dasanech Woreda in South Omo 

An end-line review of the WE Record! Pilot project provided clear evidence that the OIM tools and solutions helped WE savings group members acquire new skills. At the start of the pilot, only 11% of savings group members could write a 1-digit number and by endline, 69% of the participants could do so. Members’ confidence in and satisfaction with their groups – a critical indicator of sustainability – also rose from the beginning to the end of the project. Their confidence in the accuracy of the ‘share and loan balances’ increased from 70% to 90% and their confidence in their own knowledge of the amount of money stored in their savings group lockbox grew from 58% to 88%. 

During the pilot project, the number of groups utilizing this system grew from 12 at the onset of the pilot to 25 total, and 17 were effectively transitioned to independently track their savings, loans and social funds using the OIM passbook and mini ledger. 

The post How Oral Information Management Tools Boost Women’s Financial Literacy and Savings in Ethiopia appeared first on Global Communities.

While most people have access to basic drinking water in Guatemala, many rural areas, especially those that are home to Indigenous Mayan communities, do not. In these communities, water is not just a resource but a sacred part of their culture and a living entity, influencing how they manage and protect it.

In addition to understanding the social, political, governance and economic factors that affect rural communities’ abilities to construct and maintain water systems, it is therefore crucial to understand and incorporate the Mayan cosmovision into any Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) or Water Resources Management (WRM) project in Guatemala.

I-WASH has developed strong partnerships with Indigenous communities and organizations by implementing through local Indigenous partners, engaging staff who speak the local languages, and creating spaces where community members can share their concerns and ideas about WASH and WRM challenges with rural water committees.

I-WASH centers its activities on supporting the municipal Offices of Water and Sanitation (OMAS) as well as the Municipal Forestry Offices (OFM) in their respective mandates to provide technical assistance and funding to rural communities, helping them gain access to safe drinking water and conserving critical forest natural resources that protect community aquifers and springs.

To ensure I-WASH incorporates the Mayan cosmovision of water into culturally sensitive activities, Global Communities conducted an in-depth study which analyzed Indigenous practices and customs regarding access, use, conservation and management of water resources. This study uncovered key insights that are shaping the project’s approach to program activities including local capacity building, WASH governance and service delivery.

As a Mayan K’iche’ woman, my grandparents taught me to take care of water because it is sacred… that water is life and without it, we could not survive.”

Catarina, I-WASH project participant, Quiché

For instance, Mayan clothing is traditionally brightly colored and highly symbolic. The study revealed that some communities are concerned that chlorinating water systems will fade their traditional garments. In response, I-WASH is developing key messages around the low concentration levels in chlorinated systems, which will not affect traditional garments.

Another finding was that the Mayan calendar includes important dates related to water and springs. To honor this, I-WASH implementing partners will organize community WASH/WRM activities on those dates. The study also highlights the fact that, in Mayan culture, communities manage their own water resources. Therefore, construction of any new wells or water systems must be decided collectively by the community.

By understanding these cultural nuances, I-WASH will be able to integrate Indigenous perspectives into project activities, assuring cultural relevance and a higher degree of acceptance and sustainability among Indigenous communities. The study led to the creation of a toolkit for organizations interested in incorporating the Mayan cosmovision into WASH/WRM activities through a community-based approach. This will be used to strengthen the capacities of I-WASH implementing partners and shared widely with other actors and stakeholders in Guatemala.

The study also emphasized the need to consider gender dynamics in WASH and WRM activities. It found that community water committees are typically made up of men due to traditional gender roles and the physical demands of maintaining water systems and wellheads. However, women are the main users of water and more knowledgeable about household water and sanitation needs and challenges. Additionally, many rural Indigenous women are hesitant to speak up in public due to social exclusion, machismo, language barriers and other reasons.

To ensure women’s voices are heard in WASH/WRM decision-making spaces, I-WASH is helping Indigenous women develop skills in communication, conflict resolution, decision-making, time management and WASH topics, and encouraging them to join regular meetings of their rural water committee. In Quiché, women have started participating in these meetings on their own. In areas where there is resistance to women’s involvement, I-WASH will organize quarterly focus groups with women and the water committees to make sure women’s insights on water use and sanitation are included.

The study also highlighted the importance of engaging young people in WASH and WRM activities to help ensure the long-term sustainability of WASH services. In response, I-WASH is organizing youth in rural communities, teaching them about WASH/WRM topics, and involving them in project activities and events to boost their interest and participation in water resource management. By engaging youth, I-WASH not only addresses community needs but also builds the foundation for generational continuity in managing water resources.

Language was identified as a significant barrier to effective community engagement. A total of 22 Mayan languages are spoken in Guatemala, many of which are spoken in I-WASH communities. Since the project’s inception, I-WASH has prioritized the use of local Mayan languages, including Ixil, K’iche’, Uspanteko, Q’anjob’al, Mam and Chujal. By engaging volunteers from within these communities to assist with interpretation, the project is able to minimize language barriers and foster more meaningful participation in project activities. When working with groups of rural Indigenous women, female interpreters are used to help build confidence and trust during meetings and training sessions.

Guatemala’s new government has prioritized universal coverage of safe drinking water and improved rural sanitation. I-WASH offers a unique opportunity to ensure that Indigenous communities and organizations are strengthened and empowered to play an active role in ensuring their WASH and WRM priorities are met, while at the same time ensuring their customs, culture and cosmovision is respected and reflected in public service delivery.

In Guatemala, the road to sustainable WASH services in rural Indigenous communities requires a deep understanding of the needs of Indigenous communities and strong partnerships with local governments. By addressing cultural relevance, gender equity, youth engagement, and improving communication and coordination, the I-WASH project is laying the groundwork for lasting improvements in water resource management and access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation. Through these efforts, Global Communities is paving the way for a future in which WASH services are accessible to all, grounded in inclusivity and respect for local traditions.

The post Strengthening Partnerships and Governance for Sustainable WASH Solutions in Indigenous Communities: Deepening Our Understanding of Local Needs and Challenges appeared first on Global Communities.

Throughout our trajectory, we have positively impacted the lives of more 115,000 people through programs and projects that cover Corporate Social Responsibility, Volunteering and Environment, Social and Governance (ESG), Food Security, Socioeconomic Development, Climate Resilience, and Education for Youth and Children. In addition, we carry out consulting projects for social diagnostics, helping organizations define their social strategies.

Global Communities Brazil also leads projects in Argentina and provides technical assistance to other projects from our headquarters, consolidating our presence and impact in the Global South.

Throughout our journey, we have faced many challenges, but thanks to our network of partnerships, we have achieved significant milestones over the last decade. Therefore, we recognize the importance of celebrating the trajectory of positive impact that we are building together with our staff, partners and supporters.

Join us in celebrating this trajectory of social change and learn about the key moments that marked our history of positive social impact in Brazil.

our history

Ten years, ten stories of social change

To celebrate our 10 years of operation in Brazil, we invited 10 people to share their stories of change. These narratives highlight how our paths crossed and brought us to this point, reflecting on the essence of our work.

Each year of our history is represented by a testimonial, totaling 10 inspiring accounts from staff, volunteers, community leaders, clients and partners. These stories are a tribute to everyone who has been and continues to be part of our journey.

Our sincere thanks to everyone who is part of this journey with Global Communities Brazil. Let’s continue building a more just, prosperous and equitable future together!

The post Celebrating 10 Years of Positive Impact in Brazil appeared first on Global Communities.

Perched on a hill 13 kilometers away from Deniyaya town in Sri Lanka, MR/Ensalwatta Tamil Vidyalaya is a school where the challenges of accessing education are palpable. The narrow, rough pathway leading to the school barely accommodates vehicles, making the journey difficult. Students travel from distant areas to attend classes, many of them walking up to 6 kilometers, while others depend on a single bus or lorry that only operates in the morning and afternoon. Some students even start their journey around 5 a.m., using torch lights to guide their way through challenging terrain.

The high cost of travel is a significant burden for parents, who are predominantly daily wage earners and plantation workers. As a result, many families can only afford to send one child to school at a time, leading to low attendance rates. The barriers to education for these children extend to lack of essential resources such as skilled teachers and proper school facilities. The inaccessibility of adequate learning tools and educational opportunities has long been a challenge, leaving students without the means to fully engage in their studies or realize their potential. Despite these difficulties, both the students and their parents show remarkable persistence and determination in pursuing education, understanding the value it holds for their future.

Recognizing these challenges, the Social Cohesion and Reconciliation (SCORE) Activity, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Global Communities, has focused on empowering youth across Sri Lanka, particularly in marginalized communities, with practical resources and skills to enhance their participation in civic activities and improve their economic opportunities. To date, this has included vocational training, leadership development and digital literacy programs.

On August 28, the opening of an Information Technology (IT) Center at MR/Ensalwatta Tamil Vidyalaya marked a significant step in bridging the digital divide that has deprived these students of access to essential technology and skills. Established in collaboration with the Organization for Sustainable Community Development (OSCOD), the IT Center is now equipped with computers, tables and chairs, transforming a once-basic classroom into an IT learning environment where students and other youths in the area can develop vital digital skills.

With SCORE support, 90 students from grades 8 to 11 are currently enrolled in a three-month IT course, learning both the theory and practice of information technology. For many students, this marks their first experience with computers, a significant milestone in their educational journey. Additionally, the IT Center offers free opportunities for local youth who have completed school but lack the skills needed for employment, helping them bridge the gap to the workforce.

In addition to the IT Center, SCORE has also addressed the need for physical education by providing much-needed sports equipment to the school. This support is intended to enhance the students’ physical well-being, teamwork and leadership skills, contributing to their overall development.

At the opening ceremony, Ms. Subashini Weerasinghe, District Career Guidance Officer at the National Youth Services Council, spoke about the significance of this project in addressing the disparity between urban and rural schools in Sri Lanka.

“This is a powerful initiative that understands the needs of the population and fulfills them,” she said.

Mr. Udaya Kumar, the principal of MR/Ensalwatta Tamil Vidyalaya, also expressed deep gratitude, noting the transformative impact these resources will have on the students, many of whom come from the estate community and face significant challenges in accessing quality education. The estate community, or plantation community, has historically been marginalized, facing significant gaps in service delivery, such as limited access to quality education, health care and infrastructure. Due to residents’ isolation, they often lack opportunities for socio-economic advancement, which makes them particularly vulnerable to poverty and exclusion.

This IT initiative offers [our students] new opportunities to develop crucial skills in their own language.

Mr. Udaya Kumar, Principal, MR/Ensalwatta Tamil Vidyalaya

“Our students have made progress in their education despite the challenges they face,” he said. “This IT initiative offers them new opportunities to develop crucial skills in their own language. We are truly grateful to SCORE for making this possible.”

The opening of the IT center aligns with themes highlighted during International Youth Day 2024, which emphasized the role of digitalization in accelerating progress toward global goals, and International Literacy Day, which focused on “Promoting multilingual education: Literacy for mutual understanding and peace.” By equipping students with digital tools and resources, the center goes beyond technological literacy, creating opportunities for students to access diverse educational content in multiple languages. This fosters an environment of mutual understanding and inclusivity, key elements in building a peaceful society.

As SCORE continues its work across Sri Lanka, initiatives like this one in Deniyaya will play a crucial role in empowering and equipping the next generation of leaders, ensuring no student is left behind, regardless of their background or circumstances.

This success story is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of Global Communities and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

The post Bridging the Digital Divide for Rural Youth in Sri Lanka with New IT Center appeared first on Global Communities.

India has grown into the fifth largest economy in the world. The growth of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) indicates the existence of a plethora of opportunities that people can leverage to partake in the economy. Over the past decade, there has been a notable increase in the rate of women’s labor force participation. In 2023, this rate stood at nearly 33% as compared to 27% in 2013.

It is pertinent to pause and reflect where the growth in women’s labor force participation is coming from. Approximately 51% of women entrepreneurs and businesswomen in India earn less than USD 120 per month. Yet the recent Periodic Labor Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the government of India reveals an increase in self-employment among working women, despite dwindling average earnings. This trend partly arises from the pandemic-induced income shocks, prompting women to supplement family incomes and highlighting their pivotal role in stabilizing household finances. According to PLFS data from 2021 to 2022, women are much less likely to work then men, but they are more likely to be self-employed than men (60% vs. 51%). Notably, 60% of working women aged 15 to 59 are self-employed, with around 45% operating their own enterprises. This highlights the urgent need for tailored support to businesswomen so that they can sustain their entrepreneurial journeys.

Reducing Gender Barriers to Entrepreneurship

A journey to entrepreneurship is a complex one, and one that requires sufficient investment of effort, time and money. Women, especially those from marginalized backgrounds, face a myriad of sociocultural and material barriers to their economic advancement, including rigid gender norms, limited education and a lack of mentorship.

It is important to recognize that women entrepreneurs are not a homogenous group. Efforts to support them must be tailored to their needs based upon their unique skills and opportunities, and the specific barriers they face. The best approach is to understand the existing systems and structures – formal and informal – and then both work within these systems to support women entrepreneurs and advocate for systemic changes, including by challenging gender norms and barriers. The key aspects of such a model must include:

• Improving women’s business skills through capacity building.
• Formalizing women’s enterprises where appropriate.
• Enhancing access to schemes and policies of the government.
• Increasing access to finance and financial knowledge.
• Introducing technological solutions to increase productive efficiency.
• Enhancing women’s access to value chains and working to make them more gender-responsive.
• Developing and strengthening peer support networks.

These types of interventions require facilitators to invest time in working directly with women while introducing normative and social behavior change strategies. Projects must be tailored to support participants based on their skills, needs and opportunities. While the degree of customization may vary, tailored and segment-specific methodologies have greater potential to meet women where they are and deliver impact.

Swabhimaan: Promoting Entrepreneurship & Boosting Self-Esteem

Project Concern International (PCI) India, which is an independent organization localized by Global Communities, has tackled these challenges with its Swabhimaan project. Swabhimaan, which means self-esteem or self-respect in Hindi, aimed to boost women’s incomes and workforce participation through scalable models. This integrated entrepreneurship initiative has supported 15,000 women from low-income households in urban slums and rural areas to thrive as micro-entrepreneurs. The approach includes three distinct entrepreneurship development models:

1. Assistance to individual women as they enhance their autonomy and build livelihoods, including through training, coaching and seed capital.
2. Enterprise support services for businesses established by the urban poor within the Self-Help Group ecosystem.
3. Leveraging government contracts to enhance the role of rural women collectives in market penetration.

PCI India implemented the Swabhimaan project between October 2022 and March 2024, and we are proud of the following achievements:

• 97% of participants are running fully operational businesses since the start of the intervention.
• 90% of participants increased business revenues and income.
• 30% of enterprises accessed institutional financial support mechanisms.
• 52% of enterprises adopted sound financial practices and improved decision-making.
• 80% of enterprises introduced automation of business processes.
• Women with existing businesses stated that a deeper understanding of business operations coupled with implementation of new accounting practices has enabled them to efficiently manage inventory, reduce wasteful expenditure and re-invest revenues into their businesses.

We have learned that entrepreneurship development requires diverse strategies and engagement with multiple stakeholders. It is not always easy but building entrepreneurial aspirations among women from marginalized and rural communities has the potential to generate local employment, increase economies of scale and improve women’s control over resources. This will subsequently lead to a greater investment in the social indicators of health, nutrition and education. Through these collaborative efforts we are working to bring forward inclusive, democratic and equitable change.

About the Author

Irina Sinha is a Director for Strategic Insights and Systems at PCI India. She has over 25 years of experience in the social development of India, especially in the state of Bihar. Recently, Irina spoke at Global Communities’ event, “Fostering Women’s Entrepreneurship at Every Stage: A Cross-Regional Exchange.”

The post Promoting Women’s Entrepreneurship to Drive Economic Growth: Perspectives from India appeared first on Global Communities.

Toribia – a 54-year-old mother of eight from the Western Highlands of Guatemala – has long been a leader in her family, who strives to make a consistent income with their land and livestock. Because families in the Western Highlands are typically producers and consumers of their own food, they are reliant on agricultural activities to survive and can be heavily impacted by cyclical climatic shocks and natural disasters. They also face high levels of food insecurity, child malnutrition, low literacy rates and health crises.

Like many women of her generation raised in the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes mountains, Toribia never attended school or learned to read or write. She always looked for ways to increase her knowledge and skills, but in her remote community, opportunities for women are not readily available. Agricultural and business training is infrequent and often only accessible for men. When Global Communities’ staff visited Toribia to present the opportunity to join an advanced business skills training program called Project META, she was thrilled.

developing business skills

Global Communities implemented Project META across 16 communities in the Chiantla and Malacatancito municipalities of Huehuetenango, Guatemala. After a gender-focused needs and market assessment, the project team identified opportunities for women who had been a part of the savings and lending groups under Global Communities’ signature Women Empowered Initiative. Between December 2020 and December 2021, Project META offered resources and education to over 150 women with the goal of strengthening their agricultural skills, developing greater access to local markets and generating sustainable sources of income.

Project META supported them in developing technical productive skills, business management and financial literacy, while leveraging their existing skillsets and expertise. Individualized work plans were created for every participant, and they had access to project mentors through texting and calling, virtual and face-to-face sessions, learning tours and group workshops.

Putting learning into practice

To increase her family’s income, Toribia embarked on a one-year journey with Project META, gaining skills in post-harvest management and storage, animal production, business management, branding and financial literacy. She identified new products, improved product quality and production systems, and learned how to better manage all of the production aspects of her farm. Toribia and other participants received individualized mentorship to support their progress, including advancing the accounting skills needed to manage sales and experimenting with growing techniques to improve produce quality. Early in her involvement with Project META, Toribia put these lessons into practice in her newly planted potato patch. Using high quality seeds and organic fertilizer comprised of livestock feces and microorganisms, she grew potatoes of such high quality that the seed company offered to buy her entire initial harvest. The META team invited other project participants to visit to learn and see how these activities led to increased productivity and soil quality. As a result, many more women decided to adopt practices that Toribia tested on her farm.

“It doesn’t matter how old you are, what matters is to keep learning and teaching others,” said Toribia.

In addition to learning about agricultural practices, Toribia also benefitted from META’s financial literacy training, which gave her the skills needed to consider profitability when making decisions on her farm. Now, she does the math to decide what to invest in based on the cost structure and profitability of her ideas.

addressing unequal gender norms

Toribia and her husband also participated in Journeys of Transformation – a gender-transformative intervention adapted to the Guatemala context by Global Communities in partnership with Equimundo. The intervention facilitated couples’ dialogues, which helped shift social norms that limit women’s economic empowerment. The dialogues proved successful in improving couples’ communication as well as equity in household decision-making and care work, while reducing the acceptance of intimate partner violence.

evaluating impact

By the end of the yearlong program, Toribia was selling her own homemade organic fertilizer to members of her community. She saw an increased income from selling her high quality potatoes, eggs and chickens thanks to the improved production practices she had learned.

META’s final evaluation showed that most participants saw similar positive impacts from the project.

• 98% of participants implemented new technical agricultural practices,
• There was a 63% increase in average monthly income for those who applied new agricultural techniques,
• 70% of participants increased their number of clients,
• 50% began selling their products in at least one additional location,
• Animal survival rates increased from 20% to 80%,
• Women reported increased confidence in their ability to successfully run a business and contribute to the welfare of their families,
• Women’s partners reported being more aware and supportive of their wives in their economic activities. 

Project META shows that supporting women entrepreneurs with individualized and holistic interventions can help them overcome multiple barriers to economic success, leading to increased productivity and incomes. It also strengthens women’s confidence and decision-making power within their households.

There is still more to be done: from improving women’s access to climate smart agriculture techniques and business management skills, to a more equal division of household work and decision making. Gender-transformative programs are vital in supporting women entrepreneurs like Toribia.

The post A Holistic Intervention to Overcome Multiple Barriers to Women’s Entrepreneurship in Guatemala appeared first on Global Communities.

“For the first time in my life working in the public sector, we as an organization not only provide assistance but receive it,” says Zhanna Derii, who is part of an association of teachers from Chernihiv Polytechnic National University that make up the civil society organization (CSO) known as Chernihiv European.

Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Chernihiv European was implementing university youth initiatives and education projects with support from Global Communities and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded DOBRE program. However, like many institutions in the region, the university suffered extensive damage from a bombing in the early days of the conflict and life abruptly changed overnight.

According to the United Nations Development Programme, nearly 10% of Chernihiv Oblast’s infrastructure has been damaged or completely destroyed as a result of the ongoing Russian invasion, including more than 300 hospitals, schools, social protection facilities and cultural sites.

When repairs began at Chernihiv Polytechnic and the university’s teachers started returning to the city, Zhanna says members of Chernihiv European wanted to shift the CSO’s focus to providing humanitarian assistance to people in the recently liberated area.

“It seemed to us that we had the desire and resources to help others, but it turned out that humanitarian response is a highly complicated activity,” she said. “You can even cause harm if you don’t know how to maintain [it].”

If we didn’t receive CLEAR’s support, we would have made many mistakes.”

Zhanna Derii, Chernihiv European CSO member

To help Chernihiv European and 12 other local Ukrainian partner organizations effectively move forward with war recovery efforts, Global Communities partnered with USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance to implement the Community-Led Emergency Action and Response (CLEAR) program. From providing home repairs and winterization cash assistance to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) kits and psychosocial support, CLEAR offers lifesaving emergency relief while helping adults and children alike heal from the trauma of war in 23 communities of Chernihiv and Chernivtsi oblasts.

“CLEAR prioritizes working in smaller and remote communities through local CSOs to secure better humanitarian access to vulnerable populations,” said Dubravka Latinac Pem, CLEAR Program Director. “Local actors know the needs of people in their communities and how to work with them better than anyone else.”

When Chernihiv European joined the CLEAR program as a local partner organization, Global Communities provided the CSO’s members with training on humanitarian standards, volunteer management, distribution, monitoring, cash assistance, protection activities, hygiene promotion, safeguarding, burnout prevention and resilience development, among other key topics.

“If we didn’t receive CLEAR’s support, we would have made many mistakes,” Zhanna says.

Instead, the CSO was able to confidently provide humanitarian assistance to two community groups that might otherwise have been overlooked by larger projects.

For Vulyk, which means “Hive” in Ukrainian, Chernihiv European organized a training on psychosocial support for parents of children with disabilities and provided materials for the group to conduct art therapy sessions. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, an estimated 1.5 million Ukrainian children are at risk of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health issues, with potentially lasting effects, due to their exposure to war and conflict. The children who are part of Vulyk have the added challenge of often being excluded from social activities due to their disabilities. Art therapy provided them with an opportunity to be in community, express their emotions and ultimately begin healing from the stress they have experienced over the past two years.

“There are many different vulnerable categories, but people with disabilities are the most vulnerable among them,” Zhanna says. “… In times of war, their needs become even more complicated.”

With support from CLEAR, Chernihiv European also assisted a local organization that works with people who are blind. Although the government provided the group with a space to conduct social activities, it had no amenities in place for members to meet comfortably. Chernihiv European helped them to obtain tables, chairs, sofas and a laptop with an audio system to listen to movies.

“When people have nothing and suddenly get support, they can’t believe their luck. All the time, they have been asking if all these things will be left to them,” Zhanna says. “… Of course, we can’t provide stable cash assistance to each of them, but we can help them create a space where they can gather, support each other and develop their community.”

Over the life of the program, CLEAR aims to address the urgent protection, shelter and WASH needs of 22,580 people who have been affected by the war in Ukraine. A total of 13 local partner organizations are supporting implementation efforts. By layering lifesaving humanitarian interventions with long-term development assistance, Global Communities is working with Ukrainian communities to respond to the crisis, set the stage for post-war reconstruction and foster lasting resilience to shocks and stresses.

Learn more about our three current projects in Ukraine through our Crisis to Resilience series.

The post Localizing Humanitarian Assistance to Help Meet Needs of Marginalized Groups in Ukraine appeared first on Global Communities.

Have you ever used a bathroom stall without a lock? How about dark public facilities while toileting? How did these experiences make you feel?

There are few moments when we feel as vulnerable as when we are attending to our biological needs. All people need toilets and privacy, but women and girls experience increased vulnerability because of menstruation and risks of gender-based violence (GBV).

In contexts as varied as India, Vietnam, Kenya and Ghana, large numbers of women cite the lack of household sanitation and on-site water sources as heightening their fear of sexual violence. This fear is not unfounded. Studies show that in some settings, GBV risks more than double when women and girls do not have safe toilets in their homes. These pervasive risks, anxiety and trauma take a toll on their health and quality of life, limiting their full potential. Needless to say, they are exacerbated in humanitarian settings.

Two billion people worldwide lack access to basic sanitation, and half of them are women and girls. Using unlit and unsafe public facilities, or resorting to open defecation, is dangerous. Lack of sanitation kills.

How are we doing?

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) explicitly recognized the universal human right to water and sanitation on July 28, 2010. Five years later, the UNGA singled out sanitation as a distinct human right, separate from the right to water. The Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) calls for “ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.” Although there is overall progress in SDG 6, rural sanitation coverage has declined by some measures.

In 2018, the UN declared the period of 2018 to 2028 the “International Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development,” leaving many to ask, “What about sanitation?” Sanitation affects not only our health, but also our dignity and quality of life. On World Toilet Day 2023, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) made a sweeping statement that public health leaders have been making for a decade: “Toilets are a foundation stone of public health and play a critical role in protecting the environment.”

Despite these declarations, funding for sanitation consistently lags behind funding for water. We proclaim, “Water is Life,” while forgetting that unsafe sanitation exposes women and girls to the risks of violence and death. To accomplish SDG 6, the world must work, on average, five times faster to meet the sanitation target of SDG 6 – safe toilets and water for all by 2030.

Expanding the message and the impact

For decades, the global campaign for sanitation has focused on children. The clarion call against open defecation has highlighted the negative impacts of unsafe sanitation on the health of children under five. Many are familiar with the devastating statistic that more than 1,000 children under five  die each day from the lack of adequate water, sanitation and hygiene services.

Toilets are a foundation stone of public health and play a critical role in protecting the environment.

UNICEF, 2023

The thought of children dying of entirely preventable diseases has kept advocates, officials and frontline workers tirelessly motivated in the life-and-death battle for improved sanitation. Significant progress has been made in reducing childhood deaths associated with the lack of access to water and sanitation services. Women and girls, however, and those who care about their safety, are raising their voices: “Don’t forget about the negative impacts of unsafe and undignified sanitation on half of the world’s population!” Concerns about the impact on children under five should continue to motivate us, but we cannot ignore a growing body of compelling evidence that the lack of sanitation is hurting women and girls at a disproportionate rate.

An urgent need for a toilet is an uncomfortable situation, but it should not be a dangerous one. The normal, daily need that all people experience should not cause anxiety and lead, all too often, to violence.

What can I do?

So now that you care about sanitation, not only as a children’s health issue but also a women’s rights issue, what can you do to effect change?

• See something, say something! When you see a problem, bring it to the attention of others. If a public toilet is in a poor condition or lacks basic amenities, such as good lighting and sturdy door locks, don’t just walk away in disgust. Demand better services for all. It’s a right, not a luxury. Tell business owners that you cannot patronize their businesses unless they provide safe and dignified sanitation. Tell the administrators of public facilities and schools that you demand better services. Stop tolerating poor quality sanitation. Speak up!

• Demand equal funding for water and sanitation! We do not need less attention to water scarcity, which also disproportionately affects women and girls. We need equal attention to safe and dignified sanitation. Globally, more people lack sanitation than safe water, yet funding for water continues to outpace funding for sanitation, resulting in slow progress. According to the World Health Organization, while 45% of countries are on track to achieve their drinking-water coverage targets, only 25% of countries are on track to achieve their sanitation targets. The UN World Toilet Day falls every year on November 19th, and it has been around since 2013. When was the last time you went to a World Toilet Day rally?

• Not just for you! If you do not feel like this issue affects you directly, think about how it affects the women and girls in your life and community. Whether you live in a bustling city with too few safe and clean public toilets, or in a household where “this is just the way it has always been,” advocate for those who suffer most from the lack of safe and dignified sanitation.

• All are welcome! Do not forget about people who are marginalized socially or physically. The facilities in places you frequent may be adequate for your needs, but what about the needs of those who need special accommodations, for example more space, facilities they can easily reach and use, spaces for children and babies, and spaces for those who may be made to feel unwelcome? No person should feel that a public facility does not meet their needs, and their right, to safe, dignified sanitation.

The need for a toilet should never be a life-and-death dilemma. Safe toilets for safe communities!

The post If You Care about Ending Violence against Women and Girls, Care about Toilets appeared first on Global Communities.

In this context, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Social Cohesion and Reconciliation (SCORE) program is supporting community, non-governmental and governmental stakeholders across 14 districts to enhance community resilience through MHPSS, improved service delivery, equalized gender dynamics and safe spaces for support, healing and conversation.

Interventions have included introducing an internship for Psychology Department students and equipping a counseling room at the University of Jaffna as well as establishing a pool of 139 volunteer psychosocial workers with the Foundation for Promotion of Mental Health in Ampara District. Additionally, SCORE has facilitated befriender trainings for youth, parents and community members with Family Rehabilitation Council (FRC) across the Northern Province, Butterfly Peace Garden in Batticaloa and Trincomalee Districts, and Navajeevana in the Southern Province. Befriender trainings support linkages between the community and professional psychological support systems. These varied interventions reflect SCORE’s broad approach to meeting specific contextual needs with the aim of wider impact in Sri Lanka.

To support MHPSS within the education sector, SCORE – in partnership with FRC and Sirakkukal Cultural Forum – is establishing counseling units at five schools in five districts (Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya, Mullaitivu and Anuradhapura). The school-based counseling units are a pivotal step towards supporting government-led efforts to improve mental health services, support and well-being within the education sector, particularly in contexts of vulnerable communities and individuals with continuing trauma and psychosocial stressors. They also provide spaces to raise awareness about and challenges to SGBV among students and offer support and safeguards to children at risk as well as child survivors of abuse and SGBV.

The counseling unit plays a crucial role in handling students’ psychosocial issues. … It will prevent further trauma and protect children.

Ratnam Sivakumaran, School Counselor, Puthukkudiyiruppu Central College

In Mullaitivu, the site of the final stages of Sri Lanka’s armed conflict, communities struggle with unaddressed post-conflict trauma and psychosocial issues while being increasingly challenged by poverty and economic stressors. A rise in social issues such as alcoholism, drug abuse and SGBV has led to safety and health concerns. With unresolved trauma related to the protracted conflict, additional MHPPS services are essential to building individual and community resilience.

Puthukkudiyiruppu in Mullaitivu is a particularly vulnerable community due to the continuing impact of large-scale infrastructure damage and loss of resources and support structures during the armed conflict. On Nov. 30, in support of the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign, the first of these SCORE-equipped school counseling units was declared open at Puthukkudiyiruppu Central College. For students and staff at the school, which is one of the largest in the Mullaitivu Education Zone, the counseling unit is a much-needed place of support, safety and healing.

“The counseling unit plays a crucial role in handling students’ psychosocial issues,” said Ratnam Sivakumaran, the school’s counselor who received training through SCORE grantee FRC and supports a student body of over 1,500 students aged 11 to 18 years old. “It will prevent further trauma and protect children. If the students have mental health issues, they will get support from the counselor and feel relieved.”

Previously, only the school counselor identified children in need of support. After SCORE grantee Sirakkukal Cultural Forum facilitated a workshop on gender equality and SGBV for selected schoolteachers at Puthukkudiyiruppu, there is now an expanded resource pool that can identify more students facing issues and proactively direct them for support. Teachers present at the counseling unit opening ceremony welcomed this move and appreciated the additional support that is now available for students.

Sadhishkumar Vijayanthi, a Women Development Officer, noted that many women in Mullaitivu must work to maintain their families, which impacts the support structure within households. Over 22% of the district’s population is comprised of women-headed households. There are also incidents of child marriage, teenage pregnancies and unregistered marriages with little social and legal protections in place to dissolve such unions. SCORE-supported school counseling units will provide a safe space for children and teachers to talk freely and openly and explore ways to help.

“When we started to work with the school, students had more psychosocial problems and thereafter, they got awareness about counseling and guidance at this unit,” Vijayanthi said. “The number of issues has reduced, as seen in the database maintained by the school.”

The counseling unit will also lead MHPSS activities for students, expanding support beyond identified cases and broadening awareness of SGBV among male students at the school. For sustainability and accountability, a committee is also in place to monitor and steer activities of the unit moving forward. Members include representatives from Sirakkukal Cultural Forum, parents, former students, the Women Development Officer, psychiatric doctors from the Mullaitivu District Hospital Mental Health Unit, Public Health Inspector, midwife and counselor at the DS Office.

This success story is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of Global Communities and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

The post Strengthening Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Systems in Sri Lankan Schools appeared first on Global Communities.

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a pervasive issue that disproportionately affects women, girls and vulnerable individuals during emergencies. In disaster or conflict-affected areas, gender inequalities and power dynamics can both exacerbate existing risks of GBV and create new ones. While risks are always context-specific, we see many similarities in different crisis settings, from Ukraine and Syria to the West Bank and Gaza.

There are also GBV risks related to humanitarian interventions, which are often designed by men, lack gender and safety considerations, and underprioritize the unique needs of women and girls.  

Our Approach

Global Communities works in humanitarian settings around the world and implements GBV in Emergencies (GBViE) programming in several countries. We use this approach to respond quickly to new and worsening GBV risks for women, girls and other vulnerable groups. GBViE is a lifesaving and important component of our emergency response and humanitarian programs.  

While we tailor our responses to the unique risks and needs of crisis-affected populations, we implement several standard GBViE activities. For example, during the onset of an acute emergency, such as an earthquake or recent displacement, we focus on lifesaving services that address women’s and girls’ immediate safety needs. We also use conflict- and gender-sensitive approaches to adapt our existing programs. While responding to protracted conflicts, we tend to prioritize work with community-based structures to empower women and improve the overall protective environment for them.  

Responding to GBV in the West Bank and Gaza

Much of the world is currently watching and responding to the unfolding crisis in the Middle East. On October 1, 2023, Global Communities initiated its Pioneers-Raedat Project — a five-year initiative to promote the empowerment of women in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. A week later, on October 7, Hamas attacked Israel and Israel declared a war against Hamas. These events have led to a devastating humanitarian crisis for civilians in Gaza and changed the context for which Pioneers-Raedat had been designed. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by the conflict, facing significant threats to their lives and safety, including increased GBV concerns.  

• One-third of those killed are women and children.
• There are 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza, with approximately 5,522 expected to deliver in the next month; they face dramatically reduced access to maternal and newborn care.
• 788,800 women and girls have been displaced from their homes. 
• 2,056 women have recently become widows or the heads of households. 
• Overcrowding and a lack of water and sanitation is impacting women’s menstrual hygiene practices.
• Queues for bread are over 5 hours on average and essential food items are almost depleted.

In acute emergencies, such as in Gaza, the extreme security threats, lack of services and deterioration of family social support networks raise a variety of risks. For example, overcrowding in shelters for displaced people increases the risk of physical or sexual abuse. The extreme lack of access to basic commodities, such as food, increases the risk of exploitation and abuse as women try to provide for themselves and their families. 

In this context, Global Communities is modifying existing programs to address some of these risks. Currently, it is still extremely difficult for non-governmental organizations to access Gaza and deliver aid. The frontline staff, who would implement such activities, are focused on protecting their families, while experiencing significant trauma.  

There is a significant impact in the West Bank as well, with increasing safety concerns, movement restrictions and psychological distress linked to the suffering in Gaza. Moreover, economic deterioration is making life more difficult for women there. We are poised to respond to this situation with immediate response activities, including: 

• Gathering information about protection and GBV risks and needs. 
• Responding to immediate protection needs with cash and dignity kits containing hygiene and sanitary items.
• Mapping available GBV and protection services, and helping women access them.
• Disseminating key messages about emerging risks and protection strategies.
• Providing basic Psychological First Aid to prevent further traumatization. 
• Advocating for GBV risk mitigation practices, such as safe and gender-responsive distribution of aid.
• Planning for the next phase of psychosocial support sessions, safe spaces for women and girls, and case management for GBV survivors.

It is important to view these different types of activities and contexts along a spectrum. Immediate and well-coordinated efforts are essential to mitigate the impact of the crisis on women and girls. Humanitarian actors, like us, need to prioritize their safety, well-being and dignity. This lays the foundation for early recovery and development efforts that will focus on promoting women’s resilience and agency.  

Implementing gbviE in other Contexts

Global Communities implements GBViE in other contexts too, including Syria and Ukraine, which have unique GBV risks and response needs. For example, for the past seven years we have been providing GBViE services in the displaced persons camp in northwest Syria, where there are no services provided by local institutions. Because the civil society in this region is still weak, Global Communities is the primary service provider, implementing a comprehensive, geographically concentrated approach to fill a range of service needs in a community prioritized based on the level of need and vulnerability. 

In Ukraine, Global Communities implements GBViE through local partners under the Community-Led Emergency Action and Response (CLEAR) program. This project includes capacity strengthening and mentoring of local organizations to increase their ability to respond to the crisis. The government of Ukraine continues to provide services through local institutions in many parts of the country. Local civil society organizations, which were strong before the 2022 escalation of the conflict, have pivoted to providing humanitarian response. In this situation, Global Communities fills specific geographic and service gaps, and supports local actors, which had no humanitarian experience prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion. These organizations are eager to build on their previous experience to better serve their communities in this crisis.  

In all these crises, Global Communities provides tailored packages of services for women and girls. Addressing GBV must always be “localized” and built on the priorities and preferences of those most affected – women, girls and other vulnerable individuals who are at risk of or have experienced GBV. GBV is a sensitive, personal issue that is felt uniquely by those affected. We will continue to work with women, girls and their communities to support a reduction in violence they face and a realization of their human rights.

The post Preventing and Responding to Gender-based Violence in Humanitarian Settings appeared first on Global Communities.