Karine BaghdasaryanKarine Baghdasaryan

Gohar Markosyan Gohar Markosyan

Tbilisi, April 5, 2013Tbilisi, April 5, 2013

Armenia Armenia Inter-Church Charitable Inter-Church Charitable Round Table FoundationRound Table Foundation

&&Women for Development NGOWomen for Development NGO

Experience Experience of of Community Work Community Work

in Armeniain Armenia

Main experienceMain experience

AliceAlice

““If you don’t know where you’re If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there”. going, any road will get you there”.

Community workersCommunity workers

““If you know where you’re going, If you know where you’re going, many roads can get you there”. many roads can get you there”.

ART ART Integrated Community Integrated Community Development Development (ICD)(ICD)

Social improvement Social improvement Economic improvementEconomic improvement Environmental protectionEnvironmental protection Spiritual renewal Spiritual renewal

By whom?By whom?

Community groups, NGOs, local Community groups, NGOs, local institutions and Church institutions and Church structures. structures.

Recognition and respect for Recognition and respect for Churches as one of the key actors Churches as one of the key actors in change is a priority for the ART in change is a priority for the ART ICD.ICD.

How?How? Through promotion of Through promotion of

social/community development social/community development centers centers

Capacity development (CD) of Capacity development (CD) of grass root groupsgrass root groups

Working principlesWorking principles Partnership Partnership Cost sharingCost sharing Cycling of interventionCycling of intervention Maintaining relations after Maintaining relations after

phasing outphasing out Learning and reflecting on Learning and reflecting on

experience experience

ART ICD: social improvementART ICD: social improvement

Social needs, as well as an inventory of local Social needs, as well as an inventory of local resources are identified resources are identified by the communityby the community. On the . On the basis of it projects are identified and implementedbasis of it projects are identified and implemented

Social projects could be summarized as follows:Social projects could be summarized as follows: infrastructural improvement (repair/establishment infrastructural improvement (repair/establishment

of communal and social centres, rehabilitation of of communal and social centres, rehabilitation of water pipelines, repair of schools, kindergartens, water pipelines, repair of schools, kindergartens, health posts, etc)health posts, etc)

cultural activities (art groups, cultural activities (art groups, study groups,study groups, excursions, celebrations, etc)excursions, celebrations, etc)

civic education, civic education, CD for local people in various CD for local people in various aspects of development (communal activists are aspects of development (communal activists are identified, community strategy plans developed…). identified, community strategy plans developed…).

ART ICD: economic improvementART ICD: economic improvement

Vocational training Vocational training Encouraging income generating Encouraging income generating

activities (sales, paid services, etc) activities (sales, paid services, etc) Diversification of donor base (self Diversification of donor base (self

governance bodies and authorities, governance bodies and authorities, local business)local business)

Social EnterprisesSocial Enterprises

ART ICD: environmental protectionART ICD: environmental protection

.. Awareness raising in nature protectionAwareness raising in nature protection Practical work: tree planting, waste cleaning, Practical work: tree planting, waste cleaning,

utilization of solar energy. utilization of solar energy. Environmental puppet shows, exhibitions, etcEnvironmental puppet shows, exhibitions, etc

ART ICD: spiritual renewalART ICD: spiritual renewal

- Spiritual counseling Spiritual counseling - BaptismBaptism- Pilgrimages Pilgrimages - Bible studies, spiritual lessons.Bible studies, spiritual lessons.

““Sustainable Development of Sustainable Development of Communities” FoundationCommunities” Foundation

Established in the frames “Empowerment of Six Communities” project in Dprabak village, Gegharkunik province in 2010. Unites people of six communities, led Board of Trustees, assigns director.

““Meghrik” FoundationMeghrik” Foundation

ChallengesChallenges

Foundation vs. NGOFoundation vs. NGO RegistrationRegistration Finance, including reportingFinance, including reporting Experience in project development and Experience in project development and

implementation implementation Limited resourcesLimited resources ContactsContacts Trust, etc, etc, etcTrust, etc, etc, etc

Sales in YerevanSales in Yerevan

““Community Mobilization through Community Mobilization through Increasing Participation, Healthy Increasing Participation, Healthy Lifestyle and Peace Education in Lifestyle and Peace Education in Armenia” by WFD NGOArmenia” by WFD NGO

Goal: To contribute to the processes of Goal: To contribute to the processes of raising community issues requiring raising community issues requiring mobilization efforts and increasing mobilization efforts and increasing community members’ participation in community members’ participation in resolving these issues through promoting resolving these issues through promoting the ideas of healthy lifestyle and creation the ideas of healthy lifestyle and creation of the culture of peace in schools and of the culture of peace in schools and communitiescommunities

Achievments(1)Achievments(1)

Community centers are established in 8 Community centers are established in 8 beneficiary communities of the project beneficiary communities of the project

Community centers have responsible Community centers have responsible officers, as well as volunteersofficers, as well as volunteers

The level of community participation in The level of community participation in organising events has increased. In total organising events has increased. In total about 3000 people/women, men, young about 3000 people/women, men, young women, high school pupils and members women, high school pupils and members of local administration bodies have of local administration bodies have participated in community eventsparticipated in community events

Achievments(2)Achievments(2)

The Community development strategic The Community development strategic plans for the next 2-3 years have already plans for the next 2-3 years have already been developed and presented in been developed and presented in communities’ general meetingscommunities’ general meetings

Community centers recognized at least Community centers recognized at least 16 problems and solved at least 8 of 16 problems and solved at least 8 of them.them.

ActivitiesActivities

Activities: organized by the WFD and Activities: organized by the WFD and initiated by the beneficiariesinitiated by the beneficiaries

meetings on health care issues: healthy meetings on health care issues: healthy lifestyle, reproductive health and family lifestyle, reproductive health and family planning, sexual maturity, STIs and planning, sexual maturity, STIs and HIV/AIDS by psychologists and gender HIV/AIDS by psychologists and gender specialists specialists

ecological / agricultural and conflict ecological / agricultural and conflict management issues and etcmanagement issues and etc. .

Lessons Lessons Learnt/Challenges (1)Learnt/Challenges (1)

Ensure CD to build sustainable services Ensure CD to build sustainable services and capacity at the grassroots level. and capacity at the grassroots level.

Encourage self-managed projects. Encourage self-managed projects. On-job On-job training.training.

Wide-ranging support from other key Wide-ranging support from other key partners (government, UN, partner NGOs, partners (government, UN, partner NGOs, other grass root groups, etc.) is needed, as other grass root groups, etc.) is needed, as communities have a high level of unmet communities have a high level of unmet needs.needs.

Lessons Lessons Learnt/Challenges (2)Learnt/Challenges (2)

use of new technologies in rural areasuse of new technologies in rural areas inclusion of spiritual dimension into inclusion of spiritual dimension into

community work community work true ownership over the process of true ownership over the process of

changes changes capacities to sustain and manage new capacities to sustain and manage new

infrastructure (communal/social centre, infrastructure (communal/social centre, computer room, water pipeline, social computer room, water pipeline, social enterprise, etc)enterprise, etc)

Thank you for your Thank you for your attention attention

and and questions!questions!