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Author: Tim Magee

Student Project Wins Grant | Summer Quarter | Rio+20 | June Project: Kenya | June Field Guide

June, 2012 CSDi Newsletter
 
THIS MONTH’S NEWS
Summer Quarter Final Call: Courses Begin July 5.

 
BECOME THE SOLUTION. Are you a donor, development practitioner, in transition, or a student who wants to learn more about “what works” in development? Join students world-wide  to design, fund and launch a community based project. Student projects have utilized 215 different kinds of solution-oriented activities to address community need. Scan the list to see which would work best for your project.


Student Grant Award CSDi student Martin Sishekanu wins grant award for course project
Martin Sishekanu (Zambia) and course partner Ursula Flossmann-Kraus (Germany/Philippines) have just completed the third course of the four course diploma program on Community-Based Adaptation To Climate Change. Students develop documents in the courses which are suitable for presentation to donors—and Martin just got the good news that he has received a grant award for an agricultural income generation component of their project. Congratulations Martin!
 
Follow link to downlioad the outline of the project which they have developed.
This project in Zambia has four agricultural components:

  • An Agricultural Income Generation Program
  • An Animal Husbandry Program
  • A Land-Use Management Plan
  • A Climate Smart Agricultural Practices Program

Rio+20  Community based adaptation will kick-start a green economy for the world’s poor
Community-based adaptation to climate change offers sustainable solutions to our future’s green entrepreneurs: hundreds of millions of smallholder farmers.
 
What adaptation to climate change activities are available for use today? There is confusion over what adaptation activities are. Many people are expecting a palette of brand-new technologies to begin arriving any day now: adaptation silver bullets.

Community based adaptation (CBA) is a cross-cutting initiative that integrates adaptation, environmental restoration, mitigation, and disaster risk reduction—and includes these participatory approaches to sustainable development and poverty reduction. Read more:

June Field Guide Family Gardens for Food Security and Nutrition

For many people living in the cycle of poverty, the idea of starting a kitchen garden might seem overwhelming. It could be the time investment, it might be perceived costs. It might be a lack of know-how: what to plant, how to plant and how to care for a garden. However, the positive benefits make it worthwhile enabling community members in gardening for nutrition.

Start small, think simple. The purpose of the first year’s garden is to give the participants a win—so that they will be encouraged to plant again the following year. Even if they plant only one bed, 1 meter by 4 meters, they should be able to get positive, delicious, nutritious results. Follow the link to download the field guide and how-to card.
 
Project of the Month Martha Njoroge’s home garden program for HIV+ children in Kenya
Martha works with the Wamumbi Orphan Care as a Project Manager organizing events for the orphaned children they  support. Martha has partnered with Kathy Tate-Bradish (US) and Genevieve Lamond (UK). Follow the link to see field reports and photos.Martha, Kathy and Genevieve have developed a project which includes these programs:

  • HIV/AIDS an Sexual Health Education Program
  • Advocacy Program with Guardians and Health Care Providers
  • Family Garden and Nutrition Program
  • Farmer Soil and Water Conservation and Management Program
 
 News from the Field
 CSDi students face critical danger in the communities where they work
Suleiman Barau Kadana works for People Oriented Development of ECWA as a facilitator and training officer in northern Nigeria. Sule is just finishing his second course at CSDi—he has one more assignment to turn in and he has just written:
 
“Regarding my week 6 assignment—due to tension in Northern Nigeria I am unable to get it done.” The Boko Haram bombed 3 Christian churches in his town on the 17th—50 people died
 
I’m impressed that field staff working under dangerous conditions and taking our courses continue to develop their projects, send in reports & assignments—and sign up for new courses.
 
 CSDi News
 CSDi is Growing! | iLearning | Facebook | Dev Community| Newsletter | Free Resource Membership
Growth at the Center has been spectacular thanks to you. I’m writing to tell you about a few of our achievements & to show you a few simple ways that you can help us grow more.
 
June Project Resource
 50 Solution-Oriented Program Templates for Challenges in Relief, Development & Adapatation
 Here are a range of solutions in the form of programs and activities that past students have used successfully in addressing project challenges. Feel free to use them, modify them, or develop your own solutions instead. Many of the programs are highly specific to one student’s project and will need to be adapted to fit yours. Many of the programs have multiple activities; these are to give you options for customizing your own programs: edit the activities down as you see fit for your project. Also, be sure to visit:
1. Community-Based Adaptation: 300 Hands-On Field Activities.
2. Student Countries and Project Challenges.
 
Be sure to visit CSDi’s Development Community. Join 700 colleagues in sharing resources & collaborating online.
Like us: CSDi Facebook.
Learn more about design and implementing CBA projects.
 
Would you like to subscribe to this newsletter?
 
The Center for Sustainable Development specializes in providing sound, evidence-based information, tools and training for humanitarian development professionals worldwide. CSDi is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
 

CSDi students face critical danger in the communities where they work

Suleiman Barau Kadana works for People Oriented Development of ECWA as a facilitator and training officer in northern Nigeria.

He is working with 257 men, women and children, in the village of Gidan Gyarai, near Kadana, Nigeria who are suffering from deficient food security and low crop yields caused by a scarcity of rain, poor agricultural water management, climate change related reduction in surface water, increase in temperature, and a sudden change in weather conditions.
They are also suffering from the effects of deforestation caused by indiscriminate tree logging, land clearing and improper farm encroachment. These challenges lead to increased poverty, increased water and wind erosion, a decrease in soil fertility, increased fertilizer use, destruction of ecosystems, and decreased unity in the community.
 

Sule has developed a project designed to address these challenges that includes a family garden and nutrition program, a climate smart agricultural program, and a forest management program—download an outline of his report.
Sule is just finishing his second course at CSDi—he has one more assignment to turn in and he has just written:
“Regarding my week six assignment: due to tension we are experiencing in Northern Nigeria that is the main reason why I am unable to get it done, for some days we have had to stay away from our houses for safety, please pray for Christians in Northern Nigeria. Finally, will you be willing to extend some time for me to get the assignment to you?”
Kadana, in Northern Nigeria, was the location of the bombings of Christian churches by the Boko Haram on Sunday the 17th of June where 50 people died at three different churches. The group, whose name means “Western education is forbidden,” has referred to itself as the “Nigerian Taliban.” It seeks to overthrow the government.
Other students have faced similar challenges in Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Darfur. Because of extreme security measures, students working in these countries frequently have difficulty getting to their communities—and are not allowed to take or send photographs of their projects.
 
Students working on humanitarian projects also face grave danger in the face of hurricanes and floods—notably in Pakistan and Bangladesh. 220 million people were put at great risk in 2010 during floods in Pakistan; floods returned again in 2011 leaving 200,000 homeless.

I’m impressed that professional field staff working under these conditions and taking our courses continue to develop their projects, send in reports, assignments and sign up for new courses. I stand in awe of their bravery and perseverance. Thank you for including us in your lives.
 

Would you like to learn how to develop Community Based Adaptation Projects?

What’s happening in the region where you live?
Please write us with your stories, thoughts and comments through Online.Learning@csd-i.org
 
 
I look forward to hearing from you.
 
Sincerely,
 
Tim Magee, Executive Director
 
Would you like to subscribe to this newsletter?
 
The Center for Sustainable Development specializes in providing sound, evidence-based information, tools and training for humanitarian development professionals worldwide. CSDi is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
 
 

Project of the Month: Martha Njoroge develops a home garden program for HIV+ children in Kenya

Martha Njoroge has been one of CSDi’s best students over the past year.

Martha works with the Wamumbi Orphan Care as a Project Manager organizing events for the orphaned children they  support. Martha has partnered with Kathy Tate-Bradish (US) and Genevieve Lamond (UK). Follow the link to see field reports and photos.Martha, Kathy and Genevieve have developed a project which includes these programs:
  • HIV/AIDS an Sexual Health Education Program
  • Advocacy Program with Guardians and Health Care Providers
  • Family Garden and Nutrition Program
  • Farmer Soil and Water Conservation and Management Program
 

Let me tell you a little bit about Martha. Martha lives in Kangema, Kenya, a small rural town of 4,000 about 70 miles north of Nairobi. Over the past nine or 10 months Martha has partnered with Kathy Tate-Bradish (Illinois in the US—but with a working relationship in Kenya) and Genevieve Lamond (University of Bangor UK but also with a working relationship in Kenya)
They have developed a project with a group of HIV-positive orphans and vulnerable children and their guardians. Last fall, we learned that one of the children died. Martha works with the Wamumbi Orphan Care (community based organization) as a Project Manager organizing events for the orphaned children they  support.
 
Martha, Kathy and Genevieve have developed a project which includes these programs in support of their community:
-HIV/AIDS an Sexual Health Education Program
-Advocacy Program with Guardians and Health Care Providers
-Family Garden and Nutrition Program
-Farmer Soil and Water Conservation and Management Program (addressing climate change challenges)
 
To see the quality of Martha’s work and why I’m launching this appeal, view Martha’s recent field reports complete with lots of excellent photos of her community members and project activities. Get a real vantage of her field project:
A1 341: Participatory needs assessment.
A3 303: Nutrition survey and nutritious meal.
A8 303: Garden bed planting.
A1 304: Garden progress/growth of produce.
A4 304: Demonstration Gardens.
A4 343: Assessing Community Vulnerability.
A5 343: Results of assessment.
 

Would you like to learn how to develop Community Based Adaptation Projects?

What’s happening in the region where you live?
Please write us with your stories, thoughts and comments through Online.Learning@csd-i.org
 
 
I look forward to hearing from you.
 
Sincerely,
 
Tim Magee, Executive Director
 
Would you like to subscribe to this newsletter?
 
The Center for Sustainable Development specializes in providing sound, evidence-based information, tools and training for humanitarian development professionals worldwide. CSDi is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.