David Kroodsma laid down the gauntlet today in the Huffington Post. Governments, after facing disappointment last year at the climate negotiations in Copenhagen, got off the mat and moved forward this month at new negotiations in Cancun. Kroodsma writes, “Governments have reached a deal. Now, it is our turn.”

He’s right. An international deal is absolutely essential to meeting the challenge of climate change, but some communities are already facing the devastating effects.  We, as individuals, need to start helping those communities adapt to their new realities.

Don’t know where to start? CSDi — a 501c3 — offers a workshop that will step you through workable and sustainable solutions. Note: The early signup discount ends Sunday.

If you live in the developed world, you can still help. Give a scholarship to someone fighting this battle.

What Works in International Development?
Sustainable projects are based upon a series of building block activities that have shown scientific evidence of having worked, and that provide effective grassroots solutions to needs identified by rural communities. These are known as Evidence-Based Best Practices.

All of the following resources can be found on CSDi’s Field Tools page.

We research these best practice activities and package them in easy-to-use: download documents field guides workshop lesson plans workshop posters and how-to cards

Project Resources are Arranged by Sector:

1. Participation
2. Water & Sanitation
3. Health & Hygiene  
4. Food & Agriculture 
5. Education & Literacy 
6. Eco Sustainability  
7. Economic Dev 
8. Infrastructure 
9. Energy  
10. Migration
11. Emergency Relief 
12. Climate Change

We also provide information on how to assemble sustainable projects using the resources above in these pages:

123 Project Development
Here is a simple example of how to use the tools on this website to include evidence-based interventions in:

• the implementation of a grant you have received
• building an impact oriented project from the ground up

Design Projects With Impact
This page shows a step-by-step progression an NGO can take to design compelling projects with these qualities and for presentation to donors.

Example Integrated Projects
Select from individual activities on this website when designing a project, or come here, to the Project Examples Directory, for pre-integrated project ideas.

What are your thoughts on efficent ways to find new evidence-based best practices for projects?

‘Like’ us on Facebook – CSDi Development Community.

Be sure to join CSDi’s Development Community. Join colleagues in sharing resources & collaborating online.

In May, 2010, partners Ekua Ansah-Eshon, Ghana, and Elsie Reed, Nigeria, began the process of developing a project to help teenage girls rise out of the vicious cycle of teenage pregnancies and poverty through gaining literacy—and job and entrepreneurial skills.

Location: Diabene—a rural community in the Western region of Ghana.

The Challenge

Teenage mothers from Diabene suffer from an inability to fund essential life needs of their children and themselves due to a lack of knowledge of reproductive rights, family planning, healthy family dynamics, a lack of job skills, and vocational and entrepreneurial training. This leads to poor health and nutrition, and an inability for children to remain in school and for the young mothers to participate in income generating activities.

How these young families enjoy improved livelihoods, nutrition and educational access

Learn about this 18-month training program where teenage mothers from Diabene will learn reproductive rights, family planning and develop job skills and literacy. This is allowing young mothers to participate in income generating activities and to provide better nutrition and educational opportunities for their children and leading them to become prosperous, productive members of their communities.

Project Details
	Project duration: 18 months CSDi Partner: Advocates & Trainers for Women’s Welfare Advancement & Rights Project Manager: Ekua Ansah-Eshon, Founder Fact Sheet: 2-page project report Key words: Livelihoods, entrepreneuriship, vocational training, education, nutrition, reproductive rights, family planning.

More in-depth information about this project including locational map.

Join: CSDi Development Community.

Like: CSDi Facebook.