Nine years on: So much with so little!

I can still remember sitting with Jon and Alex, drinking coffee and talking about the beginning of what is now Amplifying Voices.  It’s hard to believe that 9 years have passed.  Since that time, I’ve watched in amazement at God’s provision of people, money and blessings. After my initial involvement with the charity set up, I took a job as research manager with the charity arm of the BBC. I then moved on to training World Service journalists in developing countries and later still to work as an evaluator of UKAID funded programmes overseas. I spent several years on the side lines of Amplifying Voices – watching in wonder.  Now, I find myself in the privileged position of moving off the side lines for a while…

The phrase that springs to mind is: “who is he that despises the day of small things?” It amazes me how much can be done with so little. I think of the bible story of the woman pouring her limited oil into jars that kept overfilling. This picture seems fitting for Amplifying Voices as their resources have had impact beyond what should be possible. How can such a small charity have the sustainable impact that it does?  I believe first and foremost it is due to God’s enabling, but this also goes hand in hand with something I’m really excited about.  That is Amplifying Voices’ community-centred approach to every project.

In the international development sector, placing local people at the centre of interventions is acknowledged as ‘best practice’ . It has different names like ‘people-centred’, ‘participatory’ or ‘community-centred’. But whilst it is recognised as best practice, application is not as easy as you would think.  Coming back to Amplifying Voices after my time away, I have been genuinely impressed, and encouraged by their ability to do what many other organisations struggle with – truly adopt and practice a community-centred approach.

 

One initiative that stands out for me is the ‘Adivasi Voices Project’.  Adivasi/tribal groups are an isolated, outcaste group often facing violence and rejection from mainstream Indian society. Many are deprived of basic facilities (food, clothing, education and medicine) with a low life expectancy. They feel marginalised and rejected by mainstream Indian society. Existing programmes often try and integrate them with the majority society, rather than allowing them to maintain their distinctive way of life.  Amplifying Voices helped its local partner, Seva, to successfully go against the grain with a project that places the Adivasi people right at the centre. They provided training, resources and mentoring support that was so successful, the team has become fully self-sufficient. Using Amplifying Voices’ community-centred approach, the Seva team worked with local Adivasi people to celebrate their strengths while identifying their needs, their desires, their hopes. Out of this community-centred dialogue, the ‘Adivasi Voices’ project was born, fully led by the local community team.  And as the project has progressed, more and more local Adivasi champions have joined the Seva team, building on their learning.

Through the project, formerly media dark villages now have access to critical health information and education.  And through mobile health clinics they have access to medicine and healthcare. An evaluation of the Adivasi Voices project showed impressive improvements in health practices, and a reduction in sickness. The holistic nature of the project really came through in the evaluation as villagers shared stories of improved health practice and a sense of empowerment through increased awareness of their rights.

The Seva team continues to monitor the project through regular community dialogue and regularly report stories of empowerment and lives transformed.

I loved this quote from one of the Adivasi village leaders:

“If you came to our village two years ago, you would be amazed by the many changes that have taken place. We have toilets that work, water that’s clean and our children are attending school. We feel different and we feel like we have found our voice.”

Whilst the Adivasi project stood out to me, Amplifying Voices’ other projects follow the same community-centred approach and have tangible, evidenced-based stories of individual and community transformation, many of which transcend the lifetime of the project.  I’m excited to be a part of the adventure again.

 

As one of the founders of Amplifying Voices in 2013, Theo Hannides is currently an independent consultant in the development sector. She recently rejoined the Amplifying Voices team to help strengthen the monitoring, evaluation and learning of the charity’s projects.