2024 MID-YEAR REPORT
INSTITUTIONAL PHILANTHROPY: PARTNERS IN DEVELOPMENT
Sustainable Community Development BUILDING
LIVES AND TRANSFORMING FUTURES
4 D'S OF SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS
Execution of program or project interventions and SMART* goals are met. Data is feeding the learning process and quality control
*SMART stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. SMART goals establish criteria for effective goal-setting.
Clear understanding of reality and definition of the problem to solve
Lessons learned, recalibration and scale to the next steps
Well-defined solution (program or project) to execute with clear outcomes (short-, mid- and longterm goals)
SCD projects are executed in specific geographic areas by implementing interconnected interventions over five to seven years. These projects are tailored to the scale, context, and population of each community, as they all have a unique set of characteristics and challenges that require nuanced and tailored interventions.
DEPLOY
DESTINY
FOOD FOR THE POOR’S APPROACH TO SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Food For The Poor and its in-country implementing partners favor a flexible approach over a fixed model when conducting Sustainable Community Development (SCD) projects. Using participatory methodologies, they address basic needs, strengthen existing assets, and promote self-management, citizen participation, and empowerment. This transformative approach, rooted in practical experience and a desire for change, emphasizes community organization, technical interventions, and hands-on learning to ensure lasting development. The process is phased, gradually building the foundation of the project.
Holistic community transformation is driven by collaboration. SCD collaborators assess residents' strengths and skills and develop strategies with community input to maximize
positive impacts, prioritizing access to treated water, food, and housing. The approach also addresses education, leadership training, and job creation, enabling participants to lead their own self-sustaining livelihoods.
The overarching goal is to holistically transform lives by addressing the complex challenges of poverty in underserved communities. SCD projects reduce vulnerabilities, build on existing assets, and promote sustainability by integrating material interventions with social and spiritual components tailored to each community’s unique situation.
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SCD s ARE BASED ON THREE FUNDAMENTAL PILLARS
Phase I: Setting Foundations for Development
• Housing construction
• WASH training
• Food security
• Community infrastructure
• Basic education services
• Community's social system development
• Capacity building and leadership training
• Children and youth development
• Market opportunity assessment
• Technical and soft skills training
• Financial literacy and savings support
• Asset transfer
• Small-scale income-generating activities
Phase II: Walking toward sustainability and resilience
• Comprehensive nutrition program
• Community health program
• Early child development and stimulation
• Execution of community selfmanagement plans
• Development of exit plan and sustainability strategy
• Large-scale income-generating activities
• Market linkages
• Employment opportunities
El Tablón
Food For The Poor and Cáritas Arquidiocesana have been partners since 1996. Cáritas Arquidiocesana has been working in the community of El Tablón, Guatemala, since 2007 through individual interventions and/or small projects. Cáritas Arquidiocesana and Food For The Poor conducted a formal assessment of El Tablón and decided to work moving forward through our Sustainable Community Development (SCD) program. This initiative has provided over 120 families with secure housing, skills training, and improved health and nutrition practices, aimed at ensuring long-term sustainability.
Key strategies include strengthening community participation, enhancing education, and improving food security through workshops and technical training. The project’s holistic approach integrates community collaboration with essential services
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CÁRITAS AND FOOD FOR THE POOR PROJECTS
Cáritas' first community project
Food Relief
Cáritas Germany funded the Chispa Center directly; Food For The Poor provided in-kind materials, furniture, and more to complete the center.
(Chispa Center)
Chicken farms (8) & housing (30)
Housing with sink, latrine and fruit trees (10)
Pig farms (6)
housing with water and sanitation (20) sinks (13) & latrines (23)
(26)
(34)
orchards (50)
Housing with water and sanitation (40)
like housing, safe water, and nutrition. Additional initiatives, such as animal husbandry, a community center, education, and micro-enterprise development are crucial in breaking the cycle of poverty to promote economic empowerment.
There were several projects implemented in El Tablón including the construction and repair of 94 homes addressing housing needs, while water and sanitation improvements ensured essential health services. Food security was bolstered through the provision of fruit trees, vegetable gardens, and pig farms, providing opportunities for better nutrition and income generation.
Economic empowerment was fostered through small-scale income-generating activities and social development including rehabilitating community infrastructure and strengthening the community's leadership committee through capacity building, empowerment, and organization. The SCD program aims for leaders to develop and manage their community action plans and micro-projects. ◆
Palma Real
The Palma Real SCD project is a five-year initiative in partnership with Minuto de Dios aimed at transforming lives to create a self-sustaining community in the municipality of Granada located about 54 miles to the south of Villavicencio in Colombia. Phase I focuses on 60 vulnerable families, benefiting 300 individuals.
This project integrates infrastructure development, life skills training, and community empowerment including:
• Leadership and skills training to build selfconfidence, leadership abilities, and a sense of responsibility, equipping residents to manage small businesses and enhance income opportunities. The training emphasizes the importance of everyone's participation and proper governance to ensure long-term sustainability.
• Training for residents on water sanitation and hygiene to improve community health. Families also receive financial literacy training and ongoing support for economic activities.
• Construction of 60 homes, each with three bedrooms, safe water, electricity, and sanitation.
• Development of an integral community and development center for community service activities, training, social gatherings, and recreation. ◆
Entrenubes
The Entrenubes SCD project in Bogotá, Colombia, is a five-year initiative (2020-2025) designed to transform the lives of 72 vulnerable families, comprising 288 individuals, in partnership with the Order of Malta Foundation and Fundación Construimos through the “City of God” model. This holistic approach integrates infrastructure development, life skills training, community empowerment, and incomegenerating activities (IGAs) to foster a selfsustaining community.
Infrastructure: Construction of 72 two-bedroom apartments with essential services such as water, sanitation, gas, and electricity.
Communal Spaces: A community center that functions as a feeding center and provides spaces for education, and for social and spiritual gatherings.
Training and education on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) to improve community health.
Market Study and IGAs: A market study identifying viable IGAs, with subsequent training to enhance economic opportunities for residents.
Community Empowerment and Participation through Leadership and Skills Development: The project focuses on building self-confidence, leadership skills, and community participation to ensure long-term sustainability. Residents will be guided to take responsibility for their community’s future. ◆
ABOUT FOOD FOR THE POOR
Food For The Poor is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the multidimensional aspects of poverty in primarily 15 Latin American and Caribbean countries. Food For The Poor collaborates with local partners to integrate economic empowerment, fundamental needs, and social development through sustainable community development (SCD) projects. This approach transforms lives, promotes self-sufficiency, and ensures a longterm positive impact on the communities it serves. In-country implementing partners (ICPs) are local organizations that contribute essential knowledge, expertise, and cultural understanding to the SCD initiative. The involvement of ICPs ensure that interventions are tailored to the specific needs and context of each community, fostering community-driven solutions and sustainable improvements.
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