April Foster's Posts - Community life competence2024-03-28T21:43:17ZApril Fosterhttps://aidscompetence.ning.com/profile/AprilFosterhttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2523284328?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://aidscompetence.ning.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=338sv5jev1v79&xn_auth=noLEARN Team Dream 2014tag:aidscompetence.ning.com,2014-06-04:2028109:BlogPost:1386092014-06-04T05:39:46.000ZApril Fosterhttps://aidscompetence.ning.com/profile/AprilFoster
<p>Over the past month, the LEARN team for 2014 have shared personal dreams and a shared dream for LEARN in 2014.</p>
<p align="center"><font face="Calibri"><i><font size="3">Our dream as the LEARN team is to work from the strengths of each member in order to expand our wealth of knowledge. To develop tools that can be used for capturing valuable lessons from our experiences through a process that inspires more sharing, and developing the expertise of the wider coaching…</font></i></font></p>
<p>Over the past month, the LEARN team for 2014 have shared personal dreams and a shared dream for LEARN in 2014.</p>
<p align="center"><font face="Calibri"><i><font size="3">Our dream as the LEARN team is to work from the strengths of each member in order to expand our wealth of knowledge. To develop tools that can be used for capturing valuable lessons from our experiences through a process that inspires more sharing, and developing the expertise of the wider coaching community</font></i><font size="3">.</font></font></p>
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<p>We welcome your thoughts as we move forward together</p>
<p>April</p>LEARN TEAM 2014tag:aidscompetence.ning.com,2014-06-02:2028109:BlogPost:1385982014-06-02T09:26:36.000ZApril Fosterhttps://aidscompetence.ning.com/profile/AprilFoster
<div>LEARN Team 2014</div>
<div>There is a dynamic team formed around the LEARN Function of the GST for 2014. This team will be led by April Foster as the SPR and includes Autry Haynes (Guyana), Meble Birengo (Kenya), Virgilio Suande (Mozambique), Mike Nzenga (South Africa), Susanne Mueller (USA), Phil Forth (UK). This team will be supported and link to the other GST Functions of CARE, SHARE and TRANSFER. This team is by no means exclusive, but will give a focus to capturing and sharing as…</div>
<div>LEARN Team 2014</div>
<div>There is a dynamic team formed around the LEARN Function of the GST for 2014. This team will be led by April Foster as the SPR and includes Autry Haynes (Guyana), Meble Birengo (Kenya), Virgilio Suande (Mozambique), Mike Nzenga (South Africa), Susanne Mueller (USA), Phil Forth (UK). This team will be supported and link to the other GST Functions of CARE, SHARE and TRANSFER. This team is by no means exclusive, but will give a focus to capturing and sharing as much of the learning as possible across the Constellation Community.</div>
<div>The team will be working on a variety of activities that serve the Coaching Community and Wider Constellation Family....these will include:</div>
<div>* A Learn Vision</div>
<div>* Building Consistent Ways of Working within the Coaching Community</div>
<div>* Defining and utilizing our Learn Process, which includes updating and utilizing our wealth of learning through Knowledge Assets</div>
<div>* Making Blended Learning more accessible</div>
<div>* Equipping the Coaching Community with LEARN materials</div>
<div>Each month, the LEARN team will share exciting news through Ning, Facebook and Twitter......so watch those spaces and we look forward to building on all of the learning that is taking place everyday throughout the Constellation Family!</div>
<div>If you have ideas on how the LEARN team can best serve the Constellation in 2014, please feel free to share and we look forward to working with all of you in the months to come.</div>
<div>April</div>Home visits lead to wider community responsetag:aidscompetence.ning.com,2014-02-09:2028109:BlogPost:1306772014-02-09T18:00:00.000ZApril Fosterhttps://aidscompetence.ning.com/profile/AprilFoster
<p>During a recent Constellation LEARN meeting in Belgium, we participated in a SALT visit to a sports club being facilitated in primary schools. The founders of the club shared with us their approach, which resonated on many levels with the work we do in the Constellation. One practice that the club uses to build relationships and influence change are home visits to the club members. This sharing reminded me again of how important home visits have been in my experience, and I wanted to…</p>
<p>During a recent Constellation LEARN meeting in Belgium, we participated in a SALT visit to a sports club being facilitated in primary schools. The founders of the club shared with us their approach, which resonated on many levels with the work we do in the Constellation. One practice that the club uses to build relationships and influence change are home visits to the club members. This sharing reminded me again of how important home visits have been in my experience, and I wanted to share that in the below short video taken by Jan Somers in Belgium. I was also inspired to share this as a continuation of the recent posting by Rituu and the contributions by many members of the Constellation family. I hope this stimulates more sharing and the practice of home visits as part of our ways of working.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> <iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/L-OcGUTZb_w?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>WASH and Community Life Competencetag:aidscompetence.ning.com,2011-04-21:2028109:BlogPost:444172011-04-21T19:37:40.000ZApril Fosterhttps://aidscompetence.ning.com/profile/AprilFoster
<p>The past 2 weeks have found Boris, Autry and I in Suriname working with a fantastic team to integrate WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) with the community life competence process. There is the phrase - 'Water is Life'. We have heard reflections this week that you can have water, but no real 'life' in communities. Trust, respect and vision are also needed. The skilled, passionate, committed team in Suriname is going to teach us all alot about this in the coming months. Thank you in…</p>
<p>The past 2 weeks have found Boris, Autry and I in Suriname working with a fantastic team to integrate WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) with the community life competence process. There is the phrase - 'Water is Life'. We have heard reflections this week that you can have water, but no real 'life' in communities. Trust, respect and vision are also needed. The skilled, passionate, committed team in Suriname is going to teach us all alot about this in the coming months. Thank you in advance! </p>Integration - More than just adding more pieces!tag:aidscompetence.ning.com,2011-03-31:2028109:BlogPost:427262011-03-31T09:19:06.000ZApril Fosterhttps://aidscompetence.ning.com/profile/AprilFoster
<p>We had a very inspiring visit to Ethiopia last week with IIRR and partners who have been working hard at integrating elements of ACP into their existing Community Managed Risk Reduction (CMDRR) Strategy. You will see the excellent photos and video clips that Ricardo has been uploading over the past couple of days.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It got me thinking about the word 'integration'. Seems everyone is using it these days, and as with many things we start saying it and stop thinking deeply about…</p>
<p>We had a very inspiring visit to Ethiopia last week with IIRR and partners who have been working hard at integrating elements of ACP into their existing Community Managed Risk Reduction (CMDRR) Strategy. You will see the excellent photos and video clips that Ricardo has been uploading over the past couple of days.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It got me thinking about the word 'integration'. Seems everyone is using it these days, and as with many things we start saying it and stop thinking deeply about what it really means.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>What I saw and learned from the visit in Ethiopia about integration:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>* It's hard work, but possible</p>
<p>* adding on 'activities' is easy, but internalizing the reasons why we do what we do, so that our actions reflect a consistency between belief and practise is much harder</p>
<p>* integration is about a + that speaks to added value, not just more things to do</p>
<p>* communities and people in their homes and families act in much more integrated ways then we do as organisations</p>
<p>* integration is about wholeness - not being fragmented in the way we think and behave</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Congratulations to the team members in Ethiopia who I believe have demonstrated this integration and can share that lesson with others - listen to the video clips and you will see what I mean!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>April</p>
<p>Nairobi, Kenya</p>
<p> </p>IIRR Ethiopia - Communities Moving Faster Than Organisations!tag:aidscompetence.ning.com,2010-11-16:2028109:BlogPost:287002010-11-16T05:59:21.000ZApril Fosterhttps://aidscompetence.ning.com/profile/AprilFoster
Last week, we had the opportunity for the second support visit to IIRR Partners in Ethiopia. We were hosted by JeCCDO in Dire Dawa and joined by SOS Borana. On the second day of the visit, we spent a few hours thinking through how ACP and the IIRR Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction (CMDRR) processes compliment and add value to each other. Then we made a visit to a community where 7 months ago JeCCDO had 'introduced' the dream and self-assessment. We spent the first hour sitting with…
Last week, we had the opportunity for the second support visit to IIRR Partners in Ethiopia. We were hosted by JeCCDO in Dire Dawa and joined by SOS Borana. On the second day of the visit, we spent a few hours thinking through how ACP and the IIRR Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction (CMDRR) processes compliment and add value to each other. Then we made a visit to a community where 7 months ago JeCCDO had 'introduced' the dream and self-assessment. We spent the first hour sitting with people in their homes hearing stories of change. Change that comes when people care enough to come alongside each other, and accompany each other through choices that will make a difference in their lives. Then we had a community meeting, where in 5 minutes a community facilitator clearly and distinctly explained the process they use to help them move towards their own future. In 5 minutes they had done what it took us as organisations several hours to articulate! One reflection from the Ethiopia partners summed up what many of us learned that day: 'When we practise something and internalize it, then sharing it with others is very easy. When we see that something makes a difference in our lives and communities we won't have to look at a manual to remind us what worked...we will speak from our own experience. This community has moved much faster then us in the organisation because they have practised and used what we have only been talking about!' JeCCDO now has an opportunity to influence over 120 CBO's in Dire Dawa with this approach. The community experience will speak for itself! We will post photos from this visit, and look forward to hearing from some of our Ethiopian friends about their experiences! AprilIIRR/CORDAID Support visit to Ethiopia Partnerstag:aidscompetence.ning.com,2010-04-27:2028109:BlogPost:205462010-04-27T04:20:42.000ZApril Fosterhttps://aidscompetence.ning.com/profile/AprilFoster
<p>The Constellation has the privilege of partnership with IIRR/CORDAID partners in Ethiopia. The focus is on integrating AIDS Competence with their community managed disaster risk reduction process. We are in the midst of the first follow-up visit, following an exposure visit to Kenya and an initial training workshop in 2009.</p>
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<p>The first week was spent in Borana, hosted by SOS. SOS works with pastoral communities and here are some reflections from that visit:</p>
<p></p>
<p>'when…</p>
<p>The Constellation has the privilege of partnership with IIRR/CORDAID partners in Ethiopia. The focus is on integrating AIDS Competence with their community managed disaster risk reduction process. We are in the midst of the first follow-up visit, following an exposure visit to Kenya and an initial training workshop in 2009.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The first week was spent in Borana, hosted by SOS. SOS works with pastoral communities and here are some reflections from that visit:</p>
<p></p>
<p>'when you take something small and share it with others it becomes big'</p>
<p>'we feel confident now that we can facilitate this process with our communities'</p>
<p>'the dream and self-assessment are like a mirror. They help us see ourselves better, so that we can plan how to respond to those things that threaten us' - Pastoral committee member</p>
<p>'you have helped us to 'weigh' ourselves and see where we have strength and how to use that strength to apply to the challenges that face us' - pastoral committee member</p>
<p></p>
<p>We are now in the second implementation location, Dire Dawa.</p>
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<p>The importance of accompaniment and support is very clear to all of us during this visit.</p>
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<p>The determination of IIRR to integrate HIV into all of their work is really a learning ground for many other organisations.</p>
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<p>'</p>