A couple of colleagues came back excitedly after a meeting with a community leader who had expressed her frustration at how things could be better done for the children in her neighbourhood. Our colleagues informed that this community leader was of the opinion that Beyond will probably do the job of looking after the kids well and asked us to present a proposal to her fellow committee members.   Hence, our colleagues wanted to be helpful but after talking and thinking it through, they now…

In setting the ground rules for our discussions I asked those gathered if they promised to be honest and open with me, as facilitator, I'll do the same and together we will learn from each other.

It never ceases to amaze me how the "Are We Human?" question stimulates thinking and generates lively banter. The ensuing discussions naturally humanizes the gathering and sets the perfect stage to the discussions following.

We were given 1 1/2hrs to facilitate, our community was…

I think the great facilitator to any local response is that you have to be comfortable with yourself, know your values and have a willingness to be transparent and open to your community.

If you allow preconceived notions to bias you, you will never make the impact you need to because you'll miss the window of opportunity to treat people as humans. Humans who like yourself, are subject to mistakes and failures and who can develop strength through out that process to develop themselves…

Community Action Day 2011 SALT Activity

We started one hour late due to rain. The rain however did not damper our spirit. It was here, our Community Action Day activity.

I planned a SALT activity with my family,…

Following on the interest in my posts on exchange visits between local organizations and oral reporting, here’s another set of guidelines on mentoring relationships for your use and adaptation.

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Stronger, more sustainable community-based organizations can contribute to a more effective and participatory civil society…

Posting below on behalf of Ian Campbell and his facilitation team members in Odessa - Ukraine. After a SALT visit, the team followed up on an invitation to bring a visit at the house of the people they met. They left enriched. Enjoy the reading!

During the SALT visit to the refugee group, Mohammed from Guinea said ‘I am a man-I can succeed and I will.’…

I want to share the story of one beauty and on the other hand strong young women who is also my friend - Elena or simply in Russia - Lena. I think her story is really inspiring for people living with HIV. And she is also one of the SALT visits organizers in Samara.

My name is Lena.  I am a nurse by profession, so I had some information about…

We did our first SALT visit as a team on Friday, Nov 3rd 2011 at the SALVATION ARMY, Georgetown Guyana.



Before the meeting Steve, Nadia and I kept in contact, constantly SHARING ideas, about the concepts we learnt in the CLC workshop. It was exciting to LISTEN to each other's views and share our thoughts. 



On the day of the planning meeting, I had black out or no electrical power at home. Steve and Nadia and Myself kept in contact via phone. Later that day, creativity…

Our way of thinking, trying to put this into words.At the end of this Chapter we were asked for our input,there are a few things I would say differently ...I would say ...

we are all learning, growing and changing.... continuously 

The capacity continues to be revealed and nurtured.



My thinking: 



We are right where we need to be in any given moment. There are several things going on here, first, whatever…

The main difference between Targeted Intervention (TI) and CLCP is in the coverage. For TI by its very nature targets only a subset in a community, while CLCP involves the entire community or universe in consideration, thereby ensuring universal coverage.

In an earlier post, I had presented coverage as two…

UNAIDS and Constellation organised a Knoweldge fair in Odessa in Oct 2011. Alla was one of the participants who went for her first SALT visit. She was very impressed by SALT. She gave a video recording of her experience in Russian which Rituu will upload. I saw the video and did the English translation. I live in Russia and did the English translation for Rituu when she was the facilitator in Kazan. I am very taken in with SALT and from a translator also became a SALT…

Today marks the much anticipated advent of the estimated day when seven billion people will inhabit the Earth, according to the United Nations Population Fund who have just published their latest report – State of the World population 2011- ‘People and Possibilities in a World of 7 Billion’.

In fact, the announcement of the birth of the “seven billionth baby” has already been proclaimed in Manila, Philippines with the arrival of…

The three of us looked at each other with confusion when we heard that sentence said by Father Anastasio Roggero of the Church of Our Lady Glorious Infant Jesus of Prague.  Dusit and I were visiting the church this afternoon when somehow Dusit got to talk with the Father who was from Central Africa and who was excited to hear that we were from Thailand.  When he learned that Dusit was Catholic, he seemed very pleased and said “Come with me.  I have a gift for you”. Then he turned towards me…

Frantz Fanon, Iconic psychiatrist and author of books such as “Wretched of the Earth”, wrote that “literature increasingly involves itself in its only real task, which is to get society to reflect and mediate”.

Paulo Freire’s landmark book, “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” is a prime example of literature that makes one reflect, cogitate and ponder all at once.

In addition, Freire’s…

After holding Knowledge Fair in Kazan we – Ruslan, Kamilla, Ilgiz (participants of the Kazan Fair and training for trainers) made a  visit to 12-14 years old pupils in a children art school.  We conducted  «Dance for life» project  with SALT visit elements.

First of all we created interactions between us by listening their knowledges  about HIV and AIDS, what’s the difference between them, can we beat it together  and how. We asked their opinion about people living with HIV and…

I always walk away from a conversation with Saeed Wame, founder and director of Namwera AIDS Coordinating Committee (NACC) of Malawi, with a new understanding. Whether he be blowing my concept of “capacity” wide open, or offering a completely new definition of volunteer, Saeed is the sort of community leader whose wisdom and humility always leaves you with much to be mulled…

[Participants from North, northeast and south of India, venues ranged from the railway station to home, weather varied from heavy rain to sweltering heat but the spirit remained strong throughout- it was SALT which unites us and we would like to promote it in big or small way, taking baby steps towards our dream of entire India immersed in SALT. Please read on how some members of India competence National Support Team (NST) celebrated Community action…

This week, Nina Lakhani reported on the disturbing case of the Evangelical Christian Church which has been encouraging members of its congregation to cease taking medication altogether in favour of prayer alone.

The report revealed that three people died after discontinuing Anti Retro Viral treatment on…

On October 19, 2011 at the University's Campus, Turkeyen, Guyana . 25 Social work students and two lecturers were sprinkled with SALT.Colleen and Myself facilitated the process.

The Weather Inside.

This a great way of taking…