Recently, there have been 2 poems among the postings on Ning. Each of them has made me think, has given me pleasure and shown light for me on the power of a dream.

The first comes from Yamini Suvarna: Yamini's poem. Here is the…

SALT draws attention to a two-way process of learning. On the one hand, is the SALT Facilitator who introduces SALT to a person/group. These recipients begin to learn and so does the facilitator. Both come with their own luggage of knowledge and experience, and both are important, as SALT penetrates them and makes a place for itself. This process is critical, and recipient’s knowledge and experience (K&E) must be respected, as it is to…

Like many communities in northern Thailand 25 years ago, Tha Wang Tan had a number of people living with HIV/AIDS.  There was a lot of fear and stigma. It was a dark time with no hope for treatment, people felt rejected by the community and society and deeply despaired. ‘One of Us’ tells one of these stories.   https://asyouopenyoureyes.com/thailand

 I met the people of Tha Wang Tan for the first time in 2006 and from the start it…

Thanks to Marie who encourages me patiently to share my learning on the application of SALT and CLCP by a local NGO named BILIC or Bandung Independent Living Center.  Initially, I was facilitated by Rituu to discuss with Joao Arnaldo Vembane, a SALT facilitator and a former officer at Handicap International in Mozambique on the preparation of the training. Really appreciate and Thanks to Rituu and my dear friend Joao ( a father with a newly born baby girl)

The SALT- CLCP…

Mridula Kapil Bhargava (Evaluator in HealthRise project)

Small changes were seen as project came to a halt after few months due to Covid-19. That having an intervention that wants a behavioral change, needs time and that needs ownership from the community to be sustainable. Due to Covid 19, there was a disconnect. I felt that having more time with the community would have brought more strength...But to make it everlast, needs time. I composed a poem as my reflection on…

Constellation has many Facilitators, and they are its strength. The have innumerable workshops for participants to understand SALT.  My question to them : Do you know how many learners who came to your workshop carried forward SALT, and how did they do so ? And, how many who just never carried it forward, and why did they turn away?

I attended a 5 days workshop on SALT, in Karachi, about 3 years ago. As am a trainer/facilitator of learning of people at various levels (community level,…

From the first time that I saw it, I loved the beginning of the film ‘Dancing Yayas’. I have now watched it many, many times and each time I watch it I find something new to see and to enjoy. You move seamlessly, backwards and forwards between people and place time after time. Sometimes it is the…

More news from Vrouwencafé (Womencafé) in Amsterdam-East. The women of Vrouwencafé see themselves as women who have a ‘big heart’ for each other and their neighbourhood. They form a network around each others dreams to contribute to a better world. Guided by SALT-CLCP one of their current activities is an international Women choir. 

Below some news by Ghalia Jando. English translation in the…

What if you could turn litter into money? FWANGMUN OSCAR DANLADI leads a movement of young people in Nigeria who have found a way to turn the country’s huge problem of electronic waste into their own thriving and sustainable businesses.

In this new episode of our How To Build Community show, he tells us the story, and shares tips and advice on how you can do something similar where you live:…

The circle is inspired by the Dialogues of the quantum physicist David Bohm, a contemporary and friend of Einstein. It is a process of introspection and exchange with others. There is no search for convergence with the visions of the other members of the circle, but simply the expression of resonances. By searching in our own depths for what is alive (which we may never have seen or touched before), we inspire each other. The more multiple and diverse the visions are, the more contradictions…

Dreams can be of individuals, of small groups (e.g HIV/TB/Hep C infected people in a village) --  of  the elderly in a village (as happened in Uganda) or of the whole community with its sub groups based on gender, ethnicity, class, religion, occupation.  While the community is to make choices, SALT Facilitator also has a role to play. For example, in four village settings in the mountain regions of Pakistan, after a community ended their discussion/sharing about  how they see their village…

The attached Abridged HealthRise project report summarizes the main results of the recent evaluation of the SALT-CLCP interventions for Non-Communicable Diseases (Diabetes & Hypertension) carried out in Udaipur and Shimla (India). 210325-HealthRise%20RICPHI%204-pager.pdf

We are particularly happy to…

‘Waste Time’ tells how the people of Saparua in Eastern Indonesia are finding solutions to the problem of plastic.  https://asyouopenyoureyes.com/indonesia

In The Constellation, we describe the SALT/CLCP process as a series of steps moving in sequence. With the first step, the community comes together in response to a specific challenge. The community then works to define a shared dream around that challenge.…

I work with The Department of Science and Technology (DOST)  in Philippines.

I conducted CLCP in picturesque Higatangan Island in Biliran province in the year 2017. The potable water was the priority dream of the community. They made an action plan and sourced out help from the DOST, Biliran Province State University and Local Government Unit of Naval, Biliran. 

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will launch on March 4 the potable water purification project in…

Yesterday, in our wonderful group of SALT travellers, we started on Dream Building. The thoughts and sharing was mind blowing and here is my AER on it. Love and gratitude to Rituu, Kausar Apa and Ame for the wonderful session which was taken to another level because of the presence of Laura Simms and MariJo. Most of all, this goes to my fellow SALT travellers, I am.. because of you all…

The Constellation and Visual Development have produced a series of six short films that present different stories of community change. Each episode tells the story of one community with both the beautiful and painful aspects that sit at the heart of community change. https://asyouopenyoureyes.com/

‘Dancing Jajas’ tells how older persons in Entebbe, Uganda are using their talents and experiences to live their lives with dignity.…

This is a blog written by my colleague Arun and me for our work as SALT facilitators under HealthRise project. We work with Mamata- HIMC and this work was done under HealthRise project to engage people and communities to respond to diabetes and hypertension

Village Chowki, Block Sunni, District Shimla, Himachal Pradesh (India)

When we started doing SALT visits in the village, health worker called ASHA in India- Ms. Bala Devi- got  motivated to do…

"To be natural is such a very difficult pose to keep up." ~Oscar Wilde

The participatory approach to development and evaluation is rooted in the belief that people are capable of thinking and developing on their own and have the potential to bring about change. It constantly reminds organizations that communities work better towards their development when they have a sense…

PRA or the participatory rural appraisal is a technique deployed by people especially those working with development agencies, Non-Government organizations or education practitioners to incorporate viewpoints of the rural communities that they choose to work with. It is often seen that we have inherent biases when we incorporate pointers regarding issues of their concern besides lack of knowledge on the particular arena and no one better than the recipient themselves to talk of the same. The…