Transforming livelihoods through capacity building

EASUN-trained fieldworkers in Uganda discover that more is needed than top-down economics and technology

From 25-29 August, EASUN trained 25 fieldworkers of "Safe Neighbourhood" - a grassroots development organisation based in Budaka District, North Eastern Uganda. The course, known as FAF, equips fieldworkers with facilitation skills for creating movement and change by transforming perspectives and increasing people's ability to take psychological and physical risks. A first step in that direction is to transform the attitudes and self-perception of the facilitator, in relation to the communities that they serve.

Musisi, a field worker of Safe Neighbourhood, trains small farmers to adapt improved crop varieties and farming methods that will increase yields in tiny plots of land. Throughout the week of training, Musisi maintained that the poorest farmers were resistant to change, compared to the less poor who were "progressive" and willing to try new methods (including acquiring the necessary inputs). Musisi attributed the resistance of the poorer farmers to ignorance.

Importantly however, FAF introduced Musisi and others to a deeper understanding that links resistance to anxiety. This led the field workers to discover that those owning less resources will have higher levels of anxiety when it comes to changing known / tried methods. The poor, therefore, experience a genuine need to stay closer to long established mechanisms of coping, part of which are well crafted social and cultural practices that go beyond farming techniques. Their "resistance to change", therefore, might indeed be wisdom, or simply good economics.

Such discussions raised the critical issue of abilities of field workers to facilitate poor farmers to "see differently" and possibly develop the will to take entrepreneurial risks related to the new ways. How one goes about transforming personal frames of reference was the content of process techniques and intervention tools offered in the FAF training.

Musisi saw his real question on the last day of the module. "Trained as a teacher", he said, "I am usually driven by the assumption that I know what makes meaning for the people I train. Now I realize that with this attitude, I was conveniently characterizing as ignorant, all those who did not follow what I knew and taught."

The discoveries made by Safe Neighbourhood fieldworkers during the first module of FAF suggest that modern technology and economics will not work for poor farmers until field workers, advisers or trainers become competent facilitators of transformation. Any move to bring about technological or economic change enters the realms of social and culture change which, if they are to be sustainable, must grow from the bottom.

Science, technology and economics used in an extremely top-down manner and therefore, on their own, fail to be effective agents of the transformation. Without relevance and context, these change agents cannot move the poor out of the cycle of poverty - particularly where up to 60% of the populations are lacking in basic formal education.
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The "self" as a tool for working with poor communities

(NOTE: "Self" in this case refers to how a facilitator manages his / her attitudes, knowledge and leadership in relationships with others.)

Between 11-15 August 2008, two EASUN staff visited four organisations whose fieldworkers had attended FAF training in 2007 and early 2008. Seventeen fieldworkers in the Northern Tanzanian towns of Himo and Moshi shared their stories of growing facilitation practices since they were trained by EASUN in the last eight to 12 months.

Maro's story of change: Maro works for MKUKI, an HIV/AIDS support organisation in rural Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania, where he teaches auto mechanics to orphaned teenagers. As a teacher, he took pride in his knowledge as his personal property and was often reluctant to share all that he knew. He easily dismissed students with poor grades as simply not being bright enough and never examined his approach to teaching in relation to their performance.

Maro completed FAF course in January 2008. In the training itself, Maro felt particularly supported by the facilitators to engage in conversations that he ordinarily would have opted out of because they were, in his opinion, for the learned of this world. Specific reflective processes enabled Maro to change how he saw things. He was now able to perceive a connection between his teaching style, student engagement and ultimately, grades. He recognized that with a little creativity, he could also teach his students to name all 42 parts of a diesel engine. He embraced the idea that there was indeed no poor student but rather one that needed a different approach to learning.

Eight months later, Maro's students had become more open to asking questions and their test scores shot up by 25%. The intake for the class of 2008/2009 hit a record high. Word had reached other aspiring students that auto mechanics was cool and the teacher was even cooler! Maro now allows his students to take responsibility for their own learning. Naming the 42 piece diesel engine has become a learning adventure. "My previous attitude to knowledge and learning was limiting my students performance", noted Maro. "My next class will be an exciting experiment with alternative approaches".

Maggie's new reflective practice: "I was always difficult and blunt with colleagues and partners alike. After FAF, I took on the practice of reflecting on attitudes and behaviour that hinder my effectiveness. I used to alienate community groups by working out their change as opposed to supporting them to work through it themselves."

Chacha "lets go" of the answer: "Letting go" are two short but powerful words. "I was terrified of going to community situations and not having answers for all their questions. I now embrace the idea that I don't have all the answers. Like magic, the community began to come forward with questions and solutions that were far more responsive to their situations."

Dan's new facilitation treasure: "As a new social worker, I was desperate for tools. After the FAF training, I realized it was my questioning techniques and lack of a systematic way of building on information that kept getting me stuck. Open questions and the action-learning model are my new best friends."

Mary's enhanced leadership: "The training built my confidence. I no longer necessarily refer tough client cases to senior social work colleagues. The new tools and approaches enable me to engage meaningfully with the communities I support."

Mollel is more purpose focused: "Since FAF, I keep seeking 'connection to purpose'. I always ask myself: 'Why am I doing this?', so that it's not about implementing my organisation's action-plan, but rather transforming communities."

Overall, EASUN's follow-up visits provided invaluable feedback on the impact of its training interventions on civil society development, especially in the areas of leadership and governance, as well as integration of practices that transform capacities for facilitating development in grassroots communities.

For more information and inquiries about training of your field workers in 2009 contact: edna.chilimo@easun-tz.org
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