DFID funding from the Programme Partnership Agreement (PPA) was used from 2011 to help reduce the risk of disaster and build people’s resilience in 18 communities in the West Bank.
The conflict context in oPt is a challenging environment in which to build resilience. It required the development and maintenance of strong, trusting relationships between communities and our partners (YMCA and PARC) to implement the programme.
How we helped
Christian Aid partners supported and accompanied communities to prioritise and address the risks they faced through the use of Participatory Vulnerability and Capacity Assessments (PVCA) and community action plans, along with training in areas such as advocacy, rights and accountability.
Community groups gained the skills and confidence to directly implement projects to tackle a variety of risks, and to advocate for support from local authorities and other organisations.
Examples of these included the use of climate-resilient crops, rights training and protection, protection committees to coordinate community responses in emergencies and preparedness and early warning system plans to mitigate the risks of floods.
The programme developed... the status of women in the village. With due respect to the men we proved that we can do a lot for our village.
The impact
Community feedback showed that group activities strengthened their collective power to manage their risks. It also supported our partners to be confident that the projects they were implementing were grounded in community priorities.
Community groups worked together to secure funding for projects, including road building and small business development.
Some communities even took control of projects already being implemented, demanding oversight of beneficiary targeting processes.
Women found the participatory nature of the projects an empowering experience, feeling more able to play a key role in community decision making and lead on project activities.