Examples from Liberia and a Refugee Camp

By: Mauricio L. Miller, Center for Peer-driven Change

What is unique about “Peer-driven Change, PDC, is that once catalyzed,?improvements continue naturally, passed on peer to peer.?Once there is a sense of mutuality and community, then successful efforts are shared and become the expectations even for future generations.?We see that all the time in communities that share some kind of affinity, -- church, language, lifestyle, friendships.?Where the sense of community is tight and there are even some successful role models, success is more possible for all.

?The two examples below depict that even in the worst of circumstances, when people develop a strong sense of community, they help one another and move forward together.?

?Lessons from Liberia:?(second poorest country in 2019)

In Liberia almost all of those enrolled in our project there were small farmers, petty vendors selling on the street or open markets where they rent a stall.?Some would fish or sell fish and some casual laborers.?On average those enrolled made less than $2 per day and worked independently.?

?The one big change for those seeking to join our PDC project there was that they first had to recruit a bunch of their friends and they would all enroll together.?That group would be their support system since we only have a part time local liaison on the ground in most sites.?Social networks are a key to success since people support and learn from each other.

?Studies have shown that in any group of people there are always?positive deviants, those that though facing the same circumstances as others, somehow find some steps forward.?The tighter the community, the more people will follow those positive examples or be inspired to also innovate a step forward.?

?This happened in Liberia where groups shared ideas and even collaborated.?As the sense of community grew, so did earnings. Average earnings more than doubled after one year and increased by close to 300% after two years.?But in a PDC initiative there is also an expectation that you pay your individual success forward by helping others and improving the community.?We wanted to learn how they would go about improving their own lives and indicated that if they came up with really viable businesses or community projects, we would encourage donors to invest in their resident led efforts.?It was similar to how Princeton encouraged their students to be creative and strive when I was teaching there.

?I wasn’t sure what would happen but the challenge to have a broader impact inspired even more effort from participants.?Last year some groups began self-organizing around issues that concerned them.??One group of 10 decided to help a village whose water well was contaminated.?It wasn’t that they knew how to do it but like we would do, they found an expert to advise them and put a budget together.?They along with the villagers invested some of their own time and money and began the project.?Towards the end we were able to get donors to help them with $1,600 to purchase the needed handpump.?With that investment from us the project finished ahead of time and several hundred villagers had clean water.?Now that same group wants to clean up two more wells and again they are willing to donate some of their own funds.?Chris, our liaison verifies the projects and expenditures.

?Recently a mother and daughter visited Liberia and wrote:

“We recently had the distinct pleasure of visiting the CII Families in Liberia, West Africa.… They are not waiting for programs anymore.??As a collective, these groups have become the leaders that they have been waiting for. They?are?developing and leading such projects as providing safe, clean, drinking water for their communities, purchasing land together to build bakeries, developing waste management systems and so much more. As individual business owners they are manufacturing cinder blocks,?expanding a health clinic?and pharmacies that are stocked with more supplies?than the local hospital, just to name a few businesses.??These Liberian families have evolved into their own humanitarian organizations, assembling themselves to be self-reliant using their own resources, energy and cultural spirit.”??-- Naimah and Sarauniya Zulu

?Each success, called positive deviations in academic studies, prompts even more groups to self-organize and we have recently received proposals for 6 more projects in the Buchanan and Paynesville areas.?It is important that we, the outsiders, honor their efforts and help them to get their projects done.?We will be starting a “Let’s get it done!” campaign to support these resident led efforts.

?Refugees

As we share the efforts by the families in Liberia it is fascinating to see how easily new communities take on similar behaviors and initiative.?We helped start a PDC initiative in the Rwamwanja refugee camp in Uganda.?Working with the local provider, AVSI, the participants enrolled with people they knew.?Just as in Liberia the groups have begun to turn to one another and have become closer.?Our liaison, Wilson, in Rwamwanja noted:

?“At the start, though members knew each other they would just meet as a group of individuals.?But when you see them in a meeting today, they interact as very close friends and peers”.??– Wilson Rwamugabo

?And as in Liberia, there is a correlation between the strengthening of community, the sharing of positive ideas and an upward swing in earnings.?After a year in the project earnings almost doubled and now, in less than two years average earnings have increased over 300% with more than 15% of their ventures showing increases of over 800%.?Wilson, as in most sites, is currently verifying this self-reported data, but acknowledges that it is likely correct.

?But even more fascinating is that just as in Liberia the Rwamwanja participants have begun forming groups to develop projects or businesses that can have greater impact.?We will share those in future postings and again hope that you as readers gain some lessons from their efforts and you can backstop their efforts.

?These projects are being coordinated by the?Center for Peer-driven Change.?You can see the resident led projects on the?Mutuality Platform?which is our online platform that includes elements of GoFundMe, Facebook and LinkedIn.?We have a current focus on Africa and you can support the resident efforts there by donating to the?Africa Self-Help Fund.

?Please share these postings.?If you have questions or comments please contact Marie:??[email protected]

The background of PDC

A number of recent books refer to the Alternative and the basic philosophy behind it.?Learn more in the updated book.?We have a current focus on Africa so please donate to the?Africa Self-help Fund.?If you make a donation to any of the family led projects you can get a free copy in pdf that you can share.?

To purchase the updated version that outlines the future of PDC you can get it on????AMAZON

* A Spanish translation in pdf is available upon request:?[email protected]

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