Community capacity building involves developing and strengthening the skills, abilities and resources that organizations and communities need to survive, adapt, and thrive.
Loom is convinced Local Experts know more about their own context than we do. Local Experts work with integrity and passion, bringing hope and change in their community—the place they know best. What they often lack are resources, training and relationships with people who believe in them and give them tools to succeed on a larger scale. Therefore, we invest in them, in their leadership, and in their ability to transform their community in lasting ways. Our greatest hope is that one day they will have everything they need to successfully work without us. That is the heart of capacity-building. Whether it is using our own tools, or training in cooperation with other organizations, we will research and do the work to offer the Local Expert the right resources for their specific situation.
This past month, Janna, Colleen and Portia traveled to Rwanda to lead a ReGenerate which is a consultation with Local Experts from around the region. Our goal is to listen and learn about what areas they feel the greatest need for capacity building in the coming years and how Loom can assist in this.
By working with these world-changing leaders so their organizations can “survive, adapt, and thrive,” we will see their vision and work multiplied into greater community strength and resiliency. This will in turn equal more schools, jobs, and opportunity for vulnerable women and children in these communities. Acorn by acorn, seeds are being planted–and these communities will reap the benefits for years to come.
