Blog

Our blogs are written by our volunteers in each country to give you a flavour of what life is like on our programmes. Filter by Country, Programme and Subject/Theme to find out more.

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How to mobilize a community for an Action Day

Our team of ICS team leaders and volunteers based in Kiswanya have successfully organised two Community Action Days since arriving in the village 7 weeks ago! Our second Action Day took place last weekend and focused on food hygiene and speaking to the women of Kiswanya about safe cooking practices.

May 17, 2017
Families at the Heart of the Community

The International Day of Families is observed on the 15th of May every year and reflects the importance the international community attaches to families. The International Day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families.

Words and photos by Marie.

May 15, 2017
The importance of SWASH lessons with Charlie 2

Construction in Kanga village is making great progress with the foundations of our first pit having already been laid and pit two soon to be completed. Although a large focus is placed on construction of the sanitation facilities, the sessions around raising awareness of good health, hygiene and sanitation practices is vital to ensuring long-lasting behavioural change in the village. We interviewed the head teacher of Kanga Primary School to find out his views on the impact of the SWASH (School, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) lessons at the school and in the wider community.

Words and photos by Charlie 2.

May 9, 2017
Spotlight on: Mlanje women’s group

Here in Mlanje, Charlie 1 is making every effort to reach women within the community with our WASH (Water Sanitation and Hygiene) programme. Women in Mlanje are the main care-givers (to the young, elderly and sick), food preparers, water collectors, as well as being farmers. This is why it is crucial that we are able to raise awareness with women within the community on safe and hygienic practices associated with food preparation, water treatment and storage with the aim of reducing the risk of disease.

Words and photos by Charlie 1.

May 6, 2017
Dreams becoming reality in Msanyila

Working on Raleigh’s ICS project Livelihoods means seeing people’s dreams become reality. Our two groups of young entrepreneurs from Msanyila have been attending training sessions for over a month now, and have made good progress towards their goal of establishing a business.

Words and photos by Mwajabu Mbaga and Zuzka Majcova.

May 6, 2017
Charlie 2 mark Earth Day with an Action Day

To mark Earth day on the 22nd of April, we (Charlie 2) hosted a community action day where we welcomed over 550 people from Kanga and its neighbouring sub-villages. They day was a huge success and we were pleased to see the community engaged and receptive to the project.

Words and photos by Charlie 2.

May 6, 2017
That’s the Business! Business Model Canvas with Echo 6 in Igowole

The Business Model Canvas (BMC) is a tool for recording all the important information needed to start up a business on to one page. It involves nine key areas: customers, customer relationships, channels, value propositions, key activities, key resources, key partners, costs and revenue streams. BMC is important because it can help to simplify all the complexities of a traditional business plan and help focus on the important aspects that are driving any business. Additionally, it provides flexibility which makes it easier to tweak and change things on one single page.

Words and photos by echo 6.

May 5, 2017
A fantastic phase one: an update from Charlie 5 in Kiswanya

When we arrived in Kiswanya Village over five weeks ago, greeted by the overwhelming spectacle of hundreds of children singing and dancing, Kiswanya was a very different place. There was limited understanding of good hygiene practices within the community and construction of the primary school eco latrines had only just begun.

Words and photos by Charlie 5.

May 3, 2017