Taking sides with the poor and uprooted communities at grassroots levels:
We believe that injustice can be eradicated only when women and excluded communities are able to take charge of their lives and claim their rights. We do this with a bold prophetic voice and work with a wide range of social grassroots women groups, men networks, youths and children both in schools and communities, through education, training and transfer of skills, awareness creation, sensitization, advocacy, alliance building and partnership. This is to ensure responsibilities of local and community leadership to promote protect and respect the rights of vulnerable communities (IDPs and war affected) within their setting even at family and household levels. Our grassroots structures ranges from Village, Parish, sub-county up to district and national levels.
A rights-based approach:
The focus of all our work is to ensure that the rights of women and excluded communities are respected, promoted, protected and fulfilled. We also draw attention to the responsibility of the local leaders and district representatives, government and other powerful institutions in regards to the rights of women and their participation in all of our programs.
Partnerships and alliances:
We shall work in close partnership with bigger institutions and international non-governmental organizations. This will help us to maximize our contribution towards improving human rights of the vulnerable communities and also eradicating poverty while complementing others efforts. Learn more in our Partnerships section.
Acting locally and globally:
The causes of poverty and injustice often reside outside the immediate areas where the worst symptoms are found. We therefore act against poverty and promote women’s and human rights at local levels in rural communities. We derive legitimacy and authority to pursue our national and international advocacy work from our experience at grassroots levels and our relationships and support from the people and communities we work with. We shall always aim to achieve coherence and connectedness between our actions at different levels of societies.
Collaborations with communities:
GWED-G created grassroots structures and community GBV working groups already within the areas of operations. GWED-G also has a network of over 1000 people right from grassroots levels. This network encourages ownership at the community level and is comprised of women groups, men groups, youth groups, parent support groups, Rapid Action Teams, and Human Rights Volunteers.
GWED-G work is always based on the expressed needs of the vulnerable community, and only after the need/request has been voiced by the community itself. Once such request or needs assessment is conducted, GWED-G holds meeting with the beneficiaries and also refer to secondary data and the opinion of stakeholders. On this basis, it is determined if the project proposal is feasible, and if so, the proposal is prepared and forwarded to potential funding organizations. If funding is secured, then the project plan and activities are prepared with the input and assistance of beneficiaries within the specified project areas. The monitoring team is composed of the Project Manager, community representatives, district officials and often representatives from the funding institutions. As the project comes to an end, an exit strategy is developed and the communities and their local representatives are assisted to under go their own efforts in leveraging government support for effective sustainability with frequent follow-up by GWED-G leadership.
