Community engagement

We involve all stakeholders in all decision-making and invite all community members wo might be affected by projects to community meetings to ensure that there is no misunderstandings. It should be noted that we explicitly expect communities to contribute to the success of projects - be it through digging a well themselves, providing bricks when preschools are built, or taking care of planted trees. 

WfZ is known to be able not only to implement projects but as as well to support them after the initial successful implementation. This means, we do not only install the Zoë-pumps but we also maintain and service them. The same goes for preschools and education projects. We support projects on the long run and the communities are aware of it. Community members value this ongoing support highly and are keen to participate in learning opportunities.

From our experience we highly recommend to be mindful to have some reserves left to maintain projects over a long period of time and to assume that it takes the community some time to get accustomed to manage projects themselves effiiciently. Only then can charitable work coming from outside into a community become successful and truly sustainable