“He is the happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home” ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

This week and next are mainly taken up by house visits. I'm going with my promoters to their homes, so they can practice doing the census. It's all images of course, because most of them can't read, they simply have to mark the box that most resembles the house they are visiting.

For example, the roof, is it lamina, adobe or block. There are three images. They have to mark the on that looks the most like what the family has.

Therefore this week I am going to the houses of the promoters, I've divided them up into groups of about three people who live near one another, and together we're going to go over the census for their house, seeing if any of them live in poor conditions. Those who do will be receiving projects, those who don't will not.

The idea is for them to then go out into their community and do the census to their neighbors and friends and find out those with the most need in their communities. The difficult thing will be making sure they don't just go to the homes of those related to them, ensuring projects for their friends and family. But I've been reiterating the fact that this project is FOR the community as a whole, and I keep reminding them, that by bettering their community will help them in the long run and I hope it sinks in.

I just have trouble finding the balance point of where do I step in and take over, without taking the project out of their hands. I want the promoters to feel as though this is their project, they have to work for what they are receiving, and what the community will receive, I'm not going to swoop in, do projects and swoop out, like so many NGOs have done before. I want them to feel in control, like they have important choices to make about this project. It is because of that, that I think I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt, and let them be in charge of the initial batch of recipients. Obviously, I will re-visit all the houses recommended and if there is no need there, they will not a receive a project.