A FEW BASIC LESSONS LEARNED

Designing a project that involves the alleviation of poverty is always a difficult task. When setting out, it is always important to first ask, what is it we are trying to accomplish. What is our mission?
If you are working to alleviate poverty then your overall mission should be that goal, the elimination of poverty. Ask yourself, then, at the design stage, is my project going to accomplish this goal? And if the answer is yes, then describe how.

Too often, people who have newly encountered extreme poverty feel overwhelmed and the projects that are developing although well intentioned, are wasteful of our limited resources. It is important to remember that, as Rotarians, we do have limited resources and we need to get the best bang for our buck.

Projects need to be designed so that the outcomes are able to be replicated by the users. Ask yourself, as you design your project, "If we implement this project well I have to come back in five years and redo or replace it?" Let's say you drill a deep well and install a $2,000 USD pump that will last for five years. Who will pay for it when it needs replacing? These are issues that a successful poverty alleviation project must address in order to appropriately utilize our resources to reach the ultimate goal.