Community-Led Development
When a community partners with CWS, they are pulling themselves out of hunger or poverty. We're proud to be the toolbox they need to make sustainable change.
Throughout a CWS program, the community is at the helm. They weigh in on what their most urgent challenges are. As the program unfolds, CWS provides expert guidance, supplies and funding. Communities provide the time and effort to make the program successful. They care for shared gardens, help with construction, attend workshops, and mobilize their neighbors. When a new water system or other infrastructure element is finished, the community assumes responsibility for it.
When we invest in people who are vulnerable or under-served, they can fulfill their own goals.
The Movement for Community-Led Development
CWS has been a member of the Community-Led Development movement since 2015.
Learn more here.
Latest Updates
Fair water access promotes peace in Cao Binh, Vietnam
Most of the people who live in Cao Binh village are from the Tay ethnic group, Vietnam’s largest ethnic minority. The name of their village comes from its location in the mountains of northwest Vietnam: “Cao” means “high” and “Binh” means “flat.” So, it’s the flat area on a high mountain. Cao Binh’s residents use a small stream about a …
As Hardships Grow, so Does a Harmful Practice
In many cultures across the globe, female genital mutilation – or FGM – has long been practiced as a rite of passage marking the transition of girls to womanhood. It is often considered a necessary steppingstone to marriage and motherhood. On the contrary, FGM is now increasingly understood to be a painful, unnecessary tradition without medical benefits. Its harmful effects …
Household latrines help families in Indonesia stay healthy during Covid-19
Disaster struck the village of Balongga in Indonesia in September 2018. A massive earthquake–and the resulting tsunamis and land liquefaction–destroyed or badly damaged most houses here. Today, many families in Balongga still live in “temporary” shelters that organizations including CWS helped them build. They are meant to be an intermediate solution and have a couple of sturdy rooms in each …