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
Lessons from Yola: Don’t let your Limitations stop your Dreams
Yolanda Atri Neng Sae, who goes by Yola, is an only child. She lives with her parents in West Timor, Indonesia. Unfortunately, Yola has faced a lot of challenges in her life. When she was little, she was sick a lot. Her parents struggled financially, barely making a living by farming. They couldn’t afford to pay both medical bills and …
A new mushroom business means more hope for a family in Cambodia
For a long time, Choam Houn and her husband Soung Sophai struggled financially. They relied on farming to feed and provide for their three children. No matter how hard they worked, though, the challenges and bills kept coming. Sometimes they couldn’t afford to put food on the table or meet basic expenses. They also couldn’t afford to send their kids …
Bathrooms, better health and easier financial burdens in Cambodia
Kong Nen works hard to provide for her family. She’s a widow raising three sons between the ages of 5 and 15 years old. Because she doesn’t own any land, Nen works as a day laborer in her community in northern Cambodia. Unfortunately, it often hasn’t been enough. Nen’s oldest son dropped out of school to help support his mom …