Volume Six of the six-volume series explores the ways in which the shelter project increased the leadership abilities of community members while their homes were being rebuilt following typhoon Yolanda.
The series is jointly published by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN‐Habitat) and the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) in their effort to encapsulate the community and household partners’ experience with the People’s Process during their Post‐Yolanda Support for Safer Homes and Settlements project.
Introduction
Stories from the ground did not only prove the positive physical changes that the Post-Yolanda Support for Safer Homes and Settlements project brought to the partner communities. The project went beyond its main purpose and enriched the innate leadership skills in every community leader. Through the project’s highly participative approach, many community leaders were developed, while some of them have drastically improved. The capacity building activities, and the passionate coaching and mentoring from the community organizers, boosted the communities’ confidence in facing the difficulties and technicalities of the project.
The reluctant housewives of Pawa homeowners association (HOA), led by a fire survivor, Nora Verbo, have transformed into role models of women empowerment. These women successfully led and managed the construction process while their husbands worked as fishermen. Most of them can now confidently articulate the processes of people-initiated, DRR recovery to other groups who visit their community for learning exchange activities.
Long-time organization leaders learned new lessons in handling communities of diverse individuals. They were also able to pass on the skills and created new leaders within their community. Members of the Belle Village III HOA initiated pro- environment measures in their community as part of their mitigation initiatives against climate change. The once dormant communities are now active agents of change, taking the bigger leap towards resilience and sustainable development.
About the series
This publication series is an avenue to share the fruits of practicing People’s Process as it promotes strong relationships within the community and various bodies in the project, transforms communities even up until the household level, develops trust through a transparent financial mechanism, lays the groundwork for resilience and sustainability, and creates community leaders.
Through the stories of the people in this publication series, it is our hope that local governments, communities, and other stakeholders realize the viability and value of the People’s Process as an empowering principle and sustainable method of recovery and community development in their own localities or contexts.
Download here: People’s Process in Shelter Recovery: Creating Leaders
Date published: December 2015
Publication type: Project report
Or download the full 6-volume series here.
