OWNERSHIP

When supporting development assistance projects, in the past, the 'donor' in the Netherlands would determine what should be done with the money. The result of this was often that projects were not 'carried' by the local people themselves. The priorities and working methods of the people and the organisation at the location were insufficiently incorporated in the project.
The core of this matter is also the root of the problems with the current drinking water system in Ambalgan. In 1980, it was built by an external aid organisation, which left as soon as the system was completed. This resulted in the people not feeling particularly accountable and for them not having been trained to maintain the system in a sustainable manner.

The ideal project results in activities that are ultimately continued independently by the local people, without 'outside' support. This can only be successful when the project is not devised for them, but by them, and their working methodologies and priorities create the foundation for the project right from the very start.

TAYTAYAN'S VISION

In verschillende uitgangspunten komt het streven naar ownership bij Taytayan tot uitdrukking. In various basic assumptions, the pursuit of ownership is expressed at Taytayan. For that reason, Taytayan will not take the initiative to start a project in a specific community; the people themselves have to approach Taytayan with a request. Only once the people feel the need to request help from an external organisation, will an initial healthy foundation be created for further collaboration.
Furthermore, Taytayan's vision is to facilitate the development of the communities. It will guard against colonizing: in other words, it does not want to put the people in a straightjacket devised by an external party (i.e. by Taytayan or a donor). The main reason for this is that experience shows that only projects that the people themselves have thought up, in which they themselves have made the important decisions right from the very start, have a chance of succeeding in the long term.

CAPACITY BUILDING

Part of a sustainable approach involves fostering solid organisations. This is because solid organisations will be able to resolve problems themselves. That is the goal of capacity building. This could be achieved by training individual people, improving the way in which organisations function and improving the collaboration with other local organisations. The purpose of this project is to train local people in such a way that they are able to be self-reliant in a healthy organisation, which fits within the local culture. Because Taytayan's local team consists of people from the same culture, they already have a place in the village. This creates a good foundation on which to build a healthy organisation.

You can read more about Capacity Building and Ownership in the NCDO brochures about: Ownership and Capacity Building