Partner Focus
BridgIT engages with specially selected community-based organisations (CBOs) on our water projects focusing on rural areas. All our international partners have evidenced that they can effectively implement, monitor and evaluate water projects.
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They have a proven history of successful outcomes and effectiveness in conducting activities within their target communities.
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They have a proven history of working closely with local communities and community leaders on past projects, ensuring stakeholders will take ownership of the entire project, from implementation to ongoing sustainability.
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Ability to monitor project progress, provide reports and the ability to negotiate restraints and manage conflict.
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Engage in community demand-driven projects and the nature of demand, involvement, and capacity of the targeted community, institution, stakeholders, or beneficiaries.
Community Focus
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The rural communities we serve are the most important water project stakeholders. Our CBOs hold public meetings and focus group discussions with community leaders and members with a community-focused approach. Discussions generally and overwhelmingly highlight significant water scarcity and the lack of water facilities.
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All sections of the community must be represented, including women. Public meeting discussions allow for village participation and guidance on the best location of the bore or well. Key stakeholders, including women, must agree on the entire community's placement, distribution, storage and usage representative.
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We ensure that communities with the highest need are selected and recommended to our funders. After receiving formal requests from community leaders outlining their water scarcity challenges, a site needs assessment ensues in collaboration with government bureaus to determine priority water scarcity areas.
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Our Partners engage with local companies, contractors and individuals, which directs money back into local economies.
Community members are educated on sustainability strategies, including their obligations and responsibilities, before construction begins and before their new water resource is handed over to them.
Community members are pre-engaged in a project's planning, implementation and monitoring stages to establish full community ownership. Village members must have established community contacts and village development committees to ensure those community stakeholders will take ownership of the entire project.
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Often the village focus will be providing water to village Schools and District Health Centres as these facilities are often the heart of the community and do not always have adequate water supplies.
Transfer and sharing of trade and associated skills within the community are essential to each project's success. In addition, during construction, communities actively contribute to providing food and accommodation to the installation team while they are on site.