Engagement needs logical thinking, but it results in pure magic.
looking online for what could be a good explanation of Community Engagement, I came upon this diagram
Most community related efforts and programmes are based on giving one of the following:
Awareness
Relief during disaster
Gifts to empower them in some profession
Surprise gifts such as celebrations
But such efforts cannot equal what some NGOs have done through community engagement.
The best NGOs (Non Governmental Organizatons) do what is explained in this diagram
They ENGAGE
They have conversations, enquire, consult, involve the community in their project directly, and help them collaborate among themselves and in government schemes.
They may have a particular issue in mind such as a certain aspect of health or livelihood. Or they might just try to customize the project as they move from one community to another.
Although the tone of this post is analytical, I am actually writing this because I am inspired; inspired by the work of Chanda Shroff and Shrujan in Gujarat.
Their work with the women of eight different tribes and the showcasing of their efforts in the Embroidery Museum is a class apart. In the middle of nowhere, unknown to the billion and odd Indians, there stands this elegant spacious structure which inspired me, it being the culmination of decades of painstaking effort.
