Working with underserved communities: Are we doing the right things in the right way? What role does culture and mindset play? Where do we/ would you invest in?

In all the years working with underserved communities I realized that long-lasting change in people’s life and in underserved communities needs more than the execution of single projects, programs or investments offered by private or public investors, organizations, single startups or companies.

More than anything else change is based on our all mindsets and the way how we collaborate, how we connect solutions to tackle basic needs in parallel at the same locations, the questions that drives us, the investments we think are the right ones.

Real change happens when underserved communities start to own solutions, when there is a way to become independent, when they have enough skills to empower themselves and can “discover”, influence and execute opportunities

…

Some months ago we have started the Cultural Exchange Club, a monthly online event where underserved communities in Kenya and India share with each other and with us about their traditions and values, what they like, how they live, what is important to them and how their culture looks. They share with each other – often with pride – about their way of doing, about sports and food habits, about celebrations and rituals, about beliefs and gestures.

The results of cultural exchange?
Just to mention a few:

• People start to talk about their values and learn about themselves this builds a lot of trust and community sense among them.
• They get in contact with similar communities in other parts of the world and see how they are/ look at life and daily challenge
• They get ideas and a lot of self confidence while presenting their culture to others
  -…and we can learn so much!

My/the main challenge?
Well, we are used to invest in specific activities and projects which are “tangible and measurable” (ideally with a visible before and after effect, with a certain number of people reached and structures built, with clear project plans and ROI.
Highly rated in our own countries and somehow trendy. This includes e.g. all digital and technical solutions
Don’t get me wrong. Good project plans and technical solutions are fully ok and highly needed. But it is just one site of many and not enough.
There is for me this big question if we do the right things in the right way? If we invest in the right things, in the right solutions and locations and the right sequence that fits to our beneficiaries? If we really put the underserved communities in the focus and of not, what is it that hinders us? If we do it together With the communities or just For them…
I would love to get your feedback!