By Peter Mason | Executive Director
Greetings everyone,
As October has finally arrived we have great news. Edge of Seven has made the final transfer of funds to our partners in Nepal to finish the three school buildings that we have been working on. It may seem strange to discuss how our finances work, but we wanted to peel back the curtain a little bit on how international development works to help to educate on why our principles are so important.
Why are there different "transfers" (aka tranches)?
Because we have a principle called "transfer power" we are attempting to put as much control into the hands of the partners we work with on the ground and then have them ultimately train, coach, mentor and support the local communities where we work. We work hard to ensure that each community has a School Building Committee that has the power to take control of their own projects and take care of their needs. This principle moves us toward empowering outcomes with the community because we are giving money, power, control to them.
But we also combine this idea of "transfer power" with the principle of "learn". We have to learn as do our partners and the community as well. These learning moments happen everyday, every week, all the time. And building projects or implementing programs is no different. We use the different "transfers" of money as distinct opportunities to learn how things are going. Pictures, stories, anecdotes and even reports on how money was spent, what is going well and what can be improved are necessary so that we are all paying attention to this project -- and the next -- and the next -- over time.
Looking at these projects and programs over time is how we describe part of our principle of "focus on generations." This principle helps us to think (and act) with the idea that every project/program is looking to be a powerful force of change in a rural community for the great granddaughters of the girls who are there now. Great Granddaughters. Think about that. We want to AFFECT the community that far out. It forces us to make decisions not for the now, but for the future. And that's a powerful thing. Some people pay lip service to "sustainability" as if just saying the word makes it happen. We know that you have to think, debate, choose, decide, and act on principles that create sustainability as an emergent property not a "goal."
So we're learning every moment and this was one of them. We got our reports and pictures and stories that helped us to understand where we stand on three different school buildings. We know that we have some finish work to complete, the electrical system in the school and install the furniture. We learned far more than those little facts though. We're working to transfer power to the community. We're focusing on future generations. And we know that every penny we spend is a gift from you, our donors that must be cared for, stewarded and turned into far more than four walls and a roof. We are building communities as much as buildings. We're building a strong organization. We're building a practice and method that will survive far into the future.
To learn more about our principles: http://www.edgeofseven.org/our-approach-2/our-model/
Our event this year is all about Future Generations: We call the event Great Granddaughters, because that's how we're looking at the world: http://2016edgeof7.eventbrite.com If you'd like to also contribute to our silent auction you can do so here: www.auctria.com/auction/Eo72016
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