IMC Weekend School
IMC Weekend School
Permacultura
Young Black Leadership
RD&YTI
RD&YTI
Acid Survivors Foundation
TANA
Ekonom Shop
Waste Management in Brasil
photos: d.o.b foundation & Nadia van Emmerik (IMC)
Some 'Old School' Projects
Nowadays d.o.b foundation focuses on a limited number of projects that have a potentially large impact and can bring about structural change. Not that long ago, end 2005, we were still supporting around 120 projects in 26 different countries.
Our involvement with these projects has been ended or will be ending. Here you'll find a handful of projects that have produced or still bring on a positive change for many people, as many of the projects continue without us.
Nederland - IMC Weekend School
IMC Weekendschool in Amsterdam North offers children from disadvantaged areas extra courses in the Arts, science, music and social skills. Each Sunday the horizon of these children (10 to 14 years) broadens thanks to the effort of professional teachers. The children get personal attention and are stimulated to discover their talents and thus let their self esteem grow.
Albania - Permacultura: Information Centre and Market
In the northern hills of Albania there are many farmers with high quality organic products who have nowhere to sell their produce. Permacultura is an organization specialised in training and organizing farmers into cooperatives.
d.o.b foundation supported Permacultura in building a market place and information centre in the middle of the Shkoder. The farmers now get a good price for their products and an opportunity to find out about export possibilities and other relevant information for their business.
Brazil - Young Black Leadership
IBISS organizes courses for young leaders who want to work on the defence of human rights and look after the interests of the people in their neighbourhood.
In 2001 the course Young Black Leadership was started for a group of active youngsters. They wanted to know more about racism, social exclusion, and other social matters. That way they could get more insight into the position of the people who live in the favellas (slums).
The students, boys and girls from different (often rivalling) neighbourhoods, gain theoretical and practical knowledge, that enriches their political and cultural actions.
Among other things, the young leaders have contributed positively to the project Soldados nunca mais, in which child soldiers get a new opportunity.
India - Rural Development & Youth Training Institute
In India more than a million people belong to the lowest caste of the 'untouchables'. These are the rickshaw riders and toilet cleaners who, if they have no money to buy a brush, clean the toilets with their hands. In the city of Kota the local authorities were 'annoyed' by the begging and loaded more than 1000 families on open trucks. Many dozens of kilometres into the desert they were dumped like waste, without food or means of existence.
Jambu Kumar Jain established the "Rural Development & Youth Training Institute" in Kota. He taught the people in the desert to choose their leaders and how to have meetings and negotiate. He drilled wells for safe drinking water and taught them how to grow vegetables and keep cows and goats.
With the financial support of d.o.b foundation Jambu also realized a 'revolving fund': a system of micro credit. In the desert dozens of small cooperations of farmers and cattle-breeders appeared. Nowadays they work closely together in larger associations, focused on successfully marketing their manifold products in the city of Kota.
Uganda - Acid Survivors Foundation
This project supports victims of acid violence. Acid Survivors Foundation provides medical, social, legal support and counselling to survivors. A pressure garment manufacturing unit has also been set up. These are the garments also worn by burns victims, that help prevent the development of hard scar tissue. The unit is run by acid survivors themselves. Advocating the creation and enforcement of laws against sales and distribution of acid is also part of the work of the Foundation.
Suriname - Foundation Towards a New Alternative (TANA)
TANA Foundation in Suriname supports young people who have dropped out of school. TANA provides prevocational training where students are guided in possibilities and preparation for them to find a job. They receive training in motivation, making choices and cognitive and social skills.
Kazan - Ekonom Shop
In Kazan, Tartastan d.o.b foundation has invested in the growth of a chain of pharmacies. Economic development was stimulated and part of the profit flows through to social projects, one of which is day care for children with a mental disability or children of refugees from Chechnya. The elderly, disabled and unemployed receive a discount on medicines and other products.
Waste Management in Brasil
In 2001 d.o.b foundation and partners ROVA and IBISS have, together with the local government of São Gonçalo set up a project including the following goals:
- Improve the working conditions of the ‘catadores’ (garbage collectors).
- Raise income of workers on the dumping site.
- Boost public private partnership.
- Bring about savings in expenditures for the local council by logistic and organizational improvements in the field of garbage removal.
- Raise awareness of local council and population in the area of environment and removing and processing of garbage, also on behalf of health care.
Read here about the village of Dabbe in Mauritanië. Where it seemed hopeless, hope was created by the people themselves.