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How Training for Transformation changes communities -Some experiences from Zimbabwe
Ms. Ronah Mugadza, Head of the Civics Department of Silveira House
Extracted from ADEN Watch 1/2005
November 2005

Silveira House has been running Training for Transformation (T for T) workshops since 1985 when Anne Hope and Sally Timmel (the authors of the T for T books) introduced T for T in Zimbabwe. The method was introduced to both public sector and civil society organizations. However, many organizations did not institutionalize the methods because of its tendencies to question systems and bureaucratic structures that disempower the people. Silveira House is among the few organizations that have continued to use Training for Transformation as one of the approaches to work with local communities or with "grass root people".

Silveira House used T for T within their community development programme. One example of a successful T for T implementation is Chivi Ward 21 in Masvingo District. Chivi Ward is in natural region four which is known for receiving low rainfall. The area was viewed as remote because it has no good access roads. Before T for T and other methodologies were introduced, the community in Ward 21 had a record of annual hungers and many organizations were not interested to work with the communities. Members of the community had lost hope, as they felt marginalized when compared with other communities that received government support and services.

When T for T was first introduced into the community, there was apathy among the members. Many people were not interested in attending meetings and the few who attended did not participate in open discussions. Need assessments done through the door-to-door approach revealed that the community was engaged in innovative activities that helped them to increase their food security. They used ground water from sand rivers to irrigate their gardens. Further discussion indicated that there were gardening and farming groups in the community. However, the groups were not working well as the members were not motivated enough. After three years of T for T workshops and strengthening of gardening and farming innovations, the community improved from a drought prone to a drought resistant community.

The community became a model for fighting hunger and community organization. It also became a model community for T for T because many people visited the Chivi Ward 21 and also visited Silveira House to understand how T for T had changed not only people’s attitudes but also developed their self confidence. Because the community was receiving too numerous visitors, they decided to be organized in the way they manage their time. They introduced a register of appointments of visitors to the community.

The register helped them to balance their time between attending to visitors and doing fieldwork. The community is now a registered CBO with a bank account. They write their own proposals, their budget etc. and the ownership of the programme lies in their hands.

The work that was done in Chivi Ward 21 has since been replicated in other districts where food security activities have been implemented. In these programmes issues of justice, fairness and democracy are discussed and implemented as policies. People are no longer discriminated on the basis of status. The farmers have developed the confidence to challenge unfair and discriminatory government systems. Farmers who have done T for T are questioning practices that exclude them from participation in decision-making.

Note:
Silveira House started to create a new forum: Community-Community-Learning-Process. The idea is to connect grass root organizations that use the same driving force (T or T) and to animate them share their experiences and learn from each other through meetings and exchange visits as well as to document their experiences and lessons learnt. ADEN Secretariat will cooperate with Silveira House in this matter.

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