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THE PALM APPROACH: Strengthening Communties

PALM Foundation’s unique holistic and participatory approach to community development is the result of more than 15 years’ experience working with the people in Sri Lanka’s tea plantations, neighboring villages, and, as of 2005, several eastern districts.

Rather than isolate a particular community need, such as potable water or functioning latrines, PALM recognizes that such programs are connected not only to each other, but to broader issues like sanitation, health education, natural resource management, and active community decision making in the development process.

PALM recognizes that in order for a project to be sustainable, community members must be more than mere “beneficiaries.” As primary stakeholders, they must also be decision makers, bookkeepers, coordinators, and contributors.

COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS (CBOs):

The building block of the PALM development process is the Community Based Organization. CBOs begin as small working groups supported by PALM’s field-based Social Mobilizers.

As participants become accustomed to meeting, planning, finance management, and other activities, they take on more responsibility and autonomy, with the eventual goal of self-sufficiency and full withdrawal from PALM. The process usually takes 4–5 years.

OUR PROGRAMS:

PALM’s activities are organized into four sectors. The Social Mobilization and Training Program lies at the core of PALM’s community empowerment process and is responsible for forming and supporting community based organizations on their road to autonomy.

The Infrastructure Development Program assists in the design and implementation of house construction, drinking water schemes, latrine building, and vocational training, satisfying prime basic needs.

The Empowerment Support Education Program focuses on health, gender, human rights, and child development activities. ESEP also runs peace-building and elders support programs, and addresses vital, oft-neglected issue like alcoholism, domestic violence, and sexual harassment.

The Natural Resource Management Program promotes water source (catchment) protection, waste management, and organic agriculture practices.

Read more about PALM's program achievements.