International Development
Don Sawyer has more than 25 years experience administering community-based development projects in West Africa and the Caribbean, and has acted as project director for several Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)-funded projects in Ghana and The Gambia.
His primary focus in these projects has been on researching principles of participatory community development, and helping to build these into unique, experiential, culturally relevant programs – which he also co-facilitated with African counterparts – for the training of rural community development workers. Other NESA associates have worked in such areas as gender training, refugee services, literacy, entrepreneurial training, forest ecology, and organizational strengthening in developing countries around the globe.
Don Sawyer has more than 25 years experience administering community-based development projects in West Africa and the Caribbean, and has acted as project director for several Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)-funded projects in Ghana and The Gambia.
His primary focus in these projects has been on researching principles of participatory community development, and helping to build these into unique, experiential, culturally relevant programs – which he also co-facilitated with African counterparts – for the training of rural community development workers. Other NESA associates have worked in such areas as gender training, refugee services, literacy, entrepreneurial training, forest ecology, and organizational strengthening in developing countries around the globe.
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West African Rural Development (WARD) Centre
From 2000-2005, NESA associates worked with Gambian colleagues, NGOs and institutions to create the CIDA-funded West African Rural Development Center (WARD). Over that period, WARD developed into a thriving centre dedicated to research and grassroots development worker training. Through consultation with NGOs and a structured DACUM process with a group of experienced development workers that identified key development areas, a full 18-week, 350-activity training program was created that was widely regarded as the most effective in West Africa.
By the close of the CIDA project, nearly 500 development workers from across West Africa - most sponsored by NGOs who saw the value of the training in the enhanced performance of their employees - had completed one or more modules and more than 50 had successfully received the Rural Community Development Practitioner (RCDP) diploma. WARD also provided certificate programs and contract training services, field delivery, graduate support and participatory research. WARD was a finalist in the 13th Annual Canadian Awards for International Co-Operation and the subject of the award-winning Knowledge Network documentary, The Gambia: Communities in Action. To view the content of the RCDP program and a sample of instructional activities, click here. |
VIDEO: The Gambia: Communities in Action
Ghana Rural Animator Training (GRAT) Program
NESA associates developed unique, practical, culturally appropriate curriculum for the training of community development workers. Since its first delivery in 1998, more than 300 participants from Ghana and surrounding West African countries graduated with a GRAT certificate.
Gambia Rural Adult Instructor Training (GRAIT) Program
NESA associates led the training of Gambian rural community development workers from non-government and government organizations in practical instructional and community mobilization skills.
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