Our Approach is the Village Earth model employs a new approach to development . It is a bottom-up approach in contrast to the traditional hierarchical, top-down approach

Participatory, Village-Based Development:

The village or community is the basic unit of planning and action. Village priorities must be decided by the villagers and not by an outside authority. Only when village residents direct their future will they own it. And only then will they be able to manage the development process that will bring them out of poverty. This is accomplished by providing leadership so that the villagers:

• Express their hopes and aspirations for the future
• Identify and analyze the problems which stand in the way of achieving these hopes and aspirations
• Find solutions to the problems with the help of the Service Center staff
• Carry out the solutions and then operate and maintain the mechanisms to achieve them

Participatory involvement by all stakeholders in the village is vital in creating a positive development climate. Participation is the key to human motivation. Villagers must have the opportunity to participate and have ownership in the decisions affecting their lives. Women must be empowered to play significant roles in improving village life. Youth need to express their hopes and dreams for the future and see them materialize through their own efforts and actions. Community elders must contribute their wisdom in shaping the directions of village life. Each village that supports full participation of its members is ready for project participation.