Development workers
Development worker Teclah Ponde (right) talking to Clayton Marambo (Zimbabwe). Photo © Marcus Perkins/Progressio
Development workers are the people who make Progressio work. We call them our Local Heroes.
They share their skills with local people and organisations to help them improve their lives. Of course, the people living in impoverished communities who strive, against the odds, to build better lives for themselves and their familes are the real heroes. But we like to think our development workers are heroes too: they don’t have to do this work, but they do it because they care.
The right people in the right place
Progressio development workers are experienced and professionally qualified specialists who offer skills, expertise and knowledge that is not available locally.
Before placing a development worker, we discuss with our partner organisations exactly what help and assistance can really make a difference. Then we go out and recruit exactly the person they need.
South-to-South skills exchange
Progressio development workers come from all over the world. In 2009, our development workers came from 38 different countries! Some come from Europe or North America. But more than half are themselves from the global South – be it Bangladesh or Bolivia, Malawi or Mexico, Ethiopia or Ecuador…
So they bring a real understanding of the challenges facing people in developing countries; and what is needed to overcome them. And they in turn go back to their own country enriched by the experience, with enhanced skills to tackle poverty and injustice at home and abroad now and in the future.
Transferring skills and knowledge
The key role of our development workers is to transfer their skills and knowledge to our partner organisations to help them achieve real, ongoing practical change for their communities. The success of our development work is measured by people and organisations being able to continue to work effectively after our development worker has finished his or her placement.
And it does not cost our partner organisations a penny. All our development workers are fully funded by Progressio – thanks to our generous funders and supporters.
