Self-Help Groups (SHGs), a means of reaching rural women with savings and credit services, have taken off dramatically in India, where an estimated 25 million women are members. Their benefits are soc
Compendium of key publications, organizations, information sources and funding agencies for building improvement programmes. Over 100 selected publications and institutions.
It is generally believed that microfinance revolution was led by NGOs, donor agencies, and more recently banks who offer poor people financial services. But what can we learn from the ways that poor p
Despite significant innovations in rural microfinance over the years, millions of people around the world still do not have access to financial services. Can linkages and strategic alliances between f
This training manual is designed to assist organizations or individuals to facilitate the building of independent home-based worker organizations. Home-based working is defined as paid employment in t
· A practical handbook for activists, grassroots, and advocacy groups· Covers constituency building and the theory behind the practice· “a significant contribution to the growing international literat
Recent years have seen increased attention paid to all aspects of faecal sludge and septage management. This book is concerned with one aspect of safe management, treatment and the ways in which trea
Volunteer Voices is a guide for the critically minded volunteer and early career development worker. It is designed to help aspiring young change-makers engage with the complicated environment of inte
Volunteer Voices is a guide for the critically minded volunteer and early career development worker. It is designed to help aspiring young change-makers engage with the complicated environment of inte
Stepping Stones and Stepping Stones Plus is a training package designed to help trainers and community members organize a workshop with young and older women and men, separately and together, to explo
Stepping Stones with Children equips organizations and individuals with materials with which they can engage children affected by HIV and their caregivers, using powerful exercises to convey informati
Sanitation remains one of the biggest development challenges of our time, and a long-neglected issue associated with taboos and stigma. Despite growing attention and efforts, many top-down approaches
Small hydro power installations have the potential to provide a renewable supply of energy to people in remote, hilly communities, far from the national grid. This book is based on the authors' consid
Climate change is often framed as a problem that needs mainly technical and economic solutions.Climate Change and Gender Justice considers how gender issues are entwined with people’s vulnerability to
The devastating impact of disasters on the world’s population is on the increase, influenced by climate change, urbanization, and persistent high levels of poverty, among other factors. There is a gro
Responding effectively to humanitarian disasters is far from straightforward, and relief workers often find themselves working in competitive situations or at cross purposes with other agencies.Managi
An in-depth analysis of the small-scale mining sector in West Africa, this volume examines its link with poverty, economic contribution and the dynamics of its operations and dependent communities.In
Pre-2001 Afghanistan has been widely represented as 25 years of war and devastation, leaving a post-conflict reconstruction agenda to start with a clean state. This analysis has ignored the nature of
Safe drinking water near to the home and adequate household sanitation save poor households time, reduce illness and increase a sense of well being and dignity. Gram Vikas, a non-government organizati
This book was written at the request of many microfinance institutions that have been struggling with the sea-change currently underway in the industry, as it matures and moves towards a market-led ba
Practical Action has been introducing consensus-based planning approaches in villages that are poor even by Bangladesh standards, where 90% of people live under the poverty line and over 60% are illit
This book represents the first publication of the Regional Dialogue on the Information Society (REDIS-DIRSI), a regional network of leading researchers concerned with the creation and dissemination of
Successful fundraising provides more than financing. In asking for money, you tell people about the needs of your community and how your organization is meeting those needs. That can result in new don
Deals with the structure of the microenterprise sector, government policies towards microenterprises, informal credit markets, financial and technical services, institutional aspects and a review of t
This useful general survey describes the varieties and uses of stone as a building material - whether cut or field-stone - and how to extract, work and use it. A new chapter on stone and the environme
At the heart of effective irrigation lies the problem of lifting or pumping water. This handbook provides a detailed review of the water-lifting technologies available for irrigation, along with new
This book provides the first overview of organic cotton production, processing and consumption for everyone involved with cotton. Organic agriculture is gaining ground rapidly and organic cotton provi
