CEPAD hosted the Development Model Forum and invited community leaders from past and current communities that have worked with CEPAD.

After presenting CEPAD’s current development model, leaders from past communities were able to share their experiences. Each Community Development Committee (CDC) advocates for their own needs and ideas. Community needs can vary from road repair, bridge construction, latrine systems, health centers, potable water projects, and more.

After graduating from CEPAD leadership development programs, many communities find creative ways to advance themselves. It could be internationally exporting their excess produce, working with the local government to improve community infrastructure, digging wells, and more.

Each community’s experience is different, so leaders were able to share about what has worked for them, and how their community is doing now.

The new leaders who attended are only in year 2 of CEPAD’s 5-year program, so they still have so much to learn. By hearing from others in different regions of the country allows them to dream big for what their own community can do, and how they can start now.

It was so encouraging for us to see these leaders gather together to share information, get to know new people, and learn how they can better their communities.