Resources

This 30 minute video explores the complexities of poverty from the perspectives of poor people themselves. It reveals that although the experiences of poor people vary widely by location and situation, there are significant commonalties in the way poor people describe their lives: sense of powerlessness and voicelessness; precariousness of their livelihoods and lack of security; isolation, humiliation, and lack of connections to resources and opportunities; and gender inequality. The result is a 'domino effect' of disadvantages and inequalities, all of which make it difficult for poor people to escape the hold of poverty. The video introduces viewers to people who are challenging these obstacles, and initiatives that are helping to empower the poor, make their lives more secure, and give them access to greater opportunities. Some of the examples depicted in the video is NIDAN, an Indian NGO empowering women to get micro credit loans to set up their own businesses; the 1997 Universal Primary Education reform in Uganda, now giving access to education to all children in the country; a research project in India giving poor people access to IT; community-based health care in favelas in Brazil; Medica, an NGO-run centre for therapy for women subject to domestic violence in Bosnia; womenÆs police stations in Brazil faciltating women to report sensitive crimes such as rape and domestic violence; the work of a community organisation in the poor community Sacadura Cebral, Brazil, influencing government to improve public services and housing.

This article is the last in a series of four. Each looks at one step in the evaluation and planning process: description, investigation, analysis and decision (see Kenyon 1983). Participation in all steps is the ideal. This paper looks at decision. Three sections look at decisions about changes to address needs or problems; strategy decisions and deciding among alternative strategies; and evaluation decisions, or the measurement of results against objectives. Examples are drawn from projects in a number of countries, illustrating processes of community participation in decision making and the use of visual representations in assisting the making of decisions.