Practical Notes Empowerment at village level through a workshop method

Abstract

This article describes the activities and lessons learned of a 2-day workshop held in Sheikhupura District in Punjab, Pakistan. The project aim was to strengthen primary health care and to include the community in health development. The pilot program established Village Health Committees (VHCs) to promote local participation. Villagers decided that VHCs should be representative of the community. The community elected traditional birth attendants, teachers, holy men, and village activists. Workshops were held with VHCs in order to provide basic concepts of community awareness, organization, and development. Each workshop included 3-4 VHCs. Groups were comprised of up to 6 people. Workshops were held near villages and had access to lavatories. The workshop aims were identified throughout individual sessions and linked with each other. Facilitators kept discussions relevant, objective, and interesting. Participants introduced each other, which provided an opportunity to establish comfort and trust. Initial discussions centered on health issues that were introduced as interrelated. The health system issues was related to the village situation. Participants were asked to develop a health system model. The aim of the sessions was to reinforce the importance of the role of community. An exercise was conducted to illustrate the importance of dialogue and collective work. Participants discussed the nature of community organization and means of development, threats to the village, and empowerment. The workshops created awareness of the process of community involvement in development and were ongoing.