Thank you for reaching out to us. Actually, we think you have already taken your first steps, just by stating your wish to re-invigorate your organization. That’s because without your intention, and your desire, nothing else can happen! So please give yourself credit for that.
Because we don’t know much about the sanitation problem in your particular community, or your past history of involvement, we are not able to offer specific detailed advice. But we can share some general thoughts for your consideration:
* First, take a fresh look at the problem you face. Since you may have been away from it for a while, you can look at it with fresh eyes. What are the key things that need doing, or the key actions that need to be taken?
* Then, given those actions, what might you actually be able to accomplish with the time you have available? There’s almost always something one can do. But how can you use your time most effectively? What you do could be small, and that’s okay, for that will give you a start, and serve as a building block for bigger steps.
* Since you mention lack of funding, you could act by joining an existing organization, whether public or private, as a volunteer. At the same time, you could also keep an eye out for funding opportunities that may exist now or are likely to exist in the future.
* Doing some research should also be valuable. Can you learn about what other communities have done when faced with a similar situation? And can you borrow or adapt some of their solutions in your own community?
* At around this point, it would be helpful as well to find a small group of others to work with you. Working together with others will help take some of the load off of you, give you ideas you might not otherwise have thought of, allow others to contribute their particular strengths, provide practical and emotional support, and also help build relationships, which can be satisfying in their own right. That adds up to many advantages.
There’s more involved of course, but we hope this will give you a start. In addition, some sections in the Community Toolbox may help you further, in particular the sections within Chapter 19, “Choosing and Planning Community Interventions.” Take a look if you can.
We hope these starting thoughts have been helpful to you. If you follow through, we think you will find the work both engaging and challenging. And you may be able to help create something that is both beneficial to others and to your community. We hope so! We wish you every success as your work proceeds.
