Woord en Daad will continue to work on four thematic areas: education, youth employment, inclusive agribusiness and sustainable water. For each of these themes a theory of change and related intervention concepts are the basis for co-creation with partners. With our intervention concepts we seek to bring innovation, reach many people and work on solutions that last in response to the dynamic causes of poverty. In all thematic areas we seek to integrate the focal policy themes, while pro-poor climate resilience is most directly translated to agri-business and sustainable water programming.
In our emergency response interventions we will develop expertise on resilience and disaster risk reduction. Where possible and relevant for the target area and risks for upcoming emergencies, connection will be made to one of our four thematic areas of programming.
Education
The Education program seeks to contribute to the transformation of vulnerable children and youth into responsible citizens through systemic changes in their environment. The program contributes mainly to SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
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We will continue our sponsorship program and particularly sponsor more children in Sub-Sahara Africa. Our ambition is to better align the sponsorship strategy with the sector strategy of INCE, the International Network for Christian Education. With children and youth as ultimate target group, we will develop interventions for systemic changes in their environment, and thus our focus includes their families and communities, the schools and educational sector organizations and especially also governments, as key responsible system actors. Through our INCE partnerships we aim to influence policies, capacities of education partners and socio-cultural norms in education, and together develop market-driven responses for quality education. Within the systemic approach a new focus is on exploited children who fall outside the mainstream educational system. We will develop interventions to address root causes of exploitation and harmful practices focussed on restoration of these children.
Employment and Training
The Employment and Training program seeks to contribute, in collaboration with relevant sector players, to full, productive and dignified (self-)employment for the youth workforce in low- and middle-income countries. The program contributes mainly to SDG 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
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Our target group are un- or underemployed young women and men (15-35) in low- and middle-income countries. Job Booster aims at connecting job seekers with employers and matching training but will put more emphasis on influencing the entire employment sector. In one way by working towards financially sustainable entities brokering employment and self-employment and additionally by working towards a sustainable cooperation of public and private employment organizations for a more inclusive labour market. To make our programming more inclusive we will target at least equal numbers of young men and women, and specific interest groups will be engaged such as organizations representing disabled persons, or for minority groups to contribute to the dialogue towards an inclusive labour market. AgriJob Booster interventions in West Africa will have a specific focus on climate resilient employment in the agricultural sector.
The direct focus on technical and vocational education and training (TVET) centres we have had for years will be shifted towards a broader view on decent employment and an inclusive labour market towards 2025. We will support TVET centres towards increased quality, financial sustainability, connection to Job Booster programs or other relevant networks and new initiatives in our Education program.
Inclusive Agribusiness
The Inclusive Agribusiness program seeks to contribute to farmers having a worthy place in an inclusive, competitive and environmentally aware value chain. The program contributes directly to SDG 1: No poverty; SDG 5: Gender equality; SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, and SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production.
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The central concept we work along is an inclusive value chain. With flourishing farmers, households and communities as ultimate goal, interventions aim at inclusive and well-organised value chains, thriving farms, regenerative resource management and shared decision-making in farm management. While actors at chain level form the point of engagement, systemic changes are aimed through influencing government policies (local, national and international) and engaging with input suppliers, service providers and (foreign) investors. Interventions will be developed around the Fair Factory model, with Woord en Daad developing social-economic programming and strategic partner Incluvest investing in a factory.
Sustainable Water
The Sustainable Water program seeks to contribute to ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. The program contributes directly to SDG 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
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The direct target groups are households and farmer-entrepreneurs in underserved rural areas. Sub-themes in the portfolio development include Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), water for food and Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM). The central concept across the sub-themes is a servicing approach: a model to improve the services on district level and up, aiming at policies and regulation, service providers and end-users. With ambitions to improve water-, sanitation- and IWRM-services for all, we will design explicit targeting strategies for unreached including working with churches and community organizations and more emphasis on advocacy for inclusive regulations. We will seek to become part of broad national coalitions for system change, with a new emphasize on IWRM and contributing to climate-resilience of stakeholders and target groups.