Harnessing local resources for rural development

Prickle Academy has demonstrated how rural communities can create sustainable social solutions by harnessing local resources.
Also known as Prickle Educational Initiative, the non-governmental organisation works with rural communities, helping them identify their unique strengths thereby empowering the youth to become active citizens and community builders.
The academy uses asset-based community development (ABCD) to carry out collaborative community projects.
A recent scheme involved capacity inventory for eight weeks in Mbagishi, a rural community in Vadekiya Council, Benue State.
The inventory showed that the community is rich in natural resources, community bonds, various skills, and agricultural produce. Almost every home had a mobile telephone.
With these discoveries the academy organised a training on how to make peanut snacks.
Training facilitator, Grace Opoola, transferred knowledge to 40 participants for one hour 40 minutes all the way from Lagos – made possible with a discounted call package which costs only N100.
Team leader, Damilola Fasoranti, expressed excitement at the success of the event, and explained that the initiative removed the overhead cost of training and also helped to prevent information overload.
“People especially in the rural communities have survived to this point not without pain but with ideas, education, will, hope and other people; all of which we need to understand and appreciate in order to help,” he added.
• Philip Amiola
Lagos