Lesson video

Hello and welcome.

My name is Ms. Harrison and I'm so excited to be learning with you today.

Today's lesson is called Grassroots Movements and Development.

Grab everything you might need for today's lesson and let's begin our learning.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to describe what grassroots development means and explain how grassroots initiatives can improve people's lives.

Before we can begin this learning, we need to define the keywords that we'll be using throughout today's lesson.

The keywords are community participation, empowerment, and sustainable.

Community participation is where local people are actively involved in planning, decision making, and running projects.

Empowerment, this is giving people the confidence, skills, and control they need to make decisions and improve their own lives.

Sustainable, this is something that meets the needs of today without damaging the needs of future generations.

Now, that we've defined these keywords, we can begin our learning.

The first question we are going to explore in today's lesson is what is grassroots development? Today, we're learning about something called grassroots development.

This is when local people come together to solve problems in their own communities.

It's sometimes called a bottom up approach because the ideas and actions start with people on the ground, not governments or big organisations making decisions far away.

One great example is from Nepal, a country with steep mountains and few roads.

In one community, people built a gravity goods ropeway to carry food and supply safely down the hills.

This clever system was supported by a charity called Practical Action, but it was designed, built and run by local people who knew exactly what their community needed.

Grassroots projects like these are often small, low cost and simple, but they can make a huge difference to everyday life.

Most grassroots projects, even though they might look different, have a few things in common.

Community participation, local people don't just receive help, they're actively involved.

They help plan the project, make decisions, and run it day-to-day.

It's their project, not something handed down to them.

Using local knowledge and resources, these projects are built around what the community already has.

That might be skills, traditions, materials, or knowledge of the local environment.

It keeps things practical and affordable.

Empowerment, grassroots development helps people gain confidence, skills and control over their lives.

It's not just about solving a problem, it's about giving people the tools to improve things for themselves in the long term.

Sustainability, these projects are designed to last.

That means they don't rely on expensive equipment or outside help.

They aim to protect the environment and continue working for years to come.

So grassroots development isn't just about quick fixes, it's about community-led change that really lasts.

Which of the following statements is the result of empowerment? Is it A, local people are actively involved in planning, decision making and running projects? B, solutions build on what the community already knows and the resources they have.

C, projects aim to last for a long time and benefit both people in the environment.

Or D, development helps people gain skills, confidence, and control over their own lives.

Pause video here whilst you decide and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

The answer is D.

Development helps people gain skills, confidence, and control over their own lives.

Well done if you identified those correctly.

What principle of grassroots development is the statement referring to? The statement says, projects aim to last for a long time and benefit both people in the environment.

Pause video here whilst you decide and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

The answer is sustainability.

Well done if you identified that correctly.

Let's look at both the key differences between top down and bottom up grassroots strategies.

Top down strategies are led by governments or big companies, and they're usually on a large scale like building a dam or remote way.

The main goal is often economic growth, boosting businesses, trade or industry.

In contrast, bottom up or grassroots projects are led by local people.

They're often smaller in scale, but they focus on what really matters to the community, like access to clean water, better healthcare or education.

The aim is to improve wellbeing, not just the economy.

So both have their strengths, but they take very different approaches to development.

I would like you to complete the missing words.

Pause the video here whilst you attempt this task and press play.

When you're ready to continue.

Let's check our answers.

We should have top down, bottom up, and grassroots.

Locally led, large scale and focus on wellbeing.

Well done if you identified those correctly.

Let's take a quick journey through the time to see how development strategies have changed.

In the 1950s and '60s, rich countries loaned money to poorer ones for big infrastructure projects like roads and factories, but these were top down decisions that didn't involve local people at all.

In the 1970s and '80s, new ideas began to take hold.

Thinkers like E.

F.

Schumacher said, small community led projects are better.

This is when NGOs like charities started working closely with local communities.

In the 1990s, the UN created the Human Development Index or HDI, and this shows that development isn't just about money, it's also about health, education and wellbeing.

And from 2012 to today, the sustainable development goals have become our global targets.

These aim to reduce poverty and they rely heavily on grassroots strategies.

So you can see how the focus has shifted from big projects to empowering communities.

Now, let's take a closer look at this timeline.

It shows how development thinkers have changed over time, but let's ask a really important question about this.

Whose story is this? Pause the video here whilst do you have a think and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

Izzy makes a great point here.

This timeline is an example of Western-centric thinking.

What does that mean? It means that this version of development history is mostly told from the perspective of wealthy western countries like the US and the UK and the organisations they created like the UN and major NGOs.

But what about the voices of local people in low income countries? We don't see much here about how communities themselves have always worked together to solve problems often long before these global ideas were written down.

So while the timeline is useful, it's not a full picture and it reminds us to always ask whose perspective are we hearing and who is missing? Earlier we saw a timeline that focused a lot on what rich countries or big organisations have done to help with development.

But here's a different view.

This one puts local people at the centre.

It starts with the knowledge communities have always had.

Long before global aid or projects, people around the world were farming, building and solving problems in their own ways.

In the 1960s and '70s, many countries became independent.

Local people began leading their own development work.

In the 1990s, NGOs from the global south, that means countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America started to take the lead and speak out against projects that didn't help them.

And today, grassroots groups are at the front of important global issues like climate change, women's rights, and food security.

Their knowledge even helps shape the UN global goals.

This timeline shows us that development isn't just something done to people, it's something communities create themselves.

I would like you to describe four core themes of grassroots development and use the headings to help.

Community participation, uses local knowledge and resources, empowerment and sustainability.

Pause video here whilst you have a think and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

Before we check our answers, I would like you to complete one more task.

I would like you to add the letter of each statement onto the appropriate timeline.

A, as many countries gained independence, local people started their own projects to solve problems. And B, the UN created the human development index, HDI, to measure health education alongside the economy.

Pause video here whilst you attempt this task and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

Let's check our answers.

For the first task, your answer should look similar to this.

For community participation, local people are actively involved in planning decision making and running projects.

Uses local knowledge and resources is solutions build on what the community already knows and the resources they have.

Empowerment, this is development that helps people gain skills, confidence, and control over their own lives.

Sustainability, projects aim to last for a long time and benefit both people in the environment.

Well done on this task.

I hope you managed to get those correct.

For your second task, your timeline should look like this.

For 1960s and '70s, we should have A, which is many countries gained independence.

Local people start their own projects to solve problems. And for B, it should be in the 1990s, which is the UN created the human development index to measure health and education alongside the economy.

Well done if you identified those correctly.

You've done brilliantly.

We're now going to explore our second question of today's lesson.

How do grassroots initiatives support development? Let's take a closer look at an organisation that already believes in grassroots development.

It's called Practical Action.

This charity was inspired by a man called Ernst Friedrich Schumacher.

Back in the 1960s, he had a big idea.

Instead of sending lots of money or building giant projects, why not work with local communities to create simple, useful solutions that actually fit their needs? That's what Practical Action does.

It supports small scale community led projects that make a real difference to people's lives.

And one example is the gravity goods ropeway in Nepal.

In this mountainous area, carrying goods up and down was really difficult.

So with the help of Practical Action, the local people built a simple cable system powered by gravity, no engines or electricity needed.

This is what grassroots development is all about, using local ideas, local skills, and simple tools to make life better the way that lasts.

Schumacher was an economist who changed the way people thought about development and aid.

He believed that bigger isn't always better and that the best solutions often come from the people who live in the community.

Let's break down some of his main ideas.

Small is beautiful.

He believed that small local projects using simple tools are often more useful than huge expensive ones.

Use local knowledge.

He said aid should be based on what local people already know, what they have and what they actually need, not what outsiders think they need.

Support self-help, aid should not make people dependent forever.

Instead, it should help them gain the skills and tools to become independent.

Protect the planet.

Development should care for the environment.

It needs sustainability so it helps the future generations too.

People before profit, finally, he believe development should improve people's lives, not just focus on money or growing the economy.

Schumaker is ideas still inspire grassroots projects all around the world today.

Let's take a closer look at how the ideas of Schumacher helped shape what we call grassroots development.

First, he believed small is better.

That connects to the ideas of the grassroots idea of using local knowledge and resources, starting with the what the community already has, not bringing in expensive outside solutions.

Second, he said to use local knowledge, that lines up with the idea of community participation.

Local people should help make a decisions 'cause they understand their own needs best.

Third, his idea of supporting self-help, links to empowerment, helping people learn new skills and gain confidence so they can take control of their own future.

Fourth, protecting the planet.

It's all about sustainability, making sure development helps both people and the environment now and in the future.

And finally, people before profit, reminds us that the real goal of development is to improve lives, not just make money.

Schumacher's ideas are still used today in grassroots projects all over the world, especially by organisations like Practical Action.

What was the name of the economist who founded the charity Practical Action.

Pause the video here whilst you decide and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

The answer is Ernst Friedrich Schumacher.

Well done if you identified that correctly.

Here's a real example of grassroots project supported by the charity Practical Action and it's helping save lives.

In parts of East Africa, many families still cook using something called a three-stone stove.

That's just three stones placed in a triangle to hold a cooking pot over an open fire.

It might seem simple, but it creates a lot of smoke and pollution inside the home.

That smoke is very dangerous.

In fact, Kenya's Ministry of Health estimates that over 20,000 people a year, mostly women and girls die from illnesses linked to indoor air pollution from cooking.

Practical Action worked with local communities to build improved cookstoves.

These stoves are designed with local materials and local knowledge, and they use less fuel and produce less smoke.

This is a great example of grassroots development.

It's led by local people, uses local resources, and improves health, safety and environment.

It's small, simple change, but it makes a huge difference to everyday life.

In many homes, cooking has done over open fires, which produces a lot of smoke.

This smoke can be extremely harmful, especially for women and children who spend most of their time near the Fire.

Practical Action stepped in with a solution, but they haven't just delivered stoves.

They've done something much smarter.

They work with local women and young people to build and sell cleaner, safer cookstoves using materials found in the area.

These stoves are affordable, use less fuel, and produce less smoke, which makes homes healthier and safer.

They also teach families how to use the stoves properly, so the benefits last.

And importantly, they work with the government to help make clean cooking parts of Kenya's long term plans.

This is what grassroots development is all about.

Local people, local solutions, and a better future built from the ground up.

Let's meet someone who's making a real difference in her community, Glory Kendi.

After finishing her studies, Glory got involved in the clean cookstove movement.

She learned everything from a local mentor, someone trained by the charity Practical Action.

She started selling stoves in her own community, not just any stoves, but cleaner, safer ones that protect people's health.

Now, she sells up to 1,000 stoves a month.

She earns a good income and helps improve lives at the same time, but she's not stopping there.

Glory's using her income to study aviation and she wants to open her own stove centre one day.

She's become a role model.

She shows other young women that they can run businesses, change lives, and do jobs people didn't always think women could do.

This is the power of grassroots development, local people solving local problems and becoming leaders in their own future.

Let's look closely at why cookstove initiative in Kenya is a great example of a grassroots development.

It's community participation.

Local people like Glory are right at the heart of the project.

This isn't just something that was dropped in by outsiders, it was built with the community.

Empowerment, this project is helping women earn their own income and open up new opportunities like running businesses or continuing their education.

Sustainability, these stoves are better for people's health and also protect the environment now and in the future.

And local knowledge and resources.

These stoves are low tech, meaning they're easy to make and use with materials already found in the area.

It's not just about expensive machines, it's about smart, simple solutions that work.

This is what makes grassroots project so powerful.

They come from the people for the people and they last.

How does the cookstove project meet the principle of empowerment? A, it improves the local and global environment for now and future generations.

B, it provides an income for local women and opens up opportunities.

Or C, the cookstoves are low tech.

Pause video here whilst you decide and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

The answer is B.

It provides an income for local women and opens up opportunities.

Well done on this task.

You've done brilliantly.

Now, let's talk about how cookstoves project in Kenya is an example of sustainability.

That means it's good for now and for the future.

Economically sustainable, the project helps generate money within the local community.

When women like Glory earn income from selling stoves, they spend it in local shops and markets.

This keeps money circulating and helps the whole local economy grow over time.

Socially sustainable, the cookstoves reduce harmful smoke, which means better health for people, especially for women and children who spend more time near the fire.

Healthier people mean stronger, happier communities long term.

Environmentally sustainable, these stoves reduce air pollution and carbon emissions.

That's not just good for the people nearby, it helps the planet too.

Cleaner air now means healthier world in the future.

This is why grassroots projects like this are so powerful.

They look after people, money and the planet.

I would like you to explain how Practical Actions cookstove initiative is a grassroots project.

I'd like you to use the headings to help you.

Community participation, users local knowledge and resources, empowerment and sustainability.

Pause the video here whilst you attempt this task and press play when you're ready to continue.

Fantastic.

Let's check our answers.

Your answer should read like this.

Community participation, local people like Glory are at the centre of the project.

Empowerment, provides an income for local women to open up opportunities.

For example, Glory is funding her course in aviation.

Uses local knowledge and resources.

The low tech nature of the cookstove allows local people to adopt the technology easily.

Sustainability, the cookstoves reduce local air pollution and carbon emissions.

This is environmentally sustainable at a local and global scale.

Well done if you managed to include some of those points in your answer, you've done brilliantly.

I'd now like you to complete one more task.

I would like you to explain how someone who believes in grassroots development strategies might respond to Alex's statement.

I'd like you to refer to sustainability in your answer.

Alex's statement is the best way to help improve people's quality of life is for high income countries to lend money to lower income countries for big projects, like building a hydroelectric dam or major road improvements.

Pause the video here whilst you attempt this task and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

Let's check our answers.

Your answer may have included some of the following ideas.

Andeep said, top down projects like dam building or road improvements are not always sustainable as they can leave countries in debt, can damage the environment and sometimes don't help local communities.

Grassroots projects are often more sustainable as local people are directly involved so they directly benefit, and initiatives try to promote environmentally friendly practises.

Well done on this task.

I hope you manage to include some of those points in your answer, you've done brilliantly.

We've now come to the end of our learning on grassroots movements and development, and you've done brilliantly.

But before we end this lesson, let's summarise everything we've learned today.

Grassroots development is a powerful way to make communities stronger from the inside out.

It happens when local people work together to solve everyday problems like improving health, access to clean water or protecting the environment using their own ideas, skills, and resources.

What makes grassroots development different is that it focused on four key principles.

Community participation, local people are fully involved in planning and running the projects.

They're not just given help, they lead the change themselves.

Local knowledge and resources.

Project use what people already know and what they have around them.

This makes solutions more practical and easier to maintain.

Empowerment, grassroots development gives people confidence and skills to improve their own lives.

It supports independence, not long-term dependence on outside help.

Sustainability, these projects are designed to last.

They help both people and the planet with long-term benefits for future generations.

One important organisation that supports grassroots development is Practical Action.

This charity works with communities across the world to support small scale people-led projects, like clean cookstoves in Kenya or ropeways in Nepal.

That makes a real difference in everyday life because it puts local people at the centre.

Grassroots development is often seen as one of the most sustainable and fair ways to support long-term progress.

Well done on today's lesson.

You've done brilliantly and I look forward to learning with you again very soon.