Bahar is a project participant of Dorcas Iraq.  

Bahar: ‘The most pressing need for women in our community is empowerment and gender equality. Women in our community face many challenges, including limited access to education, economic opportunities and lack of decision-making power. They are often marginalised, and their voices are not heard.’

‘The Dorcas programme has played a crucial role in addressing these needs by promoting women’s inclusion, providing education and vocational training, supporting women-led businesses and advocating for their rights. Our community still needs continued support for women’s empowerment, including promoting leadership, ensuring equal opportunities and challenging societal norms that perpetuate gender inequality. This needs to be addressed on an ongoing basis.’

‘My hope for the future is that gender equality will be achieved. I would like to see women empowered and safe, with access to education and economic opportunities, so that they can flourish.’

Abel is a Humanitarian Assistance Officer in Yemen.  

Abel: ‘Unequal societies are created when people are valued based on characteristics such as skin colour, gender, religion, etc. Discrimination runs rampant and people begin to be oppressed and abandoned. I have seen this in places where human dignity is not considered a right inherent in the person. This leads to a great deal of suffering. In my profession I have been a witness to a lot of inequality between men and women and a lot of discrimination against women.’ 

‘I stand up for women’s rights because I want women to be able to determine the direction of their lives, to exercise their abilities and to contribute fully to our society. At all levels of our society in Yemen, women should be the pillars of the community alongside men. In order to achieve this, it is essential to implement programmes that put women at the centre and support them to flourish and develop their lives in the way that they choose.’ 

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘢𝘴’ 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘯. 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦. Human Rights: Contributing to a just society – Dorcas

*Not his real name. At the participants request, we have used a pseudonym for this contribution.   

Peter de Hoogh is a Thematic Expert at Dorcas.

Participatory Integrated Planning (PIP) helps farming families take the lead in improving their livelihoods, farms and surrounding landscapes. But how does the approach work in practice, and what makes it effective? In this interview, Peter, who is involved in implementing PIP within Dorcas, explains how families turn their long-term ambitions into concrete plans and how sharing knowledge within communities helps the approach create lasting change.

Peter: ‘Central to the PIP approach is the development of an Integrated Farm Plan by all members of the household. Together, they make a drawing of the desired future situation, which serves as a basis for taking concrete steps towards their dream. Since it is their own plan, they are very motivated to achieve it! Unlike many traditional expert-led methods, PIP empowers communities to take charge of their own development, making the approach sustainable and scalable without relying too much on external resources.

‘PIP employs simple yet effective methods that can lead to considerable increases in productivity in a short time. Examples include digging water-catchment trenches and leaving crop residues on the soil to retain moisture, prevent erosion and improve soil health. Working in groups is another key strength, helping communities address shared challenges such as unpredictable rainfall patterns and soil degradation. By starting with innovative individuals, training them and then having them train others, PIP can achieve 80 per cent coverage of farmers in a community within 2.5 years.’

Long-term effects of PIP

Peter continues: ‘Because PIP focuses on the vision of the farmers and communities themselves, the long-term effects are significant. PIP’s impact can be seen in more diverse land use, with a wider variety of crops, kitchen gardens, animals and additional sources of income. The approach makes households more resilient and engages young people in activities such as poultry farming, enabling them to contribute actively to their households and communities.’

Why PIP works

‘What I find beautiful about PIP is its focus on the entire family and its potential to spread quickly within communities. It empowers people to pursue their aspirations, moving away from the traditional expert-driven model. Unlike approaches that collapse when NGOs withdraw, PIP can sustain itself by drawing on local knowledge and inspiring innovation.

‘PIP also plays an important role in raising awareness and preparing households for environmental challenges such as droughts and floods. By sharing knowledge and encouraging people to diversify their activities, PIP helps households and communities become better prepared for unforeseen circumstances.

‘It is very inspiring to see more organisations adopting and implementing the PIP approach. In the Netherlands, these organisations are working together through the PIP platform, sharing knowledge and lessons learned. I look forward to seeing this approach expand further as more organisations, farmers and communities adopt it.’

Tabeth is the Advocacy Coordinator for the EU-CORD Network based in Brussels. 

Tabeth: ‘To commemorate the World Day of Social Justice, I stand up for four principles: human rights, participation, access and equity. By our humanity, every person, regardless of race, ethnicity, social status, minority status, religion or disability, deserves to have their human rights respected. In a world struck by endless conflict, deep division, firmly entrenched inequalities, and disregard for human life, I stand up for human rights for all.’

‘I stand for participation, which means that everyone should be allowed to participate without any restrictions in decisions impacting their lives. No voice is more important than another, and every voice deserves a seat at the table. For this to happen, discrimination in decision-making and participation must be identified and dismantled. This is why reframing partnerships is a cross-cutting theme at EU-CORD: We value a plurality of voices across the 87 countries where our members are active.’

‘Access to resources, quality health care, education, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and other services should not be the preserve of a select few due to factors such as geopolitics, income or social status. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed how interconnected our world is and how multi-factorial our challenges are. Therefore, part of social justice is living in a just society where resources and services are accessible to everyone.’

‘Finally, our members strive to support the existence of equitable communities, where previous imbalances are recognised, and disenfranchised communities are provided with the tools they need to thrive, not just survive. Multiple layers of one’s identity make one more vulnerable to discrimination and dispossession. This is why some of our members’ projects include disability inclusion, education in emergencies, supporting women human rights defenders who are protecting their ecosystems and providing humanitarian supplies in protracted crisis situations. We know that there can be no peace without social justice.’

About EU-CORD 

The EU-CORD network comprises of 26 NGOs that work alongside their national civil society counterparts in 87 countries. The logo comprised of three overlapping free-form circles represents the coming together of member agencies who are committed to working together 

As individual organisations (and as a network) we are an inter-denomination grouping of Christian relief and development agencies, inspired by Christian values to accomplish our work. As such, we are independent of any political, social or religious authority. 

Nadiia works as a Project Manager for Dorcas Ukraine  

Nadiia: ‘The first thing we Ukrainians lost two years ago when the conflict started, was our sense of security. It does not matter how much money you have, you are still at risk. The most vulnerable people are children, older people, families who left the occupied territories and people with disabilities.’ 

‘I work with older people in Eastern Ukraine. It was during the conflict that a lot of them became very lonely because they were left behind by their relatives. That is why the aim of my work is to develop Community Safety Nets for older people. This is where they can support each other, communicate, develop their skills, hear encouraging words from volunteers and learn that they are not forgotten.’ 

‘By taking part in various activities, older people forget about the fear and danger, and they feel heard and valued! We all hope that the conflict will end and that we will feel safe in our homeland.’ 

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘢𝘴’ 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘯. 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦. Human Rights: Contributing to a just society – Dorcas

Minsa (32) is a project participant of Dorcas partner Loyac in Yemen. 

Minsa fled with her husband and their five children to Aden from an escalated conflict and bombings in Yemen. They experienced a lot of stress and trauma and had no means to support themselves.  

Minsa: ‘Dorcas gave us the psychosocial support we needed and through an empowerment programme, we could set up a business and support ourselves as a family. I am really grateful to Dorcas and Loyac for everything they gave us. It had a very positive impact on our overall wellbeing.  

Our mental health has improved considerably, and we have become financially stable. Thanks to the training and materials we received, we could set up our own sewing business. We are so happy that we can now buy food and water and provide for our children’s needs. I stand up for the right to proper work because the support we received has given my family a future. Now, my dream is to become an even better entrepreneur.  

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘢𝘴’ 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘯. 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦. Human Rights: Contributing to a just society – Dorcas

*Not her real name. At the participants request, we have used a pseudonym for this contribution.   

One year ago, on the 6th of February, earthquakes and strong aftershocks caused great devastation in Syria and Turkey. Syria, already in crisis due to the ongoing conflict, was again hit by a disaster that affected thousands of its citizens. The earthquake caused widespread damage to infrastructure and civilian buildings in the governorates of Aleppo, Hama, Idleb and Lattakia. 

Dorcas had been working in Syria for many years when the earthquake struck. This meant that our local staff were able to respond immediately, resulting in a strong presence on the ground. In the past year, Dorcas provided ongoing food security and livelihood support, shelter assistance, MHPSS and protection services, as well as essential non-food items. The infographic below shows a summary of the support that Dorcas provided in the region: 

Food Security and Livelihoods and Shelter  

Dorcas has had a local presence in north-west Syria for years, around the cities of Aleppo and Homs. These regions have struggled with food insecurity long before the earthquake struck. The new disaster exacerbated this problem. In the aftermath of the earthquake, the availability of basic commodities was limited. With cold temperatures, especially at night, it was imperative that people had access to a safe and warm environment and a decent meal, and this was therefore a top priority in the disaster response. Dorcas Syria supported 57,805 people with (hot) meals, food parcels, lunches or food vouchers over the past year. In addition, we provided shelter assistance to 1,546 people.  

One of the people Dorcas Syria has supported through the food security services is Zainab. Zainab lives with her two sisters and her brother and his wife and children in the Al Hellok area. After the earthquake, the atmosphere in their home became one of constant tension and a sense of impending danger. The situation was made worse when her brother, Mohammad, lost his job, leaving the family to rely solely on Zainab’s meagre income. Zainab and her family registered at the Dorcas Community Centre in Hellok after she heard about it through acquaintances. Because of their difficult circumstances, Zainab’s family qualified for Dorcas’ food programme, and this provides monthly food vouchers. Zainab expressed her joy and relief when she visited the centre to collect the vouchers: ‘The burden has been lifted from my shoulders’. The family had been constantly hungry, struggling to meet basic needs for medicine, clothes and school supplies. ‘The voucher also helped us provide a variety of nutritious foods that were previously missing from our meals’. This improved the overall health of the family.

MHPSS and Protection services.  

The earthquake and aftershocks had an enormous impact on people’s lives and general wellbeing. In such a crisis, the provision of MHPSS is vital because the enormous amount of stress that people experienced could lead to a range of other complaints. Providing this has been a major priority for the team over the past year. Dorcas already had a MHPSS support team on the ground, consisting mainly of social workers and psychologists, and was able to provide MHPSS and protection services to 20,318 people in the past year.  

One of the people Dorcas supported through these services, is Rokaya. Rokaya (50) is a widow living in Aleppo with her four daughters. In the aftermath of the earthquake, Rokaya was facing numerous hardships like damage to their home, chronic illness and extreme poverty. One of her daughters received psychological first aid from Dorcas, and the family was registered to access the centre’s services. Her daughters were also deeply affected by the disaster, and Rokaya saw the support of the centre as an opportunity to alleviate her family’s psychological pain and fear.  Dorcas provided Rokaya and her family with psychological support and access to the food aid programme. She became stronger and more resilient and regained her sense of dignity. On top of that, she also formed meaningful friendships during the support sessions. Rokaya envisions a brighter future for herself and her family, emphasising the invaluable impact of the programme on her life. 

Non-Food Items 

After the disaster, there was also a great need for non-food items, such as clothes and blankets. In the past year, Dorcas reached 57,976 people with this support.  

What is needed in the coming year(s)? 

The suffering in Syria must not be forgotten. After the earthquake, there was a resurgence of attention to the needs of the Syrian people, but that attention has slowly faded. At the moment, however, the situation in Syria is worse than it was before the earthquake. Compounding the situation is the enormous inflation that the country is experiencing. An UN OCHA 2024 Humanitarian Needs Overview for Syria estimates that some 16.7 million people across Syria will require humanitarian assistance in 20241. According to the Dutch Relief Alliance multi-sectoral needs assessment done during August and September 2023, there are many needs in different fields, that require the attention of the humanitarian sector2. These needs are for example:  

Dorcas will continue to be on the ground in Syria, providing support to those in need. Najla Chahda, Country Director of Dorcas Syria, describes Dorcas’ priorities for this year:

‘The needs of the Syrian people remain urgent, and they require the ongoing support of the international humanitarian community. Dorcas will continue to create meaningful impact and invest in sustainable change in the lives of people who are most marginalised. Key priorities for this year lie withing expanding geographical coverage to support more people in need. We will also further enhance our key approaches, like Protection through community centre activities, Food Security and Livelihoods, shelter rehabilitation and health support’. 

1Syrian Arab Republic: 2024 Humanitarian Needs Overview (December 2023) 

2 Dutch Relief Alliance: Joint Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment (2023). 

Several targets in Yemen have been bombed in recent weeks in response to Houthi attacks in and around the Red Sea. At this time, Dorcas Yemen staff, our partners’ staff and our project participants are safe. Although our team is safe, staff are still very concerned for the people of Yemen, who were already in a very difficult situation. Despite these challenging developments, they continue to work tirelessly to support those in need.

The impact of the security threat in the Red Sea is already being felt by humanitarian actors, with disruptions to trade pushing up prices and causing delays in the delivery of life-saving supplies. Shortages and increased costs of basic commodities such as food and fuel will only exacerbate an already dire economic crisis, increase aid dependency and increase protection risks. All actors have a legal obligation to ensure the safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance so that people in need can access these services. If the current situation worsens, there is also the possibility of large movements of internally displaced people in the region. If this is the case, we will reassess what action needs to be taken.

Latifa is a project participant of Dorcas Tanzania.  

Latifa: ‘In our society, girls are isolated during their menstrual period. Many girls do not even have access to sanitary pads and instead have to use pieces of cloth, which are not hygienic. Like many girls in my community, I struggled to attend school when I had a period, and that was not good for my education. 

However, things changed for me when people from Dorcas came to our school. They taught us about safe menstruation and gave us sanitary pads. They also talked with parents, and now our fathers are starting to have a more positive attitude towards the issue of menstruation. 

I think that girls should have the same access to education as boys. Menstruation must not prevent us from attending school, and all girls should be able to obtain sanitary pads and menstruate safely. These are major issues in our society that I want to stand up for when I grow up. 

I hope that one day, our society will become better educated about menstruation and that girls will no longer be isolated and miss school because they have a period.’

Menstrual Hygiene Management Programme 

Dorcas Tanzania works to break the taboo around female menstruation and improve gender equality in northeast Tanzania. We have provided menstrual hygiene products and safer facilities at 75 schools and raised awareness about menstruation issues in 50 villages in the region. 

This programme ensures families with a low-income gain access to affordable and reusable sanitary pads, and it boosts the confidence of girls and women in rural areas. Girls’ school attendance has improved, resulting in more girls completing their education. We also work with teachers to raise awareness about the menstrual cycle and how to combat the stigma associated with this, and we help young girls become role models in menstrual hygiene. 

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘢𝘴’ 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘯. 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦. Human Rights: Contributing to a just society – Dorcas

Lilian is the Country Director of Dorcas Tanzania.  

‘15.3% of all girls from Tanzania do not attend school during menstruation, according to a survey done by UNICEF in 2021. The reasons for this include pain and discomfort, lack of menstrual materials, fear of embarrassment due to visible stains on their clothes, lack of a changing room, and lack of clean and suitable toilet facilities. This regular school absence reduces the girls’ academic performance and has a negative psychological impact on their lives.’ 

‘Menstruation is a natural process, and no woman should pay the price for this in terms of academic progress, exclusion or disengagement. Women and girls from low-income families are particularly vulnerable due to their limited awareness of hygienic practices and lack of appropriate sanitary materials.’

‘We tackle these issues by raising awareness of menstrual hygiene among schoolgirls, boys and teachers, and creating an environment in schools and local communities that supports menstrual hygiene. ‘Furthermore, we ensure all girls and women, including those from marginalised communities, have access to reusable sanitary pads and improved latrines at school and at home. This effort includes making soft loans available to purchase sanitary materials and latrines, ensuring retailers and pharmacies in local communities are connected with the sanitary pad supply chain, and training local people to construct improved latrines and rainwater harvesting tanks.’ 

‘I hope that as a result of all these efforts, girls missing school due to menstruation will soon become a thing of the past.’ 

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘢𝘴’ 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘯. 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦. Human Rights: Contributing to a just society – Dorcas