Community Development
At Dorcas, we work in partnership with communities that are vulnerable to poverty, exclusion and crisis. We work alongside communities, recognising their knowledge and strengths, to support them in identifying challenges and finding solutions.
Our Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach focuses on mobilising existing community strengths. We connect people to available resources and support local organisations in building their capacity and resilience.
We also ensure that our work is conflict-sensitive so that our interventions strengthen cohesion rather than creating tensions. In disaster situations, we implement community-based disaster risk management (CBDRM) to assist communities in preparing for and responding to risks.
By leading their own development, communities are empowered to advocate for their rights, improve their quality of life and lead safer, more secure lives.
How a social farm in Romania is cultivating hope and connection
Social farming harnesses the power of agriculture to deliver care and support for people in vulnerable situations. It involves using agricultural resources such as plants, animals, and land to provide health, social and educational services to vulnerable groups. This includes individuals with mental or physical health needs, people facing social exclusion or long-term unemployment, and those recovering from addiction.
International Day of Older Persons celebration in Egypt
In Egypt, Dorcas marked the International Day of Older Persons (IDOP), celebrating the contributions and dignity of older people. The video below highlights the events of the day. Dorcas supports older people to connect, be recognised, and flourish.
Stories and articles
Growing together: How a social farm in Romania is cultivating hope and connection
Social farming harnesses the power of agriculture to deliver care and support for people in vulnerable situations. It involves using agricultural resources such as plants, animals, and land to provide health, social and educational services […]
Local power creates lasting change: Dorcas strategic plan 2026-2030
Reading time: three minutes. Dorcas is proud to announce the publication of its strategic plan 2026-2030: Local power creates lasting change. This roadmap sets out Dorcas’s vision for the coming years, focusing on empowering local […]
Partnering for change: Dorcas and EGC’s collaborative impact on older people in Ethiopia
Dorcas supports older people through our Community Safety Net (CSN) approach. This involves mobilising different actors and organisations so that everyone is involved. Only by working together can we provide the right support to ensure […]
Community safety nets mobilise communities to care for older people
1 October is the UN International Day of Older People, and one of its aims is to ensure that people can grow old with dignity and continue to participate in society. In the countries where […]
Communities and families flourishing through a women’s savings group in Kenya
In Kajiado South, Kenya, the Ilaramatak Esukuta Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA), a women’s savings group comprising 38 women, is a symbol of hope and resilience. This group is one of 30 VSLAs supported […]
Arendje: ‘I stand up for a flourishing Eastern Europe’
Arendje is a thematic expert on Community Safety Nets at Dorcas. She is also one of the driving forces behind CPOE, a network of Christian humanitarian assistance organisations and other NGOs operating in Eastern Europe. Arendje: […]
Nadiia: ‘I stand up for the right to social security’
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 […]
Gilberte: ‘I stand up for the right to safety’
Gilberte (63) participates in a project of Dorcas Lebanon. Gilberte: ‘I stand up for safety because the situation in Lebanon is very insecure. I currently live alone and have no contact with my family due […]
EU-funded Dorcas programme aims to empower disadvantaged communities in Upper Egypt
Dorcas is grateful to announce the start of a new EU-funded programme aimed at strengthening the capacity of Civil Society Organisations to develop innovative solutions related to the environment, digitalisation, and gender equality. In the […]
Let’s not forget the rights of older people: seven ways to include them in your programme
Each year on the first of October, we celebrate the international day of older persons. This is an important international day for Dorcas, as we focus on supporting marginalised people and communities and older people […]
Flourishing in community
Last July, Jochem Duinhof, political advisor at Dorcas, visited the Dorcas offices and community safety nets programmes in Moldova and Romania. Jochem elaborates on the challenges older people face in Moldova and Romania and how […]
Strategic safety nets
The Dutch Africa strategy is ‘the vehicle par excellence’ for increasing social protection for vulnerable groups, state Jochem Duinhof and Zina Nimeh in this opinion article. That is how you give these groups space ‘to […]
Resilience of Older Persons in a Changing World
The Resilience and Contributions of Older Women A Dorcas inquiry on the situation of older persons in Eastern Ukraine shows that a relatively large number of older people stay at home even when they live […]