Case Study: IDE

International Development Enterprise is a non profit international NGO with unique market based approach to poverty reduction. How unique is their market based approach ? IDE fully demonstrated the saying

"To help a man, do not give him a fish,

instead teach him how to fish."

IDE build profitable enterprises and value chains that deliver sustainable social and economy benefits. Through this approach, rural poor is enabled to increase their income and improve quality of life. Currently IDE focuses in Agriculture and Water & Sanitation aspect.

In Agriculture:

They have promoted treadle pumps, drip irrigation system, fertilizer technology improvement, vegetable transport and storage, rice weeders and cool storage. A lot of farmers have been benefited from IDE and being able to sustain themselves since then.

In Water & Sanitation:
They have promoted ceramic water purifier, hand pump and currently working on sanitary latrine. They think that water is the most strategic entry because water is the direct factor that will affect their health. Health then will affect the productivity and lead to low income which then recycled them into the poverty cycle.

IDE has the core value that we wish to learn from them. They believe the right of poor people to secure livelihood. Market is their tool to work for the poor and reduce poverty. IDE think that it is necessary to listen and work with people. No matter how, we can learn something different from people's point of view and occasionally it opens another window of solutions. Innovation and entrepreneurship is valued as the path to change the status quo. We and IDE believe in self ability to make significant difference.

" The smallest action is always greater than the noblest intention."

Dear members of project:

We will have to adapt the mindset. Despite thinkig how much we can offer to the community thorough promotion, working projects, we also need to bear in mind that this project is also an investment that we created to invest in ourselves and probably inspire other students and organisations if them know about what we are working. This is also another form of sustainable impact in ourselves. Maybe someone might sustain our effort, just like we do to sustain IDE (or RDI, VSCS) 's effort in developings and markets appropriate technologies that enhances smallholder productivity and improved livelihood of rural poor.

Click here for details of IDE

-david