What We Do
Our Community Partnership model
Our Approach: Community-Led, Participatory Development
At PFP, we believe lasting change begins when communities lead their own development. Rather than imposing external solutions, we start by listening - working with communities to identify their most pressing needs and co-design practical, sustainable responses.
Our approach recognises that people experiencing poverty are not passive recipients of aid, but active partners with the knowledge, skills and determination to shape their future. We call this approach “handshakes not handouts.”
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Laying the Foundations:
Meeting Basic Needs
In every community we partner with, the first step is to address essential infrastructure needs: clean water, sanitation, energy, and access to technology.
Without these, other development efforts cannot take root.
That’s why our foundation work focuses on:
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Solar-powered water systems that provide safe, reliable access to clean water.
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Improved sanitation and hygiene facilities in schools and households.
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Affordable, renewable energy that supports health centres, schools, and small enterprises.
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Appropriate technologies that reduce labour, increase productivity, and protect the environment.
These investments create the conditions for health, dignity, and opportunity - enabling communities to engage fully in wider development planning.
Co-Designing Sustainable Development
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Once these basics are secured, we work alongside community members to design the next phase of development: programmes that build skills, strengthen local systems, and grow livelihoods.
The image below illustrates PFP’s Sustainable Development Partnership Model, which aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reflects our holistic, interconnected approach.
Empowering Local Ownership
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True sustainability comes when communities take ownership of their development journey.
PFP supports the creation of inclusive committees, cooperatives, and local enterprises to manage resources, reinvest surpluses, and ensure accountability.
By strengthening governance and leadership at the community level, we help build the confidence and capacity for long-term self-reliance, so that progress continues long after our direct involvement ends.
In summary, PFP’s model moves from basic infrastructure to skills, livelihoods, and resilience, guided always by the principle that communities themselves are the drivers of sustainable change. Our vision is simple but powerful:
Healthy, skilled people building prosperous, sustainable communities.
