Sustainable development takes a village. This community in Lao PDR proves it

Sustainable, inclusive development is rarely top-down. When rural people are actively involved in designing initiatives from the get-go, the resulting projects aren’t just fairer: with priorities better aligned with local needs, they’re more effective, too.

The people of Mang village, nestled among the misty mountains of northern Lao PDR, are proof of this. Nutrition and food security have long been a challenge here, but the community is building a better future together thanks to a new participatory planning process.

Today, nearly the entire population has a say in its future. The village has become an example of sustainable, inclusive development in action – and its people have renewed reason for hope.

Nine months ago, Vanxay Khountawa, the village chief, and Tick Tiblithone, the leader of the women’s union, gathered the people of Mang in the bright local meeting hall. They were about to take them on a new development journey.

Mang village was set to receive funding through the IFAD-supported Agriculture for Nutrition Project Phase II (AFN II) – but the use they would make of it wasn’t up to development specialists. This time, local people would decide where the investment would go.

With the support of facilitators, Mr. Khountawa and Ms. Tiblithone guided villagers through exercises designed to gather input from every person present. The goal was to understand not only the community’s most pressing issues, but also potential solutions to address them.

Seeing a chance to make a real difference, the villagers spoke eagerly about the issues affecting their nutrition, from poultry diseases to a lack of varied foods. They spoke of related challenges, such as maternal health, waste management and access to markets.

Finally, everyone had a voice in creating a roadmap for the coming years of the project. Villagers voted on their top investment priorities and elected a committee to monitor the project going forward.

“I’m voting for a better water supply system,” said Ms. Seng, a local farmer. “Having clean, accessible water would reduce the time we spend fetching it from the stream and allow us to grow more diverse crops year-round. This exercise gives us a real voice in shaping our village's future.”

What emerged was a cooperative plan for Mang village’s future – one which reflected the priorities of the entire population.

More than 90 per cent of the village’s households participated actively in the planning process. Among other things, their plan includes repairing the irrigation system as Ms Seng advocated, building access roads to fields and establishing a community market.

The facilitators also took measures to ensure all were comfortable speaking up. Men and women were divided into separate voting groups, for example, and the event began with an explanation of free, prior and informed consent.

“It's inspiring to see the community so engaged in this process," says Sorlasack Thammavongsa, who facilitated the session. "They know their needs best, and we're here to support them in finding sustainable solutions.”

With priorities set, the villagers developed detailed implementation plans with the project team. Experts came in to conduct feasibility studies, while the new village committee underwent training on overseeing project implementation.

Then, the real work began.

In the months since the planning event, the people of Mang village have already begun construction on a nutrition school and established new agricultural production groups. The community meets regularly to track progress and address any challenges.

For Ms. Seng and her fellow villagers, the process represents a break with the past – and a chance at long-term prosperity.

“I dream of a future in which our village thrives,” she says. “Our children will be healthier, our crops more abundant, and our community stronger. This process has shown us that when we work together, anything is possible."