Equitable Communities was formed in 2012 to understand and analyze the remarkable success of two small demonstration projects started in 2007 by The Kent brothers: one is Jagna Community Radio/Philos Health in rural Philippines and the other is the Financial Literacy Program in New York City public elementary schools. These two projects created sustainable locally-owned programs that are now providing crucial services to their community. More importantly, these two projects are now partnering with established agencies with a common passion to get services where they are needed most but do not exist.
While empowerment is not a new idea, the Jagna/Philos Health Program developed a radically different how. They pioneered local ownership, which gives written responsibility for ultimate project design, management, evaluation, and sustainability to the local partner. This concept was later adopted by the Marketplace Project and works just as well in New York City as it does in the rural Philippines. In the seven years that both projects have evolved, they have enriched each other.
Equitable Communities brings knowledge, opportunity and most importantly respect to underserved communities. Respect includes the name we use – “underserved communities” implies a system rather than a personal problem. Respect includes guaranteeing empowerment in writing, which has released the expertise, dedication, creativity, and participation that exists in communities, but is often wasted.
Since our programs are locally owned, they fight poverty because increased economic security is the highest priority for our communities, especially for the future of their children.
Recognition:
The Graduate Center CUNY is supporting us as part of the Public Science Project.
The demonstration project expansion was funded by JP Morgan Chase and the Council for Economic Education. Both approached us because they believed in our program.
Presentations at the UN Habitat and at a conference at Windsor Castle on ways that underserved communities can contribute to successful cities and towns of the future.
The 2014 YANA (Yale Alumni Nonprofit Alliance) Showdown winner for support, assistance and advice from Yale Alumni.