At ARI, a PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal) class was held, where participants were divided into groups based on their home regions to discuss challenges faced in their communities. PRA is a method often used in development work, where local people identify problems and think about solutions using their own knowledge and experiences.
In the class, participants also worked on organizing the “causes” and “effects” of the issues they discussed. One common topic raised by many groups was waste management. Participants shared how inadequate waste disposal has led to river and soil pollution and even caused health problems in their communities.
By exchanging their experiences, participants discovered both similarities and differences between their regions. The class became a valuable opportunity for them to learn from one another and think together about what actions could be taken for positive change.