Grassroots organizations play a crucial role in the development of marginalized communities. They represent unheard voices, undertake action and are first movers during disasters and shocks. In this webinar, we will engage with grassroots organizations to explore how to localize, co-create, and sustain their innovations for long-term impact. This webinar is organized in collaboration with IHS, UN-Habitat, Vital Cities and Citizens (VCC), Closer Cities, and Justra Cities Network.
More about the event
Grassroots organizations play a crucial role in the development of marginalized communities. They represent unheard voices, undertake action and are first movers during disasters and shocks. However, their role has hardly scaled over the last decades, whereas traditional development funding dwindles.
Empowering grassroots organizations through strategic partnerships is crucial to overcoming these barriers. Such partnerships must harness local expertise, promote inclusivity, and build capacity for scalable and sustainable solutions. Grassroots organizations bring valuable opportunities for innovative, community-led interventions that integrate indigenous knowledge and localized approaches.
Community-driven solutions have consistently proven more sustainable by addressing broader social and economic needs. To maximize their impact, collaboration with governments and NGOs is essential, but equally critical is amplifying the participation and representation of Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) in decision-making processes. This inclusive approach is key to fostering impactful and long-term solutions.
In this webinar, we will engage with grassroots organizations to explore how to localize, co-create, and sustain their innovations for long-term impact. The discussion aims to foster peer learning and identify pathways to effectively scale these innovations.
Date: January 29 (Wednesday)
Time: 13:00 -14:30 CET (7:00 AM – 8:30 Lima, Peru time / 15:00 – 16:30 Nairobi, Kenya time / Madagascar / 20:00-21:30 Manila, Philippines time)
Agenda
| Duration | Activity |
| 13:00-13:05 | Introduction about the webinar series |
| 13:05-13:15 | Opening remarks and introduction to grassroots innovations |
| 13:15-13:35 | Short presentations from grassroots innovations |
| 13:35-13:45 | Audience Q&A |
| 13:45-14:05 | Parallel break out rooms |
| 14:05-14:25 | Plenary sharing |
| 14:25-14:30 | Closing remarks |
Meet the speakers
Moderator
Elena Marie Enseñado currently works as a specialist in Nature-based Climate Change Adaptation planning. Her expertise includes climate change and environmental planning, learning for socio-technical transitions and social-ecological resilience, ecosystem services and nature-based solutions, and participatory tools and methods.
At IHS, Elena is involved in advisory, research, education, and capacity-building activities. She has more than 15 years of experience in project development, management, monitoring, and evaluation.
Main Speaker and Discussant on Governance
Jan Fransen (PhD and MA in development studies) is a Lead Specialist and Assistant Professor in Urban Economic Development and Resilience. He is the former Deputy Director and Head of Education & Training of IHS. He coordinates research on smart and resilient cities at the Erasmus Vital Cities and Citizens research initiative, is a guest researcher on urban resilience at ISS, is a member of the advisory committee of the Africa Research Institute in Leiden, and is visiting scholar at POLIS University in Albania. He worked for the International Labour Organisation (ILO) of the United Nations based in Eastern and Southern Africa in a previous position.
Main Speaker and Discussant on Governance
Rafael Sotomayor is the Director of Territory at TECHO Perú, leading community development initiatives and infrastructure improvement projects in vulnerable settlements. With a passion for social impact, Rafael has played a key role in fostering collaboration between local leaders, volunteers, and strategic partners to enhance living conditions. His leadership focuses on promoting community-driven solutions and sustainable development through active participation and innovative programs. Known for his approachable and dynamic style, Rafael is dedicated to empowering communities and ensuring that TECHO Perú continues to create meaningful change in urban and rural areas.
Main Speaker and Discussant on Finance
Ms. Theresa Carampatana, former National President of the Homeless Peoples' Federation Philippines, is a dedicated community organizer and social activist with over 20 years of experience advocating for the rights of slum dwellers. Having grown up in a marginalized urban slum, she has firsthand knowledge of inadequate housing, insecure livelihoods, and limited access to basic services. Her leadership has significantly shaped the movement for community-led development and resilience, focusing on community mobilization, settlement mapping, housing upgrades, and access to essential services. Carampatana's work emphasizes collaboration between local communities, government authorities, and civil society to improve housing conditions and develop more inclusive policies for the urban poor. She has been instrumental in building secure homes and advocating for better services through partnerships with both local and national governments.
Main Speaker and Discussant on Finance
Joseph Kimani is a highly experienced community organizer in Kenya, with expertise in civic and political rights, peacebuilding, economic development, and governance. He holds a Masters in Community Economic Development and has worked with Civil Society Organizations for over 20 years. He has a deep understanding of Kenya's informal settlements and has influenced major projects in our cities. Particularly, led the design of the community organization and public participation model for the Mukuru Special Planning Area, which aimed to benefit over 100,560 households. Joseph has worked with Pamoja Trust, Umande Trust, Muungano Support Trust, and Shack Dwellers International Kenya (SDI Kenya), and is a member of Community Organizing Practitioner Association Kenya (COPA-K). Joseph also serves on the Board of Buildher and The Youth Congress. He is currently the Executive Director of SDI Kenya, a professional organization supporting Kenya Slum Dwellers Federation- Muungano wa Wanavijiji in championing for inclusive cities.
Main Speaker and Discussant on Networks and Partnerships
A development economist by training, Mino is a rural development expert and activist from Madagascar. Prior to joining the Huairou Commission as Africa Regional Coordinator, she spent nine years working for national and civil society organizations as well as an international coalition. Mino draws from deep experience on issues as varied as microfinance, education, rural development and land, also with a national and regional advocacy focus. She has facilitated gender projects as Africa Regional Coordinator for the International Land Coalition, served as a national expert for UNESCO and other agencies, undertaken an independent consultancy with FAO to translate the Voluntary Guidelines on the Governance of Tenure into Malagasy, and has additionally supported the Malagasy Rural Women Federation (FVTM) in Madagascar. Mino is fluent in English and French, and is based out of Madagascar.
Discussants on Networks and Partnerships
Discussant on Finance
Anthony Boanada-Fuchs joined the IHS as the new Head of Projects and Partnerships in September 2024. With 15 years of experience in urbanisation in the Global South and thematic expertise in affordable housing policies, slum upgrading, and informality, he specialised more recently in attracting and managing small and medium-sized external funding. He brings the institute a strong network and will be responsible for strengthening and streamlining the institute’s efforts in project acquisition and management and supporting the institute in forging strategic alliances.
Discussant on Governance
Project Officer in charge of the Kenyan Slum Upgrading Projects within the Slum Upgrading Unit, and program support to the Participatory Slum Upgrading Program. Launched in 2008, the Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme (PSUP) targets to improve the living conditions in towns and cities. The PSUP is being implemented through a tripartite partnership between the European Commission, the ACP Group of States, and UN-Habitat.
