Global Brigades responds to the United Nations call to eliminate poverty and addresses the Sustainable Development Goals while sustainably transitioning out of 77 communities in 5 years.
By Alexa Boldt, Global Brigades Communications Associate, and Ben Erker, Global Brigades Director of Impact and Evaluation
Global Brigades is a committed member of the global community working to end poverty. Get ready to digest these numbers; they’re packed with significance.
In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly formally adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and 17 Global Goals to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Global Brigades heard the call, looked at the GB holistic model of comprehensive health, water and sanitation, and economic initiatives, and responded, “77 in 5.”
GB staff and a group of experienced and motivated professional volunteers began collaborating in 2015 to develop an approach and established a strategic plan to work with 77 community partners to sustainably transition out of poverty in the next 5 years (2017-2021). Specific to the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, GB has defined three key components of our model to create clarity in our plan to eliminate poverty through the 77 in 5 initiative – Healthcare, Water and Sanitation, and Economic Development.
Beyond GB’s work in line with U.N. SDGs, part of the 77 in 5 strategy is to continue to grow Global Brigades’ volunteer programming in the areas of health and economic brigade opportunities, explore new fundraising strategies through large grants and donor relationships, continue strengthening partnerships with communities and work with assets local governments and communities possess.
While GB’s volunteers and partner communities provide passion, diligence and hard earned resources to this initiative, we need further support to reach our goal. By partnering with GB and donating to this initiative, you directly support GB’s work with 77 Honduran communities to improve healthcare, water, sanitation and economic growth. Email ben.erker@globalbrigades.org to get involved.
The United Nations defines poverty as, “a denial of choices and opportunities, a violation of human dignity. It means lack of basic capacity to participate effectively in society. It means not having enough to feed and cloth[e] a family, not having a school or clinic to go to, not having the land on which to grow one’s food or a job to earn one’s living, not having access to credit. It means insecurity, powerlessness and exclusion of individuals, households and communities. It means susceptibility to violence, and it often implies living on marginal or fragile environments, without access to clean water or sanitation.” – United Nations, 1998
