Where the Sidewalk Ends…
“There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,...”
Dear Friend,
Last week, I had the opportunity to visit a local village outside of Chisinau to witness the impact of a project sponsored by USAID. The project involved the construction of a sidewalk that connected the main street to a preschool. This seemingly simple project, which included building up the walkway, laying bricks, placing rumble bricks, and creating access points for driveways, profoundly impacted the village's infrastructure, democracy, and leadership. The effects were also evident in the local implementing partner, who was able to hire three female engineers and empower them into positions of leadership and design.
The entire village selected the project through a series of meetings in which they were given three options and then were asked to select which one they wanted to see in their community. They "voted" by placing a colored sticker on the project of their choice and ranking it in a ranked order. The project with the most votes was selected to be funded. They selected this small sidewalk. A committee consisting of the kindergarten principal, the head librarian, and the cultural liaison for the community was tasked with the daily monitoring of the project and working directly with the engineer and the contractor to ensure the project was done correctly. As a result of going through this process, the mayor was able to secure funding for the repair and upgrade of the kindergarten and the addition of a daycare facility for the working parents of the village. Thus, these parents are now looking to remain in the village rather than move away, bringing in taxes and energy to continue living there.
And all of this started where the sidewalk ended. Shel Silverstein may have only meant to discuss the point in which childhood adventures rule over the stress of adulthood. Still, here in this village, where the sidewalks end, a child's school begins, a family home, and the heart continues to beat, women find power within themselves. Communities are taking hold of their destiny.
I am blessed to witness this and to see the power of development in action.
