During the Global Development Network (GDN) Conference held at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, the capital of Fiji last November 26-28, AIDF was awarded as one of the two winners (1st placers) of the Most Innovative Development Project (MIDP). The other winner was Ako Fresh from Ghana and an agricultural program from Uganda ended up as the second placer.
The MIDP is one of the two long-running competitions of the Global Development Awards Competition (GDAC) years and has brought together a rich community of researchers and development practitioners. It is an award scheme that funds innovative social development projects implemented by NGOs that benefit marginalized groups in the developing world.
GDN's mission is to improve development outcomes and livelihood through high-quality, policy-oriented research in the social science, produced in developing countries and connected globally. In GDN's strategy, research is seen not only as a source of knowledge but also as an instrument and a process to equip development actors with critical skills, analysis, and evidence for high-impact activities. For GDN, research capacity that is put to the service of development debates and implementation, is development itself. The Global Development Award Competition exemplifies this vision by awarding excellence in individual research and implementation activities through two award categories:
'The Japanese Award for Most Innovative Development Project (MIDP)' and The Japanese Award for Outstanding Research on Development (ORD)'.
All finalists attended the conference and were professionally guided in refining their presentation in a two-day workshop. AIDFI then presented its holis ic work with the ram pump titled 'Cultivating Resilient Communities by pumping water uphill' to the international judges (including the World Bank) and participants of the conference. The working miniature model of the ram pump, which AIDFI brought along to the Conference, became a center of attraction and triggered interest from participants.
The work of AIDFI was very much in line with the conference theme of "Global Synergies:
Climate Resiliency Strategies for a Sustainable Tomorrow" which was attended by 250 participants in person and another 500 online, coming from some 90 countries.
Water Security was one of the discussed topics and it was stated that in the Pacific, only 55% of the population has basic drinking water access. As solutions were mentioned:
Participatory Planning, Community Governance, and a heft dose of infrastructure investment. Clearly, "just add water" isn't enough anymore.
The award was handed over to AIDFI by Japanese Ambassador to Fiji, Mr. Wagabaca and
M. Jean-Louis Arcand, President of GDN during the well-attended award ceremony.
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