For 10 years now, Dimitra Clubs in sub-Saharan Africa have been empowering rural people to champion and galvanize development within their own communities. With 3400 clubs and 102 000 members, the Dimitra Clubs are having a positive impact on an estimated 2 million rural people.
Dimitra Clubs are voluntary, informal groups for women, men and youth who discuss common problems and determine ways to address them by acting together and using local resources. Agriculture is a common theme, but it’s not the only one; other topics include climate change, education, health, infrastructure, nutrition, peace and women’s status. Although FAO facilitates their set up and provides them with training and coaching, the clubs themselves are self-managed.
Dimitra Clubs create a space to also discuss and take action in relation with community social norms and behaviors affecting women – enabling women’s leadership and encouraging men’s engagement. Nearly all clubs own a solar-powered radio. By fostering partnerships with local radio stations, Dimitra Clubs learn from one another, broadcast their initiatives and spark dialogue in the wider community and beyond.
Here are four examples of the success the Dimitra Clubs have had over the past 10 years:
1. Fighting malnutrition by challenging dietary taboos
In several parts of Tshopo Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, rural women were facing upwards of 30 dietary restrictions banning them from many important sources of protein. Women were told that eating forbidden foods such as certain varieties of fish or eggs, would cause various diseases. The bans were established several generations ago, and they had never been challenged – until the local Dimitra Club stepped in.
In August 2014, the club requested that the local radio station invite a nutrition expert into the studio. “Any food that can be eaten by a man can also be eaten by a woman,” the nutritionist declared. Leaders of various Dimitra Club echoed this message in their activities with traditional authorities. As a result, by June 2017, more than 20 dietary restrictions had been set aside. The Dimitra Clubs are still working to lift the remaining taboos.