Valid’s interest in social mobilisation stems from its development of the CTC/CMAM model. From the outset Valid has recognised the community as a key resource for ensuring early case finding and good coverage. Conversely, ignoring social dynamics might often involve failing to respond to barriers to access. Community mobilisation is a vital part of the CTC/CMAM model, neglected at peril, and failures in CTC/CMAM programmes can more often be traced to community mobilisation failures than to any other cause.
Valid’s experience with social research and mobilisation in CTC/CMAM projects has relevance beyond the community nutrition field. Humanitarian programmes have tended to neglect local people's potential to influence the results they are able to achieve. It is often felt that time spent in getting to know communities during emergency relief programmes is time wasted or that local people cannot be trusted during times when large volumes of resources are being distributed. But our experience is that knowledge of local beliefs and an ability to interact with local systems and institutions are vital to the success of responses to even the most urgent and overwhelming crises.
