Description
The overall disadvantaged rural situation of villages in the North-East part of Hungary makes the realization of the project necessary. As the “Hejo-Sajo – village cooperation network” is a complex rural development project, it is possible to tackle poverty, integration, and educational and employment needs within this one project. According to our expected outcomes the direct livelihood and community activity will increase, and cooperational networks between villages will be established. Further motivation for ecologically based village development, focusing on poverty reduction and participant based development, will increase during the project. The target groups are both the inhabitants, the decision makers and locally already active persons. During the project we use special methods of participant based development, empowerment work and experience based learning, which ensure the successful realization of the project.
Summary of project results
The project addressed complex problems of small villages including unemployment, poverty, passivity, defenseless, vulnerability, dependence. The lack of knowledge and motivation for self-care, the lack of cooperation between residents, and the lack of programs for the effective integration of Roma and non-Roma population. Lack of sustainable, environmentally conscious development projects and the absence of both regional cooperation between settlements and micro-regional development plans. Although one 14-month-long project cannot solve all these problems, it could still contribute to it by combining a larger, well-grounded and planned strategic process. The promoter started its community-based, organic agriculture and non-formal adult education program, called "Pro Lecsó", In 2013. In the project this municipal level program was further developed and transformed into a settlement network. As a result of the implementation, new gardens were established in Sajókeresztúr (1568sqm), Szirmabesenyő (871sqm), Kistokaj (1056sqm) and Sajósenye (715sqm) (in this cases, approximately 9.5 tonnes of vegetables were harvested in 2015 with nearly 2 million HUF real economic value) while Sajóecseg, Sajóvámos, Sajóbábony took part as beginners. The 8th affected settlement (with the fifth garden) was Hejőkeresztúr (7108sqm), where Pro Lecsó garden started in 2014, and which provided peer experience for the new PL gardeners. With the members of the network planning was carried out, and Pro Lecsó's own participatory quality assurance system was developed and implemented. The organizers and gardeners involved in the process were continuously trained and mentored, and the population of the settlements was reached and involved with 3 large-scale micro-region community events. For a broader sharing of experience, a methodological summary was made and more than 10 other municipalities included in a planning day. As a result of all these, the foundations of Pro Lecsó's Hejő-Sajó network have been laid down, but the planning required for extending the program has also been carried out.
Summary of bilateral results