Revolving Development Fund

A community-managed revolving fund for local development was first trialled in Lari in 2011. Supported by Ford Foundation, this project works with herding communities to assess social and natural capital and build management capacities in ways that promote community level autonomy.

A community association was established and work committees were developed. With the guidance and support from Prof Du and other colleagues from the Sichuan NGO Shuguang Community Capacity Building Center, the herding community also developed management structures and by-laws that outlined how loans would be assessed, approved, monitored and repaid. The first several years have been so successful – with all of the small loans repaid within agreed timeframes – that the model now is also being replicated in Dangqu village.