Capacity Building

Bridges’ approach to capacity building is giving someone a fishing pole and teaching him or her to fish, rather than endlessly supplying that person with handouts of food. Capacity building is providing the means for sustainable growth and development.

Capacity building is providing someone with leadership and professional training – and mentoring them along the way – to better equip them to do the job they were trained to do, as an individual and within the organizations and communities where they work, creating a sense of empowerment. This means: inspiring youth and young adults to realize their potential; training doctors, nurses and midwives in improved medical practices; working with journalists to give voice to local situations from local perspectives; and working with local teachers and politicians toward improving conditions in their communities for the short and long term.