Community-based enterprise development training

Community-based Enterprise Development (C-BED) for Super Typhoon Haiyan Affected Areas in Tacloban

As recovery continues in areas hard hit by Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), the ILO will help equip humanitarian partners with knowledge on Community-based Enterprise Development (C-BED).

Over 50 representatives from the local government, national government agencies, non-government organizations, international organizations and United Nations agencies will attend a workshop on the Community- Based Enterprise Development (C-BED) Methodology and Training Tools.

The workshop aims to provide government agencies and international organizations involved in livelihood initiatives with an opportunity to learn more about C-BED. The workshop will include a dialogue on new approaches and opportunities to apply C-BED tools in Haiyan affected areas, specifically in Leyte.

C-BED is a low-cost, easy to implement training programme that uses hands-on, activity based lessons, while promoting dialogue and partnership among the participants. Conducted without the need for external trainers or resources, C-BED training is led by a facilitator selected from within the community to guide participants in the step-by-step process through learning activities. By identifying existing knowledge and capacities as the starting point, participants build skills on basic principles of business development such as costing and marketing.

As part of the ILO's response to help Haiyan affected areas, two C-BED pilot workshops have already been conducted in Tacloban. The C-BED pilot workshops were held in February and March 2014, in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment Region VIII. A total of 50 displaced vendors, small-scale business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs joined the pilot workshops.

A follow-up meeting with interested partner institutions will be held on 25 April to discuss opportunities to apply training tools in order to reach out to Haiyan affected areas.

The training methodology is seen to have a great potential to assist and empower participants through the sharing of experiences and aspirations with others from their community.