Of all the initiatives I’ve been part of, community development programs are among the most unique and, frankly, the most sensitive. You quickly learn that what works in one place might completely fail in another. From community to community, you have to be incredibly conscious, almost like a chameleon, ready to truly understand the local traditions and mentality. It’s not just about what you plan to do; it’s about becoming part of their world. Forget talking about missions, visions, or official program goals right away. If there’s no trust, no respect, you’ll have no success.
I remember a project where we went into a remote area for a new community development program. This place had seen its share of outside groups come and go, making promises that often didn’t last. At that time, a national wisdom saying often came to mind: “When you cross the village of blinds, go with one eye closed.” It wasn’t about being blind, but about understanding and adapting to the local way of seeing things. When my team and I arrived, there was a real sense of resistance in the air. People were polite but completely closed off. Every meeting we tried to set, every question we asked, was met with silence or avoidance. They’d clearly been disappointed before, and they saw us as just another group passing through.
We tried all the usual things: explaining our goals, showing our credentials, talking about what we hoped to achieve. Nothing worked. It was like talking to a brick wall. Our program facilities, meant to be welcoming, felt isolated, emphasizing that we were outsiders.
That’s when I decided to lean into that wisdom, to truly try something different, something that felt a bit unusual at the time. Instead of staying in the designated program housing, I looked for an apartment right in the heart of the community. I ended up in a simple, bustling building, the kind with clothes hanging from balconies and kids playing outside.
Some colleagues thought it was a strange move and were worried about privacy or professionalism. But for me, it was about being close. It was about breaking down the invisible wall between us and them.
“When you cross the village of blinds, go with one eye closed.”
Slowly, subtly, things began to shift. My morning walks to the bakery turned into quick greetings with neighbors. Shared elevator rides led to brief chats about the weather, then the price of tomatoes, and eventually, about families. The older women sitting on benches started waving, and kids kicked their football a little closer to my door. I was just another resident, dealing with the same occasional power cuts, enjoying the same coffee from the local shop, listening to the same street sounds.
I wasn’t just “the person from the program.” I was “the neighbor from the third floor.” People saw me carrying groceries, struggling with a leaky faucet like anyone else. They saw me interacting with their children, respecting their traditions, and simply living in their world without making demands.
That simple choice “to live among them, not apart” became the unseen key to connecting with the community. It wasn’t a grand plan; it was about truly being there. It showed, without words, that I wasn’t there to tell them what to do. I was there to be part of their lives, to understand their rhythm, and to truly listen.
Once that basic trust and human connection formed, everything changed. The closed doors started to open. The skeptical looks softened into curious glances, then real smiles. Meetings turned into genuine discussions, and surveys became natural conversations. In the end, the community, which had been so hesitant at first, became our most dedicated partner. They finally believed we were in it with them, not just for them.
If there’s no trust, no respect, you’ll have no success.
And you know, life really is beautiful. Even now, about eight years after leaving that program, I still get messages and calls from my old neighbors, friends, and local colleagues. To be frank, it’s a great pleasure. That’s something you definitely don’t read about in any project management textbook.
Author: Davit Iskandaryan, Managing Partner, PMA LLC