What are toolkits for ? Building of course. But prior to all, our aim with handing out toolkits to the Village Reconstruction Committees we have gathered is to empower them, and give them a first opportunity for practical management.
Indeed, the kits are not given to the community once for all, they are lent. Thus, the French Red Cross & Architecture&Development keep their ownership and only delegate their management. The members of Village Reconstruction Committees are in charge to make sure everybody in the community has even access to the tools (according to one’s needs), that the tools are maintained and well kept, and that no item is missing. Management forms are provided for the follow-up. Our teams, on the monthly basis of our visits, will check them and assess the use and management of the kits.
Repeated mismanagement or bad maintenance will allow us to withdraw the loan, and hand it over to more motivated communities. When the project will end, we will make a proper donation of the kits, with the certainty it will be used for best profit of all.

Toolkits are divided in three sub-kits. Each sub-kit is taken as a whole by one builder for a day or a week, according to his needs. The Village Reconstruction Committee is in charge to supervise a fair distribution of the three sub-kits.
Sub-Kit 1-Landscaping : 2 wheelbarrows, 4 shovels, water level, and the like.
Sub-Kit 2-Masonry (in an iron box) : 3 trowels, 1 pound hammer, 2 plumb bulb & 2 mason’s level, pliers and so forth.
Sub-Kit 3-Carpentry (in an iron box) : 3 hammers, 3 saws, 1 planer, 1 square, etc.

The total value of a kit is 134€, summing up to a global budget of nearly 10’000€.
The impact so far is excellent, and ensures our teams with (slightly) increased participation despite continuous heavy showers.