Organisations offering Immersions

ActionAid International

Immersions are regularly organised by ActionAid International through its country programmes and partners in Africa and Asia. Participants in an ActionAid-facilitated immersion spend a minimum of three days and nights staying with a family in a village and living, as far as possible, how that family lives. Though also used for internal purposes, the AAI Immersion programme is open to external development professionals, staff of aid agencies and governments. An updated schedule is available on AA website (http://www.actionaid.org/main.aspx?PageID=571).
For more information, please contact:
ActionAid, Hamlyn House, Macdonald Road, London N19 5PG, UK;
Ph. ++44 20 75617653; Email: immersions@actionaid.org

World Bank, Pakistan

Generally, the practice of immersions in the World Bank – known as GRIP and VIP programmes – is not regular. But they are done regularly in some countries like Pakistan it became so as a result of a personal and professional choice. Qazi Azmat Isa, who works as Senior Community Development Specialist in WB Pakistan, runs immersions twice a year in order to monitor and evaluate the Pakistan’s Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), which is under his responsibility.
If you are interested in sharing this experience and understanding it first-hand, please contact: Qazi Azmat Isa, South Asia Sustainable Development, World Bank Office, Islamabad, Pakistan. Phone: + 92 51 227 9641, ext. 151, Email: qisa@worldbank.org.

Self-Employed Women Association (SEWA), India

SEWA has a long and diversified experience in preparing Exposure and Dialogue Programmes (EDPs). SEWA can host people/organisations that are willing to undergo such exposure programme. EDPs can be organised and shaped according to needs (e.g. thematic or open-ended EDP). The number of participants may range from one to 14.
To find out more on possible arrangements and costs, please, contact Reema Nanavaty, Director, Economic and Rural Development, Self Employed Women’s Associaiton (SEWA), SEWA Reception Centre, Opp. Lokmanya Tilak Baug, Bhadra,
Ahmedabad – 380 00. Phone: +91 79 26575129, 26577175, Email: bdmsa@icenet.co.in.

PRAXIS – Institute for Participatory Practices, India

PRAXIS India firmly believes in the practice of immersions and has therefore institutionalised it as a refresher experience for its staff members. PRAXIS feels that is equally important to promote immersions among other institutions, such as NGOs, multilateral and bilateral donors, universities, government bodies and media agencies. Insight is PRAXIS’ experiential learning programme and has been developed specifically for external organisations.
To find out more about Insight, please contact: Raffaella Catani at PRAXIS, C-75 South Extension Part II, 110049 - New Delhi. Ph: +91 (0) 11 41642348-52 (Ext. 222);
Email: raffaellac@praxisindia.org or visit www.praxisindia.org/insight

Exposure and Dialogue Programme Association, Germany

The EDP Association has organised Exposure and Dialogue Programmes (EDPs) since 1992. The EDP aims to build strategic alliances for poverty reduction among politicians and other high level decision-makers. In cooperation with different partners in Europe and oversees, EDP focuses on the circumstances under which ordinary people make steps out of poverty by their own effort. This is to promote insights into the potential of different forms of genuine self-help – on the background of tools, norms and regulations that build (local and international) capacities. Facilitated by grass-root organisations, participants visit host families in their homes, live and work with them for at least three to four days. Exposure experiences are being reflected upon in detail and potential follow-up steps are being discussed before the participants return to their respective institutions.
For more details, contact: Jörg Hilgers, EDP Association, Kaiser Friedrich Str. 9, D-53113, Bonn, Germany. Ph: ++49 228 103339. Email: hilgers@exposure-dialog.de