In January 2006, LWB's executive committee was very fortunate to meet with Maribel Gonzales of Development Workshop (DW) in Guelph, Ontario.  Maribel is a Canadian representative of DW, a highly respected and long-established NGO in Angola. DW has been working in Angola since 1981, and it aims to improve settlements and livelihoods of the poor in less developed communities. LWB members arranged this meeting  in order to gain as much insight as possible into the local reality in Angola from an experienced organization.

Maribel offered valuable advice and encouragement to LWB in relation to our goals in Angola.  DW's involvement there has led to great success in improving settlements and quality of life, including: arranging community management of basic services such as water supply and sanitation; setting up AngoNet (the first Internet connection in Angola) in 1989 with Canadian funding support; supporting peace building; and conducting seminal research on various issues such as land rights.   These are just a few of the highlights of DW's work in Angola -- their experience and enormous contributions to Angolan society is significant and a great inspiration to a nascent organization such as LWB.

Thanks to the help and support of Development Workshop, we strengthened our understanding of the needs of Angolan residents, in particular the services and resources that would benefit them the most.  DW and LWB both understand the need to establish social infrastructure in order to improve the quality of life for Angolan citizens.  As a younger organization, LWB is constantly learning and we will continue to embrace recommendations and develop relationships with organizations such as DW in order to ensure the greatest achievements for the benefit of the Angolan people.  

Photo credits: Development Workshop