The hardest-to-reach are often invisible. With the emphasis on localization in development, a spotlight on how solutions can ensure reach to the most marginalized communities is direly needed.
Last-mile communities are dynamic and complex settings. By definition, these communities fall through the cracks of blanket — and even targeted — development efforts and demand adaptable and tailored approaches through localization, using local expertise to customize interventions that cater to distinct community needs, challenges, and priorities. Although practitioners have long sought to build local competency and uphold a community-led approach, little consensus has emerged on how to deliver on localization objectives.
The Reach Alliance examines how critical interventions get to those that are hardly reached. Successful efforts in Guatemala, Mexico, and Tanzania can provide a road map for localization in last-mile settings.
About the authors
Shahd Fares
Shahd Fares is a Reach Alliance researcher from the 2020-2021 case study on Guatemala’s Healthy Pregnancy Project (HPP). She received her honors bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto with a double major in Neuroscience and Political Science. Shahd is currently completing her master’s degree at McGill University in Cognitive Neuroscience where she studies political information processing and decision making.
Angela Min Yi Hou
Angela Min Yi Hou is a Reach Alliance researcher from the 2018-2019 case study on Tanzania’s medical supply chains. She holds a master’s in International Affairs from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID) in Geneva, with specializations in international trade and environmental sustainability. Prior to this, Angela graduated from the University of Toronto with a double major in International Relations and Contemporary Asian Studies.
Ricardo Miguel Morales Chaires
Ricardo Miguel Morales Chaires is a cultural manager from Nuevo León, Mexico, with 25 years of experience in the field of community development and popular education. He is an advocate for interculturality and the rights of Indigenous people. Throughout his career, he has worked both in civil society organizations and in government, focusing on the empowerment of youth and adults in communities considered highly marginalized. His work revolves around fostering citizen participation and collaborative efforts.
Marisa Sofia Terán
Marisa Sofia Terán is a Reach Alliance researcher from the 2021-2022 case study on Mexico’s migrant indigenous communities. Graduating with honors from Tecnológico de Monterrey, Marisa holds a degree in Marketing with a specialization in Social Development. She is currently the marketing manager at Travelers with Cause, an organization with social projects in 30 countries, and has coordinated several social projects in America and Africa.
