Count to Four projects are guided by the principle values and positive examples of Asset-Based Community Development.

Why small, asset-based, home-grown projects are our focus:

Large development endeavors can tend to become more about the project than the people. Individual character can get lost in the chaos of logistics, numbers and there exists an inherent lack of accountability. Such projects tend to set huge, monumental, simplistic goals and when failing to achieve such goals instill a debilitating cynicism across the globe.

Needs-based aid projects can lead to a community full of members that view themselves as nothing more than clients and define themselves based simply on their needs. This creates a dependency-based relationship, debilitating individuals’ courage to become active contributors to their own future.

What is right or works in one community may not work or be right in another. Even well-intentioned projects that are forced upon a community from the outside in can be misunderstood, unwelcome and, if successful, can lead to unforeseen negative effects.