Ibasho partners with groups that are interested in creating communities aligned with Ibasho’s values. We provide flexible services to meet the needs of clients, ranging from consultations, assembling teams of experts, to project development and training of operators and caregivers.
Contents
Benefits of working with Ibasho
- Linkage to a worldwide network of Ibasho communities
- In-depth assessment of needs
- Provides a pre-design process for planning phase
- Ability to engage widely-varying individuals and organizations for support
- Uses a strength-based approach to community development
- Creation of community-driven planning
- Broad community involvement
- Creates a sustainable system with community ownership
- Ongoing follow-up and support as needed
- Rigorous evaluation and research
Unique Feature of Ibasho
- View elders as resources rather than liabilities
- Empower and include elders as “Change agents” of their own communities
- Elders “care for” younger generation, rather than “being cared for.”
- Community owned initiative
- Social development through “place making” together
- Elders as catalyst to strengthen social capital and make their communities more resilient
- Continuous involvement and support for sustainable operation and governance
How does Ibasho work with you?
Ibasho partners with local organizations and community to create socially integrated and sustainable communities that value their elders. Our approach is to empower elders, transforming them from burdens to society who need care and resources from younger generations to contributing members of society with something to offer other members of their communities.
We offer:
- Initial assessment and brainstorming
- Forming project team
- Concept development
- Education/workshop sessions
- Design Charrette
- Architectural design
- Operational plan
- Project Management
- On-going operation support
- Research and evaluations
- Fundraising support
Ibasho will be involved from the initiation of the project and post-opening phase to ensure the long-term sustainable operation among the community elders.
We will also facilitate peer-to-peer support network among the Ibasho projects community.
Community Resiliency
The theory of change behind this project draws on multiple constructs, including elder empowerment, ibasho, community bonding, social capital, and community resilience. Figure 1 explains how these concepts relate to each other, based on four assumptions:
- Empowering elders changes the way they feel about their role in their community
- Creating the Ibasho Café (both physical and social infrastructures) with elders in a leadership role increases the community bonding among the members of all ages
- A strong sense of community bonding increases the level of social network and community participation, enhancing the sense of belonging and trust, and developing reciprocity between neighbors
- An enhanced sense of social capital strengthens the community’s resilience so it is better prepared to withstand future natural disasters and the impacts of global aging
