# IIRR

IIRR, previously known as the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction, is a leading international non-governmental organization that aims to eliminate rural poverty and boost sustainable rural development. Founded by Dr. Y.C. James Yen in 1960, IIRR believes that, provided with knowledge and access to essential resources, rural communities can independently lead themselves to a more prosperous and equitable future.

## History of the Rural Reconstruction Movement

IIRR’s work builds on the 100-year legacy of the Rural Reconstruction Movement.

### Rural Reconstruction Movement in China

The Chinese Mass Education Movement (MEM), the antecedent of the Rural Reconstruction Movement (RRM), was launched in 1923 by Y.C. James Yen and other prominent educators in China, with the aim of societal reform through popular and accessible education. The movement opened schools for the common people in rural areas and reached over 20 provinces.
Built on the principles of the MEM, the Ding Xian Experiment was one of the most noteworthy projects in early Rural Reconstruction. The project started in 1926 and lasted until the Japanese invasion of 1937. The RRM initiated programs targeting issues of literacy, agricultural production, health, and grassroot organization, with an objective to empower rural people materially and intellectually. Yen and his fellows shared their knowledge of seed cultivation, agricultural techniques, and livestock breeding. They also trained health workers in villages and effectively controlled smallpox and skin diseases. The impacts of the project were long lasting, as demonstrated by a survey in 1980 that there was no illiteracy or smallpox cases in Ding Xian.
After World War Ⅱ, Yen partnered with UNESCO to disseminate basic medical knowledge of vaccination and disease screening among rural Chinese residents. The ideas and methods of RRM contributed tremendously to the first flagship educational initiative of UNESCO, the Fundamental Education Programme.

### Rural Reconstruction for the world

The RRM was not limited to China but dedicated to tackle poverty issues worldwide. In the 1950s, Yen further promoted RRM to South and Southeast Asia, South America and Africa, which was widely applauded by local people.

### The foundation of IIRR

Dr. Yen founded IIRR in the Philippines in 1960. The work of IIRR is anchored in the principles and teachings of Yen, who espoused the importance of equal education and opportunity to correct injustice. He said, “Where there is equity and justice, there will be peace.”
IIRR honors Yen’s legacy by working alongside people in rural communities to build upon their knowledge and strengths to bring about sustainable and meaningful change.

## IIRR’s Work

IIRR’s work focuses on five thematic pillars: economic empowerment, education, environment, food systems, and health. IIRR is dedicated to generating and disseminating knowledge and scaling up best practices among rural communities and development professionals alike.

### Food systems: promoting regenerative agriculture in Cambodia

Sustainability of food systems is a main focus of IIRR’s activities. For example, IIRR initiated regenerative agriculture and Climate Smart Village project in Cambodia in 2017.As a result of decreasing soil fertility due to overproduction, a more sustainable and climate-smart agricultural system was required. IIRR provided farmers with training on various topics, including good criteria for seedling selection, Integrated Pest Management, basal fertilizer application, and soil fertility improvement.
During follow-up visits, IIRR also helped farmers create farm record books in which input costs were noted. Through training by IIRR, farmers kept track of production costs including expense of inputs, labor, and other materials and thus were able to place fair prices on their products.
Besides Cambodia, IIRR also developed Bio-intensive gardening (BIG) in the Philippines to address food insecurity and malnutrition. IIRR developed the BIG project in 1984 in response to the collapse of the Philippine sugar industry and the subsequent food and economic crisis. By 1986 the rate of malnutrition in the province where BIG was first implemented had fallen from 40% to 25%. Since then, IIRR’s BIG efforts have now reached Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Laos, Nepal, the Philippines, Thailand, and Uganda.

### Education: Pastoralist Education Program in East Africa

In Kenya and Ethiopia, the basic education systems available to pastoralists are characterized by limited access, gender inequality, low retention, and poor infrastructure. IIRR developed a flexible education curriculum—mobile schools, evening classes, etc—to fit in with pastoral mobile life patterns and improve their essential abilities for livelihood. 75,000+ pastoralist people benefited from the program, with at least half of them girls.

### Economic empowerment: transforming local economy into commercial agriculture in Uganda

In Uganda, IIRR has focused on transforming small-holder farmers from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture by increasing their knowledge and skills in farming techniques and improving their access to markets and value chain support services, with maize and rice being the target agro-enterprises.
Higher incomes and increased knowledge of farming techniques and business operations have allowed participating farmers to be more fully included in the larger economy. Maize yields have tripled to 1,500 kg/acre, leading to maize farmers increasing their net incomes from an average $78.95 to $460.52 per acre. Rice farmers have likewise had an increase in net income, from an average $131.57 to $578.95 per acre.

### Health: feeding children in the Philippines

Malnutrition amongst children is a serious problem in the Philippines, with 2.3 million out of 13.5 million public primary schoolers severely underweight or obese. IIRR, in partnership with the Philippine government, developed a model that linked school gardening, nutrition education, and supplementary feeding together for primary school children.
The Integrated School Nutrition Model (ISNM) promotes bio-intensive school gardens and ‘agro-biodiversity’, ensuring that iron-fortified rice and a diverse range of vegetables are planted for children’s feeding. Students who partake in this school feeding project, as well as their parents and teachers, received education on the importance of nutrition, which they can pass on to family members at home. In the past 10 years, more than 4 million Philippine children have benefited from the project.

### Environment: Peatland restoration in the Philippines

Leyte Sab-a Basin peatland, a peatland spanning approximately 2,100 hectares in the Philippines, was downgraded due to natural disasters and agricultural production. Given that the peatland was key to the local ecosystem and livelihoods, IIRR engaged in peatland restoration to address potential food insecurity and climate hazards.
The project supported a natural regeneration of 1,180 hectares of remnant peat swamp forest. IIRR also distributed a variety of seed stock to local farmers to test the best variety for peatland agriculture. Farmers also received introductory courses about diversified organic farming systems. Consequently, 4,200 acres of peatland forest restored with 94,000+ community members participated.

## Structure
### Headquarters and offices

IIRR’s legal headquarters is located in the United States (New York), while the organization’s operational headquarters is located in the Philippines on the campus of the Yen Center.
Named after IIRR's founder, the Yen Center is an eco-friendly training facility situated approximately 24 mi (39 km) from Manila in the Province of Cavite, Philippines. The facility offers seminars, training, retreats, workshops, conferences, team building, and other learning events.
Additionally, the organization has country and regional offices in Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Myanmar, Philippines, South Sudan and Uganda.

### Governance and staff

Governance consists of 15 members from government, private sectors and civil society.
IIRR has 500+ staff worldwide, with 99% of them being local to country programs.