WWF starts capacity building programmes for Monze farmers
By Pride Bwalya in Monze
Wed 25 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT
THE World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) through the Local Capacity for Livelihoods project in Monze has embarked on capacity building programmes to provide farmers with skills in financial management.
Local Capacity for Livelihoods project (LC4LL) focal point person Crispin Sinyama said during a two-day workshop in Monze yesterday that there were a number of capacity building activities that selected farmer groups would be made to go through in order to help them manage their livelihoods in times of current environmental challenges being faced such as droughts and floods.
He said the implementation of these capacity building activities which included fundraising, financial management and cost recovery, effective practices, procedures and appropriate incentives, networking and project programme development would be done through guidance from a consortium of environmental NGOs.
Sinyama said the overall objective of the LC4LL project was to contribute to an effective and empowered Zambian civil society able to support the rural poor to improve their livelihoods and have a voice in creating an enabling environment.
He said the project intended to address major environmental challenges such as conservation and management of biological and water resources, planning for management of land use, waste management and impacts of climate change.
Sinyama said the project was implemented by a coalition of four NGOs namely WWF, Farmer Organisation Support (FOSUP), Participatory and Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM)-Zambia chapter and Green Living Movement (GLM) with the support from Development Fund Norway while it is managed in Zambia by Self Help Africa-Zambia.
He told participants at the workshop that assistance under the project came up with the aim of promoting advocacy programs that would help uplift rural communities that directly depended on natural resources.
Sinyama said it would also effectively promote long-term sustainability and foster improved collaborations and partnerships contributing to sustainable management of biological diversity, natural resources and sustainable livelihoods.
Labels: CAPACITY BUILDING, CRISPIN SINYAMA, FARMERS, WORLD WILDLIFE FUND
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Organisation seeks to initiate capacity building programme
Herald Reporter
A visiting member of the Mercy Corps board of directors, Mr Mark Gordon yesterday paid a courtesy call on Vice President Joice Mujuru. The visit comes ahead of his organisation’s introduction of a capacity building programme to develop consensus among various stakeholders in the country.
Speaking after meeting VP Mujuru, Mr Gordon said the programme had nothing to do with the politics of the country.
"We are coming to Zimbabwe with no political agenda, but among a number of the projects in Zimbabwe, there is one which is still in the process of being formulated.
"The programme will seek to increase capacity of the various groups to find common ground despite their differences," he said.
Mr Gordon said the programme had been well received in many countries including South Africa, especially during the constitution-making process in that country.
"We had an excellent discussion with Madam Vice President (Mujuru) and she seems very much encouraged by the programme.
"We also believe that such programmes can help Zimbabwe maximise its efforts to carry its message to the world," he said.
The United States-based non-governmental organisation currently operates in 40 countries.
In Zimbabwe, the NGO is operational in six provinces working on various developmental aid projects.
The aid agent also works with potential adversaries in productive dialogue that can lead to mutually beneficial solutions.
Labels: CAPACITY BUILDING, JOICE MUJURU, MARK GORDON
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Capacity Building
December 6, 2008
By Chanda K. Chishimba
Many people in Zambia have voiced their opinions on the direction that the country’s economy should take in order to raise the living standards of its people. Endowed with natural resources and blessed with a peaceful citizenry, the majority of people are still confined in the shackles of poverty. A greater part of the population is not in formal employment, agriculture remains predominantly peasant, education standards never seem to improve, infrastructure development and maintenance is an eyesore, income levels are low, and hopelessness is the order of the day.
Intellectual voices in the country have decried the lack of capacity for the government and the citizenry to turn development goals and objectives into practical realities. But the question I beg to ask is: What is Capacity Building and how is it relevant to development? My simple understanding of this broad concept is, ‘it is human resource development, equipping individuals with access to information, skills, understanding, and training. It is also organizational development, management of relationships between organizations and sectors, development of an institutional and legal framework, enhancing government regulation and oversight, and laying a foundation for economic and social progress.’ This to me can be summed up as development of a ‘standard way of doing things.’ Does Zambia have a coordinated system of developing the country?
In light of the above, is Zambia then capable of developing a standard to which its citizens can identify themselves? The answer is yes we can. We need the political will of our leaders as well as the citizenry to achieve high levels of development. Zambia needs to develop a cohesive system that is home grown and takes into account the skill sets of ordinary Zambians, the cultures of its people, and the available resources. We need a standard which many people understand, is not complicated and is easily implementable. This idea of trying to copy everything western has led to our current situation. We fail to note that each country has its own traditions and cultures, its own standards, and its own objectives, goals and priorities. Zambia needs to invest heavily in its human resource by upgrading institutions of learning, computerizing schools so students can have access to information and increase their computer skills, providing continuing education to those entrusted with policy formulation and implementation, introducing legislation that requires licensing for any person wishing to engage in financial advisory, teaching, insurance, engineering, medicine etc. These must be licenses renewable every 2 years or else can be revoked. It is not enough just to be a member of, say, the Engineers Institute of Zambia. We need a well knit system that monitors, evaluates, and makes recommendations based on its findings.
We cannot rely on our foreign partners to develop our own system. As long as they provide funding for some projects, they will always have a role to play in how we implement our objectives. Only we know what our priorities are and we are better situated to resolve them. Donors can still be our partners in our efforts, but we need to place them in check. Farfetched as this may seem, if we have the will to do this, our lives and those of our children will surely be improved. It takes commitment and courage to achieve these goals and I am positive that Zambians can take up this challenge with the right political will. Let us realize that we owe this as much to our future generations as we do to ourselves. Development in Zambia will not come without breaking sweat. We can all play a role in the progress of our country. This should not be left to politicians alone because we have seen what happens when we do this. The choices we make today, will determine our future.
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Labels: CAPACITY BUILDING
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Africa urged to beef up capacity amid global challenges
Xinhua.
It is crucial for African countries to strengthen their capacity especially in the context of global challenges posed by sudden price hikes in food and crude oil, a senior official of the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), one of the largest international institutions in Africa, has said.
Dr Edwin N. Forlemu, executive secretary of ACBF, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview that for most African countries, there is a need to reflect together on the issue of sudden hikes in the prices of food and crude oil.
He spoke highly of China’s contribution to the solution of the food shortage in Africa. "When I was growing up as a child in Cameroon, we used to hear of the Green Revolution.
"It was a major initiative, and at that time it was famous because we were inspired by the trends in the People’s Republic of China, which was putting much emphasis on the issue of growing food and making sure agriculture was the backbone of the economy," Forlemu said.
Forlemu explained that most African countries started off by focusing on agriculture. Later on, they discovered that in terms of international trade, the revenue from these products did not really meet expectations besides a few countries like Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and Tanzania.
The revenues from these cash crops did not really compare with those from commodities such as crude oil. So, increasingly, many of these countries reduced their reliance on agricultural production. And this led to a situation in which, in the short term, they cannot grow enough food for their populations.
One last point is that these countries have not demonstrated policy-making leadership and foresight in ensuring that food security issues are addressed before they degenerate into crises, he said.
"Suddenly people wake up in the morning and there is a problem and governments are only reacting to the strikes on the streets whereas the phenomenon may be rooted in long-standing challenges that were not addressed," Forlemu pointed out.
He indicated that ACBF is a regional institution which finances initiatives to build capacity in policy making in government and outside government, including think tanks, so that advice is evidence-based and rooted in facts.
"We are encouraging these policy think tanks to analyse development issues dispassionately for governments to provide credible strategies for addressing the need to diversify the economic base of many African countries," he said.
As regards the implications of bio-fuel production, Forlemu indicated that it is not a major issue for many African countries because they do not have robust bio-fuel industries that will consume much needed agricultural products. — Xinhua.
Labels: ACBF, AFRICAN CAPACITY BUILDING FOUNDATION, AGRICULTURE, CAPACITY BUILDING, ENERGY
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