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This project
forms an important part of SSWC strategic support for refugees and
displaced women. The project provided training to support the development
of viable, self-sustaining, community based women’s organisations and
local partner organisations. Strengthen and empower these organisations
and be a local point to bring displaced and refugee women together to
address the economic and social problems facing them and their
families.
Organisation
and Management of Women’s Groups: SSWC provided managerial skills training
to 20 women’s Groups and reached 800 women leaders out of which, 20 were
Chairpersons, 20 Secretaries, 20 Treasurers, 100 Area leaders, 156
livestock leaders and 60 entrepreneurs. Most of these women served as
board members and area leaders for 20 women’s groups. The training helped
to empower and strengthen the women’s grassroots movement in Kajokeji. For
example before the intervention of SSWC there was no properly constituted
women’s group in the area. Now 11 Women’s Centres have been established,
20 women’s groups constituted, 78 livestock women’s Groups organized, and
one Women’s Network established with a total membership of 5,000. Because
of low level of literacy among members, the project provided literacy
classes to the management committee members. As a result the women’s
groups were able to open their individual group’s Bank Accounts and mange
their own funds. Exchange
Visits and Civil Society workshops: SSWC provided capacity building
activities to improve networking, share and increase knowledge, experience
and good practice among women’s groups and partner organisations. For example SSWC organised
exchange visits to Provision of
practical skills training: The project also provided skills training in
ox- plough, agriculture skills, livestock management and entrepreneur
skills. This training was vital to support the development projects
initiated by the women’s groups. The training enhanced the ability of
displaced women to produce food for their families. As a result of the
skills training members increased their income and were able to pay school
fees for their children. Peace
building: The project provided training in lobbying and advocacy skills.
Groups used these skills to lobby authorities and speak to soldiers in the
area. As a result there were less attacks on
civilians by soldiers. The relative peace encouraged more families to
return to |
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Psychological
impact of instability: The most important
challenge was the psychological impact of instability. The displaced people had
been on the move for a very long time. There was a feeling that this was not
their final destination. There was always an air of temporary existence. As a
result people are reluctant to put up permanent systems for fear of moving on.
The women were also vulnerable to the psychological impact of instability. Many
had lost confidence. As a result of these challenges:
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(i)
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How vulnerable
are such groups, and the initiatives supporting
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them, to rapidly changing
contexts?
Our experience in
the last 8 years is that such groups and the initiatives supporting them are
very vulnerable to rapidly changing contexts. When we started, there were a lot
of difficulties. The first was the security situation. There was insecurity from
the air and the ground. The camps themselves were very violent places
particularly to women. From the air there were constant Ariel bombardment and on
the ground movement was restricted due to attacks from the
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(ii)
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What does
sustainability mean here? |
Sustainability for
SSWC meant working around the realities of insecurity and local authorities regulations to build the capacity of women’s
groups to respond to their needs and the needs of their communities. This meant
that groups have to be organised around projects identified by women. In our
case these projects were those that give immediate responds to the family needs.
Such projects included food security, healthcare, education and training.
Sustainability for SSWC meant training women on replicable skills. Such skills
included literacy skills, managerial skills, entrepreneur skills, intermediate
technology, the production of local crop varieties, which can be sustainable.
The skills gained could be used by members if and when ever there was need to
relocate.
(iii) What are the
key factors in success
and failure?
Factors in Success:
The key factors in success are three. One is the involvement of the members in
the planning, implementation and monitoring processes of the projects. SSWC
holds consultative seminars, workshops and an annual assembly for members to
deliberate on the issues and make decisions. The other factor of success in our
case was the involvement of the various layers of the civil society in the
project through civil society workshops. SSWC organise civil society workshops
bringing together local chiefs, local leaders, local commanders and the civil
authorities to discuss issues facing displace women. Such issues include
violence against women, lack of access to land, The
involvement of the local authorities and elders created a situation of amicable
understanding which, contributed to peace building in the area.
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Factors in
failure: The key factors in failure in our case meant loss of crops. Women
did not gain adequately from their surplus crops because of frequent
whenever there was fighting women often lost crops. In the early years,
the crops were simply stolen from the farms. But in later years, women had
to contribute crops to avert attacks on their communities. This meant that
women lost surplus crops which they could have sold to gain income. The
other factor of failure was the fear created in the civil population by
the insecurity. This fear is responsible for creating conditions where
properties of the groups and organisations supporting them could be
demanded and the groups/organisations supporting them are expected to
comply. This fear eats into the confidence of the groups and the
organisations supporting them thus slowing down progress of the groups.
Women leading
for change: The project has provided opportunities for women to contribute
to the development and rehabilitation and the reduction of conflict in
their areas and communities. The project has provided training to support
the development of 20 viable community based women’s organisations and
local partner organisations. SSWC has strengthened and empowered these
organisations and become a focal point to bring displaced and refugee
women together to address the economic and social problems facing them and
their families. SSWC use the following strategies to achieve change.
Organisation and Management of Women’s
Groups:: SSWC provided managerial skills
training to 20 women’s Groups and reached 800 women leaders out of which,
20 were Chairpersons, 20 Secretaries, 20 Treasurers, 100 Area leaders, 156
livestock leaders and 60 entrepreneurs. Most of these women served as
board members and area leaders for 20 women’s Groups. The training helped
to empower and strengthen the women’s grassroots movement in Kajokeji. For
example before the intervention of SSWC there was no properly constituted
women’s group in the area. Now 11 Women’s Centres have been established,
20 women’s groups constituted, 78 livestock women’s Groups organised, and
one Women’s Network established with a total membership of 5,000. Another
important issue is literacy, which is very low in the region as the result
of the disruption of schooling by years of conflict. The women’s groups
identified this as a priority. They do not wish to have men write for them
any longer. So SSWC started literacy classes for management committee
members and area leaders. As a result, they can now read and write.
Because of low level of literacy among members, the project provided
literacy classes to the management committee members, As a result the
women’s groups were able to open their individual group’s Bank Accounts
and manage their own funds. Exchange
Visits and Civil Society workshops: SSWC provided
capacity building activities to improve networking, share and increase
knowledge, experience and good practice among women’s groups and partner
organisations. For example SSWC organised exchange visits to
locations. These exchange visits provided
learning opportunities and eye opening experiences for the displaced
women’s. When they came back to their locations they shared the
information with members and emulated the knowledge. We organised civil
society workshops that brought together elders and chiefs in support of
the project. As a result SSWC and the women’s groups received community
support. Provision
of practical skills training: The project also provided skills
training in ox- plough, agriculture skills, livestock management and
entrepreneur skills. This training was vital to support the development
projects initiated by the women’s groups. The training enhanced the
ability of displaced women to produce food for their families. As a result
of the skills training members increased their income and were able to pay
school fees for their children. Consultation
workshops: SSWC held consultative workshops and 3 general assemblies with
representatives of the 20 women’s organisations: This highlighted the need
for on going support to reinforce the organisational and project
management skills already acquired (and share them more widely), but also
showed a shift in emphasis, as there were new demands for skills in small
enterprise management and networking, indicating that the groups are now
ready to play a bigger role in community regeneration. Those consultations
helped to shape the work of SSWC with the community. Peace
building: The project provided training in lobbying and advocacy skills.
Groups used these skills to lobby authorities and speak to soldiers in the
area. As a result there were less attacks on
civilians by soldiers. The changing security situation has been a major
influence on the programme, especially in late 1998, when some training
had to be cancelled, crops were stolen and some members of the groups
moved away from the area. However, security overall has improved during
the period. One consequence of this was that women returned from the camps
to their villages, and SSWC had to expand its outreach programme to cover
them. The relative peace also encouraged more families to return to
Lessons to be learnt from working with
communities in such circumstances, drawing mainly on experiences with
displaced and refugee groups: |
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