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e-Newsletter Article 5 ACORD’s
programming in SW Uganda and NW Tanzania began in 1987-89,with most of the
interventions responding to service delivery needs in remote and marginalised
areas least supported by mainstream government support. In line with ACORD’s
change process aimed at creating greater impact, coupled with the spirit of
linking issues at micro-to macro level, and also building upon the opportunities
provided by the East African Co-operation, ACORD has moved its programming to
focus on the Lake Victoria Basin. The initial programme, The Lake Victoria Area
Programme (LVAP) incorporates N.W Tanzania and S.W Uganda. Prior to the
strategic planning that led to the identification of this area programme, ACORD
had four separate programmes working in different but interrelated thematic
areas of HIV/AIDS, Livelihood, Gender and Social discrimination and Governance
and Civil Society. Interventions under the individual programmes invariably
addressed the four themes ACORD
recognises that its work in the region over the past 15-26 years has given it
credibility and understanding of the issues and challenges for development,
particularly in the Kagera Basin part of the wider Lake Victoria Basin. ACORD
intends to leverage this local presence in the area to research, learn and link
with other actors throughout the rest of the basin in order to understand the
nature and extent of marginalisation and social exclusion. This understanding
will contribute to our efforts in combating of the root causes of poverty in the
area. ACORD’s work around Lake Victoria will be based on an ecosystem
approach, addressing issues that are common across the basin and a greater
outlook into the Nile Basin. The goal of the
programme will be to contribute to building capacity of marginalised people
living around Lake Victoria through strengthening realisation of their rights
and achieving basic needs in a sustainable manner. Phase I will focus on
building partnerships for research, learning and advocacy at district, national,
trans-boundary and international levels. Key thematic interventions will be
Governance and Civil Society, HIV/AIDS and livelihood. Recognising the relevance
of Gender as a cross cutting issue, the programme will promote and monitor its
commitment to gender equity throughout the phase. The
geographical scope of the programme extends to cover administrative districts of
Mwanza, Geita, Biharamulo, Bukoba, and Karagwe in NW Tanzania and Mbarara in SW
Uganda. Dissemination of good practices on livelihood rights will necessitate
the coverage of Bushenyi, Rakai and Ntungamo District in Uganda, as there has
been some linkages already. ACORD will work
in partnership with organisations and groups representing communities’
interests, and in alliance with other organisations using participatory and
demand driven approaches. The micro-macro linkages will facilitate the
establishment of practical links between community interests and governance at
local and international levels. There is a
shift from implementing and managing roles towards building strategic alliances,
partnerships, and advocacy. In areas of forerunning programmes with a mixture of
service delivery and knowledge/skills transfer, technical support and project
management will still be part ACORD’s work during the initial six months of
the programme. Nevertheless, these will be seen as means towards building local
capacity and establishing ownership for advocacy. Key strategic
objectives of the programme are: -Building viable civil society
initiatives for responses to HIV/AIDS and its impact -Facilitate knowledge and
skills for gender and rights advocacy -Building improved capacity
for equitable access to resources, rights and basic needs by marginalised groups
-Strengthening institutional
capacity of civil society to influence policies and promoting participatory
local governance -Establishing linkages and
learning with Great Lakes and wider Lake Victoria Region and - Establishment of a Lake
Victoria Area Programme with a functional and accountable structure for
effective management of interventions. Wide ranges of
activities have been defined for the programme. These include baseline studies,
skills and knowledge transfer for CSOs and local government structures,
investigative research and dissemination of good practices, advocacy, pro-policy
analysis and popularisation as well as working with social movements at local
and trans-boundary levels. Two major
assumptions for the successful implementation of this programme have been
considered to be critical. These are: -Political stability in both
Tanzania and Uganda with continued commitment of both governments to public
sector reforms mainly decentralisation and pro-poor macro economic tracking. -Crises in the Great Lakes
region to remain under manageable levels. The
programme is innovative in that it seeks to promote goals of empowerment, using
the rights approach to contribute to strengthening of pro-poor voices and
outcomes, genuine partnership and exploring rural-urban linkage. |
