Promotion of civil society (completed)

Project description

Title: Promotion of civil society in the Sudan
Commissioned by: German Federal Foreign Office (AA)
Country: Sudan
Overall term: 2012 to 2015

Context

Civil wars and other conflicts in the country’s recent history have reduced a wide range of basic services to a minimum for the Sudanese population. In many parts of the country, people lack access to education, clean drinking water, infrastructure and medical care. Disparities in development between the capital and rural areas are steadily increasing. As a result lots of people, particularly young men, are migrating towards the cities. In many places there are rural and urban civil society organisations that can help improve the quality of life. But in most cases they lack the necessary knowledge and organisational structures to make an effective and sustainable contribution to improving living conditions in the communities.

Objective

Civil society organisations contribute to sustainable community development. They possess the requisite know-how and organisational structures.

Approach

The project cooperates with civil society organisations in a number of different sectors in both rural and urban areas. In Khartoum State it is strengthening organisations in the education sector: the objective of parent-teacher associations in the communities is to jointly improve the learning environment in state schools.

In a series of training events, the project imparts basic knowledge and practical skills in order to strengthen approaches to problem-solving and create effective organisational structures so that tasks are carried out more efficiently. It also promotes the exchange of knowledge between the organisations in various communities, and raises awareness among members of the communities of the important role played by parent-teacher associations in order to improve their capacity to act.

In the Red Sea State on Sudan’s east coast, the project supports local committees responsible for the management of municipal water resources. By maintaining existing pumps and other water installations, the committees can increase the volume of water available and provide information on the correct use of existing facilities. Here, too, the project supports the effective use of existing resources and structures with the objective of improving supplies and self-organisation in the long term. In partnership with Deutsche Welthungerhilfe, measures are being introduced to strengthen the competences of civil actors and the exchange of knowledge and experience by interlinking village committees.