CELA Benefits From Consultancy
The Centre for Youth Development and Adult Education (CELA) at the Lugufu Refugee Camp in Tanzania, recently benefited from the consultancy of Jennifer Schulte, a gender and livelihood program consultant from the United States.
The purpose of the consultancy was to develop CELA's organisational capacity in gender, livelihoods and community-managed microfinance to enhance the skills of Congolese refugee women and youth in the Lugufu Camp preparing for the return to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2008-2009.
Outcomes for participants of this program include an increase in self-confidence and self-reliance; improved skills in financial planning, management for productive purposes, livelihood diversification, and greater participation in household and community decision-making; as well as in building capacity for sustainable return to the DRC.
The knowledge gained, capacity developed and lessons learned from this initiative can inform future programming in gender, livelihoods and microfinance in situations of conflict and displacement.
Gains in organisational capacity can further support CELA's goal of becoming a professional recovery and development agency in the DRC.
Atuu Waonaje, the director of CELA met Jennifer in New York in May 2007 at the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children when accepting the Voices of Courage award.
Before coming to Lugufu, Jennifer invited Atuu to attend a workshop on community-managed microfinance at the Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA) in Zanzibar, Tanzania, from December 3 to 8, 2007. While in Zanzibar, she donated a digital camera and a laptop computer to the center.
During her three-week stay in Lugufu, she held a meeting with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and World Vision Tanzania to discuss how CELA may work in partnership with those international organisations.
The question that remains is how can CELA implement this program locally with no external support and no funds. We call on the donors who may be able to help us with this prospective initiative. You can contact us at celaatservice@yahoo.co.uk
Regardless their status, refugees can also change the world.