Consortium for International Management, Policy and Development

(CIMPAD)10th International Conference;

22 to 26th JuneLivingstone, Zambia

Governance, a great development hiccup facing grassroots/community based organisations in Sub-Saharan Africa

Nosiku KalongaGrassroot Social Activist

Vital Voices Lead Fellow 2015Mandela Washington fellow 2014

Founder & Director of Mmabana Community Outreach

What is a grassroot/community based organization CBO?

No single definition Falls within the broader definition of Non Governmental

Organizations (NGO) According to the South African based Development Resource Centre,

“NGOs are private, self-governing, voluntary, nonprofit, distributing organizations operating, not for commercial purposes but in the public interest, for the promotion of social welfare and development, religious, charity, education and research.”

Specific country laws may assign as to the interpretation of what an NGO is and its application. In Zambia for example, the NGO Act 16 of 2009 does not apply to churches, clubs, political parties, professional groups or organizations, trade unions and religious organizations.

Definition Cont;

CBO could exist under different names: Examples;Youth Clubs / groups, women clubs/ groups,Youth led organizationsFaith based organizationsReligious groups etc.Common Features of grassroot/Community Based Organizations in contrast to traditional NGOs• At most times informal•Could be registered/ not registered•They directly work and connect with the people at the ground•They operate on the local scope which is more like on a ward level, district or constituency level.

Common Features cont:

• May run on zero or limited budget• commonly found in poor communities or rural areas• voluntary based with no salaried workers• Driven by passion and desire to bring impactful social change• They have a unique way of mobilizing and influencing people in

their respective communities• At most they provide primary/ essential services (health,

education, clothing etc.)• At most, if not always, Founders and Co founders of these

organization emerge from the same community they tend to serve and as a result they may already be in good standing with the community norms and problems.

• Poor Leadership and management• Lack of systems and mechanisms to foster transparency and

accountability• Weak or no Governing Board ( My emphasis)

According to the UK based Governance Hub, governance is defined as “the systems and processes concerned with ensuring the overall direction, effectiveness, supervision, and accountability of an organization”.

Governance Challenges Facing grassroot/Community Based Organizations

Examples of succesful CBOs

• Abu Bakkar Conteh- Sierra-leon: Where Is My Public Servant (WHIPS)

• Brian Magwaro, Kenya: Young County Change Makers

• Mohammed Kamara, Liberia: Peace Links Liberia

• Lalumbe Makuye, South Africa: Naledi Foundation

• Sekou Mansare, Guinea: Youth Centre of Hope

• Kabo Monseki: Bostwana: Resigned from his well paying Job to

pursue sustainable development consultative work with CBOs

• Nosiku Kalonga, Zambia: Mmabana Community Outreach

Recommendations:

• Traditional Non-Governmental organizations could partner with community based organizations that operate within their geographical areas and build the capacities and promote governance practices of those organizations• Traditional Non-Governmental Organizations should have a component in their

programs of reaching out to people in the rural areas where the majority of people in Africa are based unlike the prevailing scenario where most of the well-established NGO are based in the Urban Areas and claim to be advocating for all people when they have no contact at all with the most affected people they claim to represent. • Donor agents to relax some of their conditions on accessing grant particularly for

the CBOs• An independent umbrella body could be established to offer capacity building,

technical support, source for funds and sub-grant to these organizations. • Government could offer incentives such as; free registration, scrap off annual

returns fee, provide small grants and awareness of these opportunities to the grassroot, partner with these organizations in community development initiatives, listens to their concern as at most times, they represent the voices of the majority of the people, include them in decision making processes and in policy formulations.

Conclusion

•I can therefore submit to say, community based organizations play the most important role in development of any country and ignoring them in any development agenda is an attempt to fail to achieve sustainable development and social impactful change

•they promote the bottom up approach to development which gives power to the people and may strengthen democracy

•The inclusion of community based organizations in social, cultural and economic development is one sure way of achieving long term, meaningful and sustainable development.

Thank you Twalumba

Nosiku Kalonganosiku.mcopchoma@gmail.com

+260966702443