One of the major highlights of ECLF work has been the creation of community cohesion in the areas of intervention. This has been witnessed when once polarized and divided communities are sensitized, they bury their differences and embarking on developmental initiatives. ECLF has witnessed, after intervention, community cohesion. These cohesive communities have done great work such as building schools, clinics, bridges and repairing roads to mention but a few.
Background
ECLF came up with the Community Cohesion Projects after realizing that though the CPMRT programme was yielding amazing results there was a gap as poverty remained an issue that had the potential of undoing all the gains that had been made through the CPMRT programme. It noted that there was need to build and strengthen community cohesion through the introduction of sustainable livelihoods so as to address what is referred to as the “conflict of the stomach.” Through its CPMRT programme, Local Peace Committees (LPC) are formed at district and ward level. These LPCs respond to peace building issues at a local level. The thrust of the Community Cohesion Projects is to capacitate LPCs so that they are able to bring community members to work together in identifying issues of common interest, finding solutions to issues that affect them at local level and coming up with strategies that foster peaceful co-existence within communities.
Objectives
To consolidate and deepen the foundations for peace and social cohesion within communities.
Specific Objectives:
- Integrate Internal Savings and Lending (ISALS) and income generating activities (IGAs) into Peacebuilding (CPMRT) using LPCs in the communities
- Mainstream CPMRT skills into livelihoods programming in the selected districts.
- .To conduct tailor-made training and skills equipping sessions for LPC members on integrating livelihoods and income generation initiatives for peacebuilding. This includes skills on funds management, (e .g Microfinance, Group dynamics, Internal Savings and Lending Schemes
(ISALS), Book management / Record keeping and Small business management). - Initiate community livelihoods and income generation activities as a strategy for building inter- and intra-community cohesion.
Expected Outcomes
- Peaceful community existence
Target Group
LPCs that have been already established in selected districts and are functional.
Selection Criteria
- Communities should have gone through CPMRT and established LPCs which should have been capacitated in their roles and responsibilities.
- Community projects should be sustainable, viable and reliable.
- The project should be addressing problems in the district.
- The project should be replicable.
- Project should promote social and community cohesion.
- Project risks should have been assessed and mitigation measures put in place.
- Project should promote partnership between the community and municipal government.
- Project should address or promote gender equity in the community and should address problems of ethnic minorities or internally displaced persons (IDPs).
- The LPC should have gone through capacity building tailor-made training and skills equipping sessions for LPC members on integrating Livelihoods and income generation initiatives for peacebuilding.
- The LPC should have initiated an income generating activity (IGA).
- The IGA should have recommendations from community leadership.
- Livelihoods assessment should be done prior to the selection process.
Monitoring and Evaluation
M&E will be done in a participatory approach as this involves a number of people in a project hence for triangulation purposes for the program.
- Community mapping
- Focus group Discussions
- Impact stories
- Documentation of lessons learnt