COUNCILS SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE (COSDA)
In Cameroon, council areas, apart from suffering from global crisis, are equally battling to define priority projects and plans for sustainable management and exploitation of both natural and human resources. These difficulties in shaping where the council hopes to go and the challenges of resources to take these councils to sustainable development put rural areas in difficult position in attaining the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and beyond. The slow implementation of crucial council plans on priority sectors such as water, health, education, food, road, electricity retard human progress and development especially rights of vulnerable and underprivileged.
Decentralization devolves powers on decentralized collectivities of Cameroon to establish effective synergy with grassroots organizations, national and international actors dealing in sustainable development. The council’s Herculean task to identify these priority social development projects and facilitating organizations is a big challenge to sustainable development.
Dignity First International (DIFI) under COSDA promote social change amongst the governed and governor for both parties to play respective roles, in a spirit of citizen’s led and control sustainable development build fora and strategies that facilitate the attainment of social justice. DIFI since creation dedicated and focused its programs with community based organizations in council’s areas building the capacities of some key actors therein for the latter to effectively implement expected social development projects highly needed by the populace. Under COSDA, Dignity First (DIFI) collaborate with CSOs and Council authorities in the promotion and protection of inalienable and inextricable human dignity and rights through the provision of quality social services such as education, health and special care services to vulnerable persons in Councils.
Irrespective of the political party near power, DIFI which is apolitical, draw up strategic sustainable development projects geared towards the promotion and enforcement of socio-economic and cultural rights of grassroots population, follow-up implementation and carry out evaluation of same. These bottom-up projects are expected to be acting as catalyst and stimulants of growth and livelihood. In same time DIFI empower beneficiaries and stakeholders to take part in formulating, implementing and benefiting from development programs for their wellbeing.
Objectives of council social development assistance (COSDA)
COSDA has the following established objectives:
Carry out council feasibility studies and elaboration of result-oriented council’s development plans; assisting in mobilizing resources for the implementation and follow-up/evaluation of same.
Development of Inclusive Millennium Development Village Projects (IMDVP) that promotes food security, livelihood, social protection and fight against poverty from bottom-up strategies in councils.
Council social rights awareness campaign and sensitization targeting elected officials, community-based organisation (CBOs) and village institutions to take part in development of agenda and benefitting same.
Train council relay volunteers to liaise up with DIFI and council in execution of council programs.
Provide social protection services waiver in the domain of health care campaigns for ageing/old, disabled persons and orphans periodically and follow-up with relay Field assistants.
Activities of Council Social Development Assistance Program in councils.
Council Project skills development and resources mobilization for relay field assistants and volunteers for sustainable implementation of Council projects.
Promotion of rural agro-industries through e-commerce/ICT tools for development and network marketing.
Establishment of nursery projects for rural development actors’ on-site training and development in project management.
Provision of on-spot service team on grassroots development and follow-up.
Strategies of council social development assistance program
DIFI establish bottom-top approach strategies to enforce its program. This is done through:
Effective participation of community actors/population in defining development projects and benefiting from same.
Result oriented community sustainable projects headed by rural actors themselves and supervise by experts of DIFI.
Winning-winning partnership with Councils/populace for sustainable implementation of medium agro-industries, tertiary and small and medium size business.
Expected output of council social development assistance program.
Sustainable development project running councils manifested by rise in income and life expectancy of population.
Drastic reduction of suffering and exclusion arising from pandemic diseases and vulnerability of victims.
Empowered grassroots population in social development projects management take charge of their destiny in shaping their destiny and upholding same.
Reduction of chronic poverty syndrome and effect amongst vulnerable people in council areas.
Employment of youths and women in medium size income generating projects
Reduction in rural exodus and elevation of human resources required for sustained growth and livelihood council areas.