Mapping/Capacity Assessment of Local Organizations involved in

Community Driven Development/Recovery (CDD/CDR)

in Southern Sudan

Warrap – Local Organizations Mapping/Capacity Assessment State Report – March, 2009

Prepared By:  Hillary Taban Lohinei(report)

Alfred Oling (database)

 

Introduction

This is a summary report of key findings from information generated from the focus group discussions (FGDs), interviews and questionnaires administered during this mapping exercise in Warrap. The exercise was conducted in Kuajok, the capital of Warrap State, and in Turalei and Wunrok in Twic County, north of Kuajok. Information was gathered from key persons in State government, international organizations operating in the State, and representatives of the local organizations.  

 

Perception of Community Driven Development (CDD)

The stakeholders interviewed perceived CDD as development that is led or spearheaded by the community. That means the development is determined by the community of a particular locality. There is an identified need that should be fulfilled to improve the status quo or situation of the community. Here the community are the primary stakeholders of the development or change process that they want to advance. In summary, the community comes up with their problems and finds a solution to it by themselves. Resource mobilisation in terms of labour and other contributions to achieve the objectives of the project is done by themselves, and this helps make the project sustainable because of the ownership and its implementation, monitoring and final evaluation is done with the full involvement of  the people themselves. In summary, the  CDD requires that the community are involved from the initial stage of planning until the end of the project, and are the key stakeholders of the project.

Roles local organizations play in CDD and types of Activities

Local organizations in Warrap State see themselves as having a major role to play in mobilising the community to identify needs and mobilise their resources to achieve those needs. Some of the CDD initiatives that the local organizations are involved in are described below.

They see themselves as having a role in peacebuilding between communities in conflict. As mediators between warring communities they found themselves as a neutral body that the parties in conflict can all trust. Hence they can help bring the two groups to agreement. Provision of services to these communities make the community trust and have confidence in them.

Water is one of the scarce resources that continuously cause conflicts among pastoral communities. During the dry season water becomes scarce for both humans and animals hence there is a big demand for it. In the process of securing water, normally conflicts occur and can spread to involve whole clans or pit one village against another. In order to reduce conflicts local organizations are involved in drilling, building dams, and undertaking maintenance and rehabilitation work on boreholes as part of fulfilling the needs of the community.

Conservation of the environment through tree planting and educating the community and reduction of tree logging for charcoal production is another area that local organizations see themselves as having a bigger role to play. Environmental protection is seen by local organizations and others as a crucial aspect of CDD that needs to be safeguarded for the benefit of the community and future generations. The community needs the local organizations to play their role in trying to mobilise and educate on these issues as part of CDD.