Opobo/Nkoro Community Development Foundation

Opobo/Nkoro
Community
Development Foundation
Annual Report
2005
61 King Jaja Way, Opobo Town, Opobo/Nkoro LGA,
Rivers State, Nigeria
Tel: 0803 3408026
Introduction .................................................................................. 3
Pro-Natura International ............................................................. 3
Partners ......................................................................................... 3
Institutional Development and Capacity Building........................ 5
Education ....................................................................................... 7
Scholarships ............................................................................... 8
WAEC & JAMB Revision Classes ............................................... 9
Institutional Development of PTAs......................................... 10
Restocking & Organising School Libraries .............................. 11
Teacher Training Workshops .................................................. 12
Education Infrastructure ........................................................ 13
Renovation of Teachers Quarters .......................................... 14
Women in Development............................................................... 15
Resource Centres ..................................................................... 16
Vocational Skills Training ........................................................ 17
Computer training..................................................................... 18
Traditional Birth Attendants Health Post.............................. 19
Roll Back Malaria ...................................................................... 20
Widows Association (Sanitation Exercise) ............................. 21
Youth in Development ................................................................. 22
Theatre Association................................................................. 23
Youth Football Tournaments ................................................... 24
Micro Credit ................................................................................ 25
Natural Resource Management .................................................. 26
Miscellaneous Infrastructure .................................................... 27
Tuberculosis & Leprosy Laboratory ........................................ 28
Partnering with MPP3............................................................... 29
Ala Cornelius Well .................................................................... 30
Distinguished Visitors................................................................. 31
Financial Summary....................................................................... 32
Conclusion .................................................................................... 34
Introduction
The Opobo/Nkoro Community Development Foundation
(ONCDF) is a community owned, community managed CBO based
in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The Foundation has operated for 3 years and exists to
implement the Development Plan of the Opobo/Nkoro people.
Projects are identified through a participatory process
including all communities and institutions of the LGA.
All projects are identified, planned, implemented and managed
by the community.
Pro-Natura International
Pro-Natura International (Nigeria) PNI is a non-governmental
organisation that facilitates the Opobo/Nkoro Community
Development Foundation.
It is the ambition of PNI that the Foundation builds a network
of partners and stakeholders that will each contribute what
they can to the progress of the LGA.
Partners
The Opobo/Nkoro Community Development Foundation is a
catalyst for partners to come together for the development of
the Local Government Area.
The Foundation seeks to complement rather than compete
with Government and always recognises the primacy of
government institutions within Opobo/Nkoro.
The Programme has received funding from the following donors
in 2005
Donor
Total
VSO
MPP3
Total
Total
Amount
N45,000,000
N12,000,000
N6,500,000
N1,500,000
N2,000,000
Item
Core Funding
3 VSOs
3 Projects
Science Equipment
Scholarships
The ONCDF has submitted proposals for consideration to the
following agencies
¾
¾
¾
¾
USAID
SPDC
VSO
And many more
Institutional Development and Capacity Building
When the Opobo/Nkoro Community Development Programme
began in 2002, there was limited institutional capacity to
implement development projects.
Sustainable development is founded on the principle of
participation. However, for participation to be real and
effective there must be representative and responsible
institutions that have the capacity to implement projects and
activities in an accountable and transparent manner.
As a result, institutional development and capacity building
became central to the Opobo/Nkoro Community Development
Foundation. There now exist in Opobo/Nkoro institutions each
focussing on the needs of particular interest groups within the
community. These comprise:
• ONCDF General Assembly & Steering Committee
(representing the LGA)
• Women (Village, Axial and LGA level institutions)
• Youth (Village and Axial level at present)
• Natural Resources (nascent)
• Micro Credit (Community Savings & Credit Associations &
an LGA wide umbrella body)
• 18 Project Liaison Committees each focusing on their own
project.
• Education/Scholarship Committees
Elected representatives have attended workshops on a whole
host of necessary skills that make institutions work and
continue to develop their personal skills:
¾ Chairing a meeting
¾ Project management
¾ Minute taking
¾
¾
¾
¾
¾
¾
¾
¾
Accounts/record keeping
Developing a constitution
Identifying terms of reference for the institution
Good governance
Leadership
Advocacy
Participatory Rural Appraisal
And many more…
Out of this has grown a structure that is inclusive of Local
Government, works on the principle of gender balance, and is
accountable to the people of Opobo/Nkoro and increasingly
able to implement projects independently to a high standard.
Education
Education remains a high
priority for the people of
Opobo/Nkoro.
In 2005 two VSO Teachers
came to work with the
Foundation for 2 years.
Provided by Voluntary Service
Overseas, their role is to build
capacity both within the
Foundation and the community
to help improve the standards
of education in the LGA.
Activities include, PTA
mobilisation, institutional
development, teacher training,
and helping schools to identify
and best utilise their
resources.
The Foundation supports
JAMB and WAEC Preparatory
Classes to help improve the
chances of Opobo/Nkoro
students entering university.
To complement the activities
of State and Local
Government, the Foundation is
also supporting the
construction of new schools,
the renovation of old ones and
the provision of teachers
quarters to help ensure
teachers remain resident in
the communities where they
teach.
Scholarships
In 2005, Total provided
for 10 Tertiary and 20
Post Primary Scholarships
for the people of
Opobo/Nkoro LGA. It was
decided by the
Scholarship Committee
that the 20 Post Primary
Scholarships should be
divided in two to provide
42 “half” scholarships to
meet local demand.
The scholarships were
awarded by a committee
comprising local principals,
teachers and parents and
were designed to ensure
that the recipients were
resident in the LGA, and
would benefit from a
scholarship in terms of
both economics and
academic ability.
As with all Foundation
activities, gender balance
and geographic
distribution were
carefully considered.
WAEC & JAMB Revision Classes
Many of the schools in the
Opobo/Nkoro LGA suffer
from a lack of both human
and material resources.
Students often have to rely
on NYSC teachers as their
only means of tuition.
Access to quality education
can seriously impact on the
future development of any
community. The
Foundation, with the
support of two VSO
Teachers has undertaken a
series of Revision Classes
for students across the
whole LGA.
It is hoped that this
additional support will
increase the number of
Opobo/Nkoro students in
universities and thus
increase their chances of
securing employment.
Institutional Development of PTAs
In an environment where
schools are often seen as
being dysfunctional, the
empowerment of
Parent/Teachers
Associations is vital.
Where schools do not have
teachers, books or even
basic infrastructure, the
mobilisation of parents and
teachers is the only real
sustainable approach.
An effective and
empowered PTA can
address issues of “ghost”
workers, high absenteeism
and resource starvation.
Parents and their children
are the primary
stakeholders in the
education system – in the
long term, it is only they
who can effectively make
changes and demand their
rights to quality education.
Restocking & Organising School Libraries
Sometimes it is not financial
but human resources that are
required. Some schools in
Opobo had books but no
library.
These books would often sit in
boxes unused for many years
or be subject to attack from
rodents and insects.
By supporting committed
teachers and helping to
provide bookshelves etc the
Foundation was able to
establish Secondary School
Libraries.
Teacher Training Workshops
Where financial resources are
scarce, teacher training can be
an ideal way of investing in
people, building their
confidence and their capacity
and demonstrating that many
teaching aids can be made from
readily available local materials.
Teacher training is also an ideal
way of introducing teachers to
new teaching methods and
approaches.
It is hoped that teacher
training for both primary and
secondary school teachers in
the LGA will improve the
standard of education and
inspire teachers who have
become disillusioned.
Education Infrastructure
Started in 2004, this
school in Olom Nkoro had
to be demolished and
rebuilt by the Foundation.
Although originally slated
for renovation, the building
was considered to be too
dangerous by our civil
engineers to repair.
Now completed, the
children of Olom Nkoro now
have a safe dry school in
which to take their lessons.
This is the third school to
be built by the Foundation
since its inception in 2003.
Renovation of Teachers Quarters
One of the greatest
problems facing remote
communities is how to keep
those teachers that are
appointed to their school.
Many teachers do not
reside in their place of
work because there is no
appropriate accommodation
for them.
This can mean that the
most remote schools have
no regular teaching staff.
This Teachers Quarters
Project in Iwo-ama Nkoro
seeks to renovate the
abandoned teachers
quarters to a standard that
will enable them to remain.
As with all projects of this
nature, the Foundation
established the
commitment of the
teachers and parents to the
school prior to embarking
on the project.
Women in Development
Women in Development
remain a major focus of the
Foundation with many
activities focussing on skill
acquisition and income
generation.
In this area there has been
considerable success with
the completion of 3
Resource Centres.
However, as the Foundation
has developed, it is aware
that it must work harder to
include those women that
are marginalized within
society.
In 2006 the Foundation
shall continue to work with
the Widows Association and
help facilitate a new
institution for Young
Women – a group currently
not well represented.
In this way, the Foundation
hopes to have a greater
impact on those most in
need of assistance.
It is also hoped that the
Widows Association and
Young Women’s Association
shall fully embrace the
micro credit scheme – with
special terms offered to
help those ordinarily not
able to qualify.
Resource Centres
Since 2003, the Foundation
has built 3 Women’s Resource
Centres (Queens Town,
Kalaibiama and Okpukpo).
These centres have enabled
the women to take advantage
of the State-wide TAP
Scheme as well as generate
some much needed income.
Below is the progress to date
on the Nkoro Skill Acquisition
Centre – It is expected to be
completed by mid 2006.
Vocational Skills Training
It seemed that Opobo/Nkoro
LGA was littered with skill
acquisition equipment but the
women lacked the venues to
base their activities
Today, the women are able to
develop their skills and
generate income from their
labours.
It is important that these
activities become linked to the
micro credit scheme as soon as
possible to enable participants
to invest in future business
opportunities.
Computer training
Computer training remains
popular within the LGA.
However, the Foundation
has opened the door to
secondary school students
so they may become
acquainted with the latest
technology.
Students are now able to
study for an “introduction
to Computing” certificate
in the hope that this may
encourage them to learn
more and improve their
employment opportunities.
Traditional Birth Attendants Health Post
The TBA Health Post is
now fully functional and is
playing a significant role in
the safe delivery of
babies in Nkoro.
Last year the Foundation
was able to support a
NYSC Health Worker
based in the Health Post,
who was able to provide
medical support to the
whole community.
It is hoped that Local
Government shall continue
this commitment to health
in Nkoro.
Roll Back Malaria
The Foundation continues
to support the Federal
Roll Back Malaria
campaign.
This year, the interest
was so great that more
than 500 women attended
the workshops and the
Foundation ran out of
treated bed-nets.
100 nets were donated by
the State Government.
Next year, the Foundation
plans to visit each axis of
the LGA to ensure that
more pregnant mothers
are reached and that
those unable to travel are
not excluded.
Widows Association (Sanitation Exercise)
As part of their
Development Plan, the
Widows identified the need
for some of the more
disadvantaged members to
earn some form of stipend.
The Widows started a
“street sanitation exercise”
whereby members clean the
major roads in the
community in return for
small recompense.
The Foundation agreed to
support this scheme for a 3
month period.
It is hoped that this pilot
project will be taken over
by the Local Government
and that a more significant
income can be paid.
Youth in Development
Engaging the Youth is vital
for the success of any
development programme in
the Niger Delta.
Part of this process is to
help youth associations to
become institutionalised
and to help them to
recognise the need to work
in a more transparent and
accountable manner.
Over the passed 12 months,
the Foundation has
facilitated the creation or
helped consolidate Youth
Associations in every
community in the LGA.
These institutions are now
able to come together at
both axial and LGA levels to
help co-ordinate their
activities.
In this way, the Opobo and
Nkoro Youth Associations
are able to properly
represent their
constituency and best
advocate their needs over
the coming years.
Such institutions should
also help to reduce the
level of conflict between
community youth groups
and enable youths to
identify common objectives
rather than competing for
limited resources.
To this end, workshops
have been held on Peace
Building and Leadership
with members of the Youth
Executive.
Theatre Association
The Foundation continues to
support two Theatre
Associations in Opobo and
Nkoro Towns respectively.
These Associations help to
keep cultural traditions alive
as well as disseminating
important health, education
and development messages.
A Fullbright Scholar, Mr Dan
Hoyle also donated a week of
his time to facilitate
workshops for the Theatre
Association to further
develop their considerable
acting ability.
Nine members of the
Associations were sponsored
to participate in the Rivers
State “Street Star”
programme.
Youth Football Tournaments
Youth Football Tournaments
continue to be a useful tool
for engaging youths in the
LGA.
The organising, conflict
management and accounting
skills required to make these
tournaments a success is
certainly beneficial to the
youth bodies whilst the
tournaments help to create
unity.
2005 was the first year for a
Women’s Youth Football
Tournament.
Micro Credit
Micro credit has proved
difficult to introduce
successfully in Opobo/Nkoro.
The history of failed
schemes makes it a challenge
to ensure that participants
appreciate that this is not
another “political” scheme
where repayment is not
mandatory.
To date, 60 of the 180
groups that initially
registered have been
accredited.
Similarly, Area Community
Savings and Credit
Associations and an LGAwide apex body have been
constituted.
A pilot scheme shall start in
early 2006. N2 million is
available for disbursal at this
stage.
Natural Resource Management
Natural Resource
Management is still very
much in its infancy in
Opobo/Nkoro. Two staff
were sent to the Leventis
Foundation in Ilesha for
training in agro-forestry
and beekeeping.
A demonstration cassava
farm is currently being
developed in Ekereborokiri
where the community have
donated land.
Work is also being done
with local forest elephants
that regularly destroy farm
crops. Farmers are being
encouraged to use Chilli
Peppers to discourage the
elephants from entering
farm land – apparently
elephants have an intense
dislike for pepper.
A recent survey carried out
by PNI for the MacArthur
Foundation suggests that
there are only about 12
elephants surviving in the
area today.
Numbers were established
through the DNA analysis of
collected dung samples. These
samples were sent to the USA
for analysis.
It seems that 12 animals are
not sufficient for a viable
population and thus the herd
may be in terminal decline.
Miscellaneous Infrastructure
The Infrastructure Unit
is effectively a service
section of the Foundation.
It exists to serve the
needs of the institutions
and communities in the
LGA.
Within this context, the
unit has supported
Women’s Associations
with the construction of
resource centres and
education with the
renovation and
construction of schools
and teachers quarters.
However, there are
miscellaneous projects
that do not fall within the
areas of other institutions
– these may include single
community projects, like a
well, Clan projects, like a
skill acquisition centre or
LGA projects like the new
secretariat or the TBL
Laboratory.
The Infrastructure unit
has been supported in the
past by a VSO Civil
Engineer Mr Charles
Brimacomb who has
worked with local
counterparts to build
capacity and increase
sustainability.
It is hoped that the
infrastructure unit shall
continue to grow from
strength to strength when
he departs in early 2006.
Tuberculosis & Leprosy Laboratory
The Tuberculosis and
Leprosy Laboratory is a
good example of the way
the Foundation is trying to
partner with Local
Government.
In this project, the
Foundation provided the
basic infrastructure
whilst the LGA has
committed to provide
furnishings and staffing.
Equipment and training is
to be provided by the
German Leprosy
Association.
This Laboratory is to be
handed over to the LGA in
early 2006.
It is hoped that the
Foundation can build upon
these partnerships to
make its activities more
sustainable in the future.
Partnering with MPP3
The role of the Foundation
is to develop a network of
partners committed to the
development of
Opobo/Nkoro LGA. To this
end, the Foundation has
successfully attracted
funding from MPP3
(European Union Micro
Projects Programme).
These projects include
Teachers Quarters for
Queens Town, Drainage
Renovation for Opobo Town
and Shore Protection for
Ekereborokiri. Proposals
for Kalaibiama Teachers
Quarters are currently
under consideration.
It is expected that MPP3
will have contributed in
excess of N6 million by the
end of 2005 to ONCDF for
the development of
Opobo/Nkoro Communities.
Ala Cornelius Well
Many people in Opobo/Nkoro
LGA do not have access to
potable water.
Communities are littered
with abandoned water
projects whilst children are
still collecting drinking water
from water holes (see left).
This water project in Ala
Cornelius helps this small
community to gain access to
clean water that is not easily
contaminated by surface
run-off or wild animals.
Distinguished Visitors
Opobo has had a number of
distinguished visitors this
year ranging from Dr Peter
Odili (being presented with
a gift by the Foundation at
the end of 2004) to
representatives of USAID,
VSO and MPP3.
The Foundation has also
escorted the Opobo/Nkoro
Council of Traditional
Rulers on a tour of projects
across the LGA.
The Executive Secretary to
the Foundation was also
given an award by the
Amanyanabo of Opobo in
December 2005 in
recognition of the
achievements of the
Opobo/Nkoro Community
Development Foundation.
Financial Summary
SALARIES
Total Expenditure
Annual cost
Development Foundation Subtotal
Logistics Team Subtotal
2,722,647
1,499,486
3,300,360
1,510,200
577,713
10,714
82%
99%
DF SALARIES SUB TOTAL
4,222,133
4,810,560
588,427
88%
Total Expenditure
Annual cost
1,200,000
2,700,000
1,500,000
44%
292,710
1,000,000
707,290
29%
Miscellaneous
3,167,515
1,000,000
-2,167,515
317%
CAPITAL EXP SUB TOTAL
4,660,225
4,700,000
39,775
99%
Total Expenditure
Annual cost
596,580
540,000
-56,580
110%
Fuel etc Subtotal
5,064,741
5,126,000
61,259
99%
Repairs & maintenance Subtotal
3,224,615
1,210,000
-2,014,615
266%
Miscellaneous Subtotal
3,819,808
3,275,000
-544,808
117%
12,705,744
10,151,000
-2,554,744
125%
Total Expenditure
Annual cost
59,300
495,000
435,700
12%
5,279,798
2,598,000
-2,681,798
203%
Micro Credit subtotal
369,631
613,600
243,969
60%
Women Subtotal
632,599
857,400
224,802
74%
Youth Subtotal
1,533,539
1,365,600
-167,939
112%
Education subtotal
1,045,342
1,734,000
688,658
60%
Total Expenditure
Annual cost
902,100
4,000,000
3,097,900
23%
2,500,000
1,384,630
45%
2,500,000
1,912,700
23%
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE
Covered Boat
Secretariat furnishings
RECURRENT EXPENDITURE
Housing/Rent Subtotal
RECURRENT EXP SUB TOTAL
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES
Community awareness subtotal
Instit Dev & Cap Building Subtotal
Infrastructure Unit Subtotal
Secretariat
Opobo Town
Balance
Balance
Balance
Balance
% Spent
% Spent
% Spent
% Spent
% Spent
67,200
Kalaibiama
559,180
Ala Cornelius
488,990
Project 1 - Opobo
Balance
1,115,370
Nkoro Town
587,300
Olom Nkoro
0
Iwoama Nkoro
0
Olomama Nkoro
0
Project 2 - Nkoro
587,300
Development Progs Contd
Ekererborokiri
Total Expenditure
Annual cost
Balance
% Spent
212,350
Epelema
0
Minima
0
Aya Minima
0
Oloma
0
Iloma
0
Okpukpo
0
Project 3 - Kalama
212,350
Queens Town
791,320
Kalasunju
Project 4 - Queens Town
2,500,000
2,287,650
8%
0
791,320
2,500,000
1,708,680
32%
Infrastructure Subtotal
6,868,046
14,672,000
7,803,954
47%
Dev Plan Subtotal
1,554,753
300,000
-1,254,753
518%
Internet Café Total
0
1,378,400
1,378,400
0%
Total Expenditure
Annual cost
Kalaibiama Subtotal
0
258,000
258,000
0%
Queens Town Subtotal
0
258,000
258,000
0%
Okpukpo Subtotal
0
258,000
258,000
0%
Total Expenditure
Annual cost
Facilitation Subtotal
0
420,000
420,000
0%
Nkoro Training Centre costs Subtotal
0
918,500
918,500
0%
Nkoro Training Centre R & M Subtotal
0
341,000
341,000
0%
Nkoro Training Centre Total
0
1,679,500
1,679,500
0%
All Training Centres Total
0
2,453,500
2,453,500
0%
17,343,008
26,467,500
9,124,493
66%
Total Expenditure
Annual cost
38,931,109
46,129,060
Women’s Training Centres
Nkoro Training Centre Facilitation
DEV PROG SUB TOTAL
GRAND TOTAL
Balance
Balance
Balance
7,197,951
% Spent
% Spent
% Spent
84%
Conclusion
The success of the Opobo/Nkoro Community Development
Foundation is not what can be seen simply in terms of bricks
and mortar but more importantly what people have done and
are doing for themselves.
Communities are organising themselves in transparent and
accountable institutions where the principle of gender balance
at all levels is accepted. This offers Opobo/Nkoro a
sustainable and inclusive solution to its development problems.