IICD supported project: Resource Cooperative Society Training Centre, Kawama Ndola - Small Initiative Fund - Zambia

Countries: Zambia [ZM]
Sectors: livelihood

Summary

The Resource Cooperative Society (RSC) in Kawama compound, Ndola, aims to create employment for disadvantaged women and youth from the community. The training centre empowers women and youth by training them in life skills like ceramics and cooking, thus increasing self-reliance of members of the community. Through the Small Initiatives Fund the centre has acquired a small number of PCs, a digital camera and internet connection, thereby providing support to their own activities as well as providing a much needed communication facility based in the community itself.

Update

Updated: 2007-03-08

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The implementation of the project (planned for August 2004) was delayed because the old government building which houses the project had to be re-wired to provide required electricity. Now that re-electrification has taken place, a few girls from the community have acquired basic computer skills and are ready to start utilising the equipment and provide services. On-site training has taken place by Coldreed Training and follow-ups need to be made regarding some faulty equipment.

Introduction

In Zambia, many women and youth do not benefit from the formal education system and are not eligible for professional income-generating opportunities. Youth unemployment is high in urban townships, leading to increased crime and unproductive loitering. Similarly, women do not have their own source of income, and with the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS in the low-income communities, women are expected to care for many children’s welfare. A few members of the community started the Resource Cooperative Society in the community itself, in order to empower women and youth to learn skills that can help them generate income and improve their standard of living.

Through the Small Initiatives Fund, initially facilitated by Edwin Zulu, the RCS came in contact with IICD and was interested in exploring the potential of ICTs to support their training activities, as well as providing access to communication tools in the community. Community members had to travel many miles into the centre of Ndola to make simple phone calls or the access the internet, incurring unnecessary travel costs as well as high costs for basic communication services geared towards employed town dwellers. Using the basic ICT equipment and skills provided through this project, the RCS is uncovering new ways to market their project, provide information services and network with like-minded organisations.

Objectives

• Support the centre’s training activities by improved documentation, administration and marketing;
• Increase networking and information sharing of the centre with the Zambian and international community to identify and access development and financial resources;
• Increase access to learning opportunities for centre staff and community members.

Planned outputs

• Equipment installed and working;
• Centre’s staff ICT & information management skills enhanced;
• Access to appropriate information services for community;
• Possibilities of using ICTs to support community development explored.

Development Impacts

Beneficiaries: direct beneficiaries include members of the RCS that participate in training activities. Further direct beneficiaries include residents of Kawama compound, Ndola and surroundings that make use of the information services provided through the RCS.

Economic benefits: improved income-generation through informal education and employment; cost-savings on travelling to the town centre for simple information transactions.

Impact on knowledge base: enhanced skills development provided to community members by the RCS, development of ICT skills within the community.

Management and organisation

The project owner was identified through the YES-Zambia network and Edwin Zulu of StepOut. Edwin Zulu also did the initial coordination, purchasing and set-up. The project is now managed by Mr Jairos Samushi (Chairman RCS) and Harriet Chilemya. Harriet Chilemya, closely involved with all activities of the RCS, was the initial main contact for the project coordination. A young female entrepreneur, she was able to start-up the communication with sponsoring organisations and to sell the RCS’s activities to possible partners. Since the project start-up, Mr Samushi has gained experience and skills in working with ICTs, and is now the main contact for the project for the RCS. In order to ensure security for the RCS and the ICT equipment, he currently resides at the RSC and is very committed to maximising the benefits of the project for the disadvantaged community.

Market and finance

The target audience for the project are members of the community, with generally low levels of income. The project aims to become sustainable by selling the products resulting from the training activities as well as sell low-priced information and communication products and services to community members and other community-based organisations.

Lessons learned

A thorough assessment of physical infrastructure (e.g. electrification) of the project site is needed when establishing the project's budget.

Budget

€6,000 + additional €100 re-electrification + 1 digital camera

Project Owner : Resource Cooperative Society, Kawama Ndola

Project Partners : IICD