IICD supported project: ICT Integration Multimedia & Recording (CYPRO) - Zambia

Countries: Zambia [ZM]
Sectors: livelihoods

Summary

There are many young people living in the Chawama region who are unemployed and wish to improve their livelihoods by exploring the possibilities of making a living through music. The ICT Integration, Multimedia & Recording (CYPRO) project has been built on this goal, designed specifically to support the artistic talent of the local youths, by offering them the opportunity to develop recording and production skills. They will learn to create CD Roms with their music, and from there, further assistance will be offered to help market their music. Another component of the project is information provision. Through the information resource centre / internet café, staff of the Chawama Youth Project - the project owner - assists in searching information and offers courses in using and benefitting from the Internet.

Update

Updated: 2008-08-21

The Ministry of Youth Development has recognized the Chawama Youth project and has offered them a plot (5.6 hectares) of land at Kanakantapa (70 km outside Lusaka) to replicate their current work with an extension in Agriculture and Tourism.

At the centre income generation has increased through the introduction of new carpentry designs, downloaded from the internet.

Introduction

In Zambia, small ICT initiatives at district level may have better opportunities to impact the livelihoods of disadvantaged communities. The Chawama Youth Project was one of the four small initiative funds (SIF 1) implemented in 2004, and has been scaled up as a broader, longer-term project called CYPRO. As such, Chawama Youth Project applies ICT to assist the Zambian agenda of producing employable youths that meet the national labour market requirements of flexibility and high quality in work standards. The Chawama youth is provided with the opportunity to develop their capacities, entrepreneurship and talents, ultimately contributing to the reduction of poverty among Chawama Community members.

Objectives

• Enable talented youths and women to become productive members of the community
• Encourage and assist in the establishment of economical enterprises for the youths and women, and promote self-employment
• Improve efficiency and effectiveness of staff members of CYP in their day-to-day duties
• Promote ICT usage in the local community (in particular Chawama) and among students for their respective courses

Development Impacts

Around 400 youths have been trained in the past two years : in tailoring, carpentry, welding, auto mechanics, ICT and electrics. They have gained knowledge and acquired skills that will help them in getting future employment. Trainers have also been trained and these skills can be applied after they have left the project.

The information resource centre provides easy access to the Internet and other computer-based secretarial and communication services in the first place for the youth. But also the Chawama community in general and surrounding area have benefitted from the services provided at the centre.

Results

• Establishment of a Community ICT Resource Centre and a Music recording Studio
• Capacity building of instructors
• Capacity building of youth in basic information management, information searching, basic networking & trouble shooting, spreadsheets, basic websites, basic & advanced databases, music recording, graphic design
• Increased income generation activities by increasing the marketing of produced goods and the use of Internet in designing new products

Lessons learned

• Because of an increase in activities, the financial system needed to be strengthened
• Internet is integrated in several trainings like tailoring and mechanics, but some instructors still prefer handouts instead of electronic presentations
• Revenues from secretarial services decrease due to more ICT capacity of community members, but income from Internet use increases, because people want to apply their skills

Budget

Euro 88,976.00

Project Owner : Chawama Youth Project (CYP). Coordinated by Rodgers Mulenga (youth2004project@yahoo.co.uk).