| This project needs |
An initial cost of £96,315 Subsequent increases to finance more operations - Recruit PTA teachers - Schooling basic needs - Building tools - Materials - cement reinforcement iron rods gravel - sawing of timber - Skilled labour. |
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Name of the Organization
Centre for Reconstruction and Development (CREDEV)
Title of the Proposed Project
Improvement of Learning Conditions for Poor Children
Context
Less than 50% of children in Mbaw Plain are able to attain basic primary school leaving certificate. Mbaw Plain is a disadvantaged and marginalized community with a population of over 100,000 inhabitants situated close to the Cameroon/ Nigeria border. Basic education in this indigenous community is unattainable simply because the schools lack teachers, buildings, teaching (didactic) materials and basic schooling needs for children. Teachers do not have basic teaching aid to use in school, let alone a library or computer which is so far considered as luxury. Most schools have a pupil/teachers’ ratio of 300/01 (Provincial Delegation of Basic Education statistics - 2009); that is, only one trained teacher recruited by the state that heads the school with the rests being by PTAs. Most of these teachers are First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) holders with little or no teaching experience at all. Few schools have some semi-permanent classroom buildings, while others are operating in sheds without even a building and dilapidating structures. The indigenes do not have enough to eat let alone constructing buildings they themselves have never built or live in. Because parents are poor, they cannot provide basic school needs such as exercise books, textbooks, pens, rulers, uniforms. The worst of these categories are orphans or children whose parents have died of HIV/AIDS that have little or no support. There is no electricity to light their houses for children to read and kerosene is unaffordable on a daily basis by parents either due to its unavailability or the lack of means. As a result, children can only read during the day and may be unable to do their assignments at night. The end result is catastrophic with very low standard of education from institutions that are more of a shadow than real, since they do not bring about any change in level of literacy for which they were created. The pupils who attend these schools complete without being able to read or write well, because of the appalling conditions of learning.
Rationale for the Proposed Project
For meaningful change to take place in this community, the beneficiaries must actively participate in its development. And for the community to be fully involved in decision-making, be it social, political, economical or otherwise, they must be educated. A community full of illiterates in the 21 century has no future at all for her youths. PTAs have very limited capacity to raise funds since not all parents can contribute due to poverty either to recruit trained teachers or build classrooms. The government is crying loud that World Financial Crisis has forced her to cut down the budget and so haven’t funds to recruit enough teachers or build classrooms. In other to meet the MDGs of education, we are looking for partners with interests in child education aimed at improving the learning conditions in schools in this area. In a community with over 70% illiterates, children will live to suffer from child trafficking and all sorts of child abuse endlessly. CREDEV want the children of this community not to continuously see education as the right for the rich, but as the basic tool for human development.
Project Goals and Objectives
The Goal of the project is to reduce the impact of poor learning conditions in primary schools to achieve basic education level in the community.
The objectives of the project are:
- To construction 20 new classrooms and maintenance of 10 other school buildings by year 5;
- To improve teaching by recruiting 25% qualified teachers by end of year 2 paid for by the PTAs;
Project Strategy/ Listing of Project Activities
Strengthening the education of this community to meet the MDGs can only take place through the involvement of all the stakeholders. 10 School buildings are to be maintained that are dilapidating and 20 new classrooms built as one of the major components of this project. There are thatched roofs that have to be replaced with corrugated aluminium sheets. Some existing roofs have to be replaced because of heavy leakages to prevent the collapse of the buildings. Broken walls have to be rebuilt and then plastered with cement mortar. This will also apply to floors that are dusty, breeding jiggers that feed on children’s feet. Windows and door shutters/frames do not exist for most buildings that have to be fixed. The wall finishing will be painted in emulsion paint to have a good look. Wood can be sawn cheaply by the community, supported with funds from the nearby forests. Sand, stones and mud bricks will also be supplied by the PTA as part of their contribution for the project. Skilled labour will include bricklayers, masons, iron benders and carpenters recruited by CREDEV. Factory made materials for the project will include, corrugated aluminium sheets, iron rods, door/window frames and shutters and sashes provided by the donor(s).
The support to effective learning and teaching will be one of the components of the project activity. PTA recruited teachers’ stipends (currently less than $20/month) have to be consistent and if possible tripled in order to recruit well qualified teachers. They may be O-Level GCE holders or trained professional teachers in need of a job. Didactic materials will also be supplied to various schools. It will include various teachers’ guides to pupil textbooks, blackboards, desks, drawing tools and chalk. Pupils will have to be supplied with exercise books, textbooks of various subjects, rulers, pens, pencils, uniforms, school bags and also pay fees for some destitute children to enable them register for their first time at school. Some of these children may be able to own a textbooks for their first time in their life as a result of your support.
Expected Results
- Learning conditions in community improved from 10% to 25% by end of year 5
- Pupils that can read and write increased by 15% in the community by end of year 3
- At least 15 of the 21 schools are fully functioning by end of year 5,
- School enrolment increased from 25% to 50% by end of year 3,
- Illiteracy rate reduced in the community by 25% by year 3,
- At least 50% children of schooling age in the community enrolled in schools by year 3.
Organisational background including the expertise and experience
The Centre for Reconstruction and Development is an NGO (non-profit) registered in Cameroon as an equivalent of 501(c)(3) organisation. CREDEV is an autonomous civil society organisation, whose purpose is development, charitable and organised to advance sustainable social change in disadvantaged and vulnerable communities in the society. The Centre for Reconstruction and Development is an organisation founded with one of her focal objectives on children’s rights in her constitution. The right to child education is an overarching issue to this organisation given the fact that today’s children are tomorrow’s adults. CREDEV strongly adheres to the idea of sustainable development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of future generations to achieve theirs.
We have enormous expertise in rural infrastructure development lead by an exco-member with over 25-years of experience both in the public and private development sectors. The full proposal will be developed based on the funding criteria of the donor(s).
Budget Estimate
It will need an initial cost of £96,315 for the programme to start, but will subsequently increase as we take up more operations. This will cover costs of some schooling basic needs, recruit PTA teachers, building tools, materials - cement, reinforcement iron rods, gravel, sawing of timber and skilled labour.
Mbuti Mboyam Godwill
Executive Director
Centre for Reconstruction and Development
P.O Box 771 Bamenda
North West Province Cameroon
Tel: 237(0) 99 297 615 /97317413
e-Fax: 44(0) 871 2393 455
E-mail: credev@uk2.net
Website: credev.ucoz.org