Sustainable Rural Livelihood Empowerment Project (SURULEP)

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

PROJECT TITLE:

                                    Sustainable Rural Livelihood Empowerment Project (SURULEP)

CONTACT PERSON:

Director, Department of Social Welfare & Community Development

ORGANIZATION:

Department of Social Welfare & Community Development

DISTRICT:              

Sissala East District Assembly

PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM:

Sharif-Deen Ibrahim (Director-Department of Social Welfare and Community Development)

He has over seven years experience in the delivery of social services in the district and other parts of the regions where he has worked. He has been the focal person and collaborator for  local and international organizations that wish to partner the District on issues of childrights protection, juvenile justice, girl child education, livelihood empowerment to mention a few. He obtained his Bachelors degree from the University of Ghana, in Social Works and a Master of Art in Human Rights from the University of Education, Winneba.

Nagumo Walter-Rodney (Project Coordinator)

He has two years experience in community research and project management focusing on ability to identify the potentials, needs and strength of rural community’s socioeconomic issues and addressing these challenges. He is currently a Social Development Officer at the Department of Social Welfare. Prior to joining the department he served as a volunteer at various capacities in a number of NGO’s, working to eradicate poverty and promoting human rights at community level across the country. He has obtained a Bachelors degree in Applied Biology from University for Development Studies and has also pursued other courses in project management.

Ahmed Mubashir Saed (Community Animation Officer)

He has more than 3 years experience in community development activities in the district and its surrounding communities. He has a Bachelor of Art degree from University for Development Studies in Economics.

Priority areas addressed:

Small Scale business development

Skills Training

Advocacy

Empowerment

Nutrition

Mission:

The mission of the SURULEP is to establish sustainable livelihood for the poorest of poor as a supplement Government’s social cash transfer scheme.

Geographical areas served:

Sisaala East District (Sentie, Gwosi, Jijen, Dolibizon, Lilixia, Nabulo, Nmanduanu, Bandei, Dangi, Kong, Kulfou, Sakai, Tarsor, Challu, Gwosi, Kowie, Pieng, Sakalu, Tumu)

Population served:

People living with disabilities, Orphans, Vulnerable Children, the Aged and their care givers and.

GRANT REQUEST

Project title:  Sustainable Rural Livelihood Empowerment Project (SURULEP)

Introduction:

The Department of Social Welfare and Community Development (DSWCD) is the only Public organization supported by Government of Ghana to promote delivery of   social services, mobilization of available human and material resources to improve upon the living standardsof the vulnerable and excluded individuals, groups and communities in collaboration with other stakeholders. We do this with dedication, sense of equity and reliability with respect for human dignity. Funds to run our activities usually come from the district assembly common fund and the Government of Ghana. DSWCD has established a record of successful collaborations with other organizations locally and internationally to run programs of common objectives. Some include Plan International, Action Aid Ghana, World Food Programme, Ghana Health Service, Ministry of Food and Agric., Domestic violence and Victims support Unit of the Ghana Police Service (DOVSU) and Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHIRAJ).

Project summary:

Sustainable Rural Livelihood Empowerment Project (SURULEP)is a brainchild of the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development, of the Sissala East District Assembly which intends to address challenges faced by “LEAP” beneficiaries - their ability to really leap out of chronic poverty by provision of sustainablelivelihoods.People will only leap out of poverty when you teach them how to fish rather than offer them free fish. This will be achieved by expanding already existing small scale businesses owned by PWD’s, caregivers of OVC and the aged.   New small scale business will also be introduced to this group of people who have energy to work but idle. Some viable areas may include guinea fowl production, livestock rearing, weaving, soybeans production and shoemaking. This will involve 20 communities in the Sissala East District with a total of 1571 beneficiaries. The project activities will include grouping community households to undertakeviable sustainable economic activities, training, workshops, and provision of technical support, information dissemination, monitoring and evaluation of project activities.

Time frame: January 1, 2014- December 31, 2016

Requested funds: GHC 141,400

PROPOSAL NARRATIVE

Problem Statement

The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 1 advocate’s for eradication of extreme poverty and hunger in the world by 2015.Great strides have been made in achieving this goal but it still lurks with us.Poverty is a Global phenomenon defined to include material, non-material and a combination of socio-cultural and political factors. People living with disabilities, the aged, orphans and vulnerable children bear the brunt of these inequalities. The only way to achieve success with the fight against poverty is not by social cash transfers but creating sustainable developments. Sustainable development is described as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (World Commission on Environmental Development- the Brandt land Commission report 1987) World Bank estimates a total of 1.29 billion (22% in developing countries) people living in absolute poverty that is they live on less than $1.25/GHc 2.6 a day and cannot meet their basic needs. The United Nations development index (HDI) which measures poverty based on indicators such as literacy, education, health care and other basic necessities places Ghana at 0.532 HDI, in the year 2007/2008. This ranks Ghana as 136 out of 177 countries reflecting poor performance in meeting the basic needs of its citizens. The National Social Protection Strategy (NSPS) initiated by the Government of Ghana showed that an estimated 14.7% of Ghanaians were extremely poor that is unable to meet their basic needs. Available data also indicates that 84% of the figure comes from the Upper West Region, making it the poorest in the whole country (GSS, 2003).

The Department of Social Welfare and Community Development (DSWCD) has a record of solid achievements in the provision of social support services, long before the advent of international NGO’s in the district. The Government of Ghana’s LEAP programme which is currently coordinated by the DSWCD, aimed at the less endowed in society disburses an average amount of 0.8 pesewas a day, bimonthly which is woefully inadequate. Despite the meager amount, bureaucracies and delays in the disbursement of funds has rather hindered the program’s objectives. This is because beneficiaries may go borrowing in anticipation for their funds. When they finally receive it, they then pay off their debts, leaving nothing for themselves. There is therefore the need to create sustainable livelihoods that they can be reliably depended on.

Except those living with serious disability, which renders them immobile, there is the need to increase social inclusion in sustainable socio-economic activities for PWD’s and the poor in general. Advocacy and empowerment will give them self-confidence and ability to fight the poverty they encounter in their daily lives.

Project Justification

The Government of Ghana has made major strides in aliviating poverty in the district and Country as a whole. Indigenes are naturally hard working ready to take oppotunites that will aliviate them from poverty. Government before the LEAP project implimentation had already used sofisticated techniques to identify the poor in all project communities. It is based on this reliable data that we seek to address the needs of these beneficiaries to give them a worth while sustainable livelyhood which will tremendiously increasing their means of livelyhood.. Beneficiaries will be trained by resource persons to sustain project outcomes through the maintenance and replication at the end of the project. Maintenace will be the sole responsibility of the beneficiacy with occational expert advice from resource persons. Replication proceedures will vary based on type of venture. For those who undertake guinea fowl or livestock rearing, a seed of fowl and eggs or a male and female goat will be handed to a non beneficiary who is also in the poverty bracket. This will help more people to come out of poverty. Indegenes have benefited from similar facilities from other NGO's but non has so far been target at PWD's or LEAP beneficiaries. In order to benefit from the grant, one must be a PWD or LEAP beneficiary, living in one of the leap communities. There will be a number venture packages to pick from (livestock, guinea fowl, rabbit, grasscutter, soyabean or other cereal production) but beneficiaries who have already taken an initiative will be given funds to expand.  Lots of valuable data will be generated from the implimentation of the project to strengthen the current social transfer system and to inform better policy decisions. The selection of LEAP beneficiaries has created the impeatus for the design of this project to help them. challenges from the LEAP project has also created yet another project called the GSOP. Strict monitoring and evaluation plan will ensure that all the project's goals and objectives are achieved. Quaterly internal and external audits will be allowed by our parent institution(Sisaala East District Assembly), any contracted external institution and sponsors as a quality control measure.

Description of the Impact Area

The Sissala East District Assembly was established in 2004 by LI. 1766 of the constitution of the Republic of Ghana, with Tumu as its District Capital. The district is located in the North-Eastern part of Upper West region of Ghana. It falls between longitudes 1.30⁰W and latitude 10.00⁰ N and 11.00⁰ N. The district has a land size of 4744 sq km representing 26% of total land mass in the region. It shares boundary with Burkina Faso to the East with KassenaNankana and Builsa District to the south East, Mamprusi District to the south west with Wa East and Nadowli District to the west by the Sissala west district.

Population in the district is 56,370 with only 19.03% in Tumu, the district capital and the rest found in about 50 rural communities according to 2010 population census. Settlement pattern is highly dispersed and rural in nature. This affects setting of socio-economic projects like boreholes, electricity extension among others. Thus community consultation and involvement is very necessary. The male-female ratio is 96:100 and the staple economic activity in the district is agriculture (69%). Services and commence represent 15% while the industrial sectors also represent16 %.( DMTDP, 2011)

All the LEAP communities are located in the Sissala East district on a 125km radius from the district capital Tumu. The Project is targeted at 20 communities in the Sissala East namely, Sentie, Gwosi, Jijen, Dolibizon, Lilixia, Nabulo, Nmanduanu, Bandei, Dangi, Kong, Kulfou, Sakai, Tarsor, Challu, Gwosi, Kowie, Pieng, Sakalu, Tumu. Available data suggests a total of 926 households which include a total of 1571 individualscategorized as People with Disabilities(PWDs),  orphaned and Vulnerable children (OVC) and the aged (65 years and over).

PEOGRAM GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

GOAL: To promote sustainable rural development among the poorest of the poor in rural

            communities

To increase their sources for financial support.

OBJECTIVES:

•         To uplift current low income of LEAP beneficiaries from 0.8 Ghana pesewas per day to 3Ghana cedi’s per day thereby reducing extremely poor people (i.e. those who cannot meet their basic needs) in the communities by 90%.

•         To empower PWDs to challenge their own social exclusion, injustices, marginalization and poverty they encounter in their daily live.

•         To develop community commitment to sustain project outcomes through the maintenance and replication in 3years.

•         Generate data to strengthen the current social transfer system to inform better policy decisions.

METHODS

Mobilizing human and material resources

The human and material resources are gained primarily from the lead project organization, the project staff and collaborators. Together, we will implement the project. The lead organization, DSWCD, is a statutory government agency seeking collaboration to run SURULEP. It operates under the Sissala East District Assembly withstaff strength of 13. We have two large rooms as office space and well-furnished too. We have three modern computers, a scanner, Photo copier machine and two printers.

Having provided services to the 50 communities in the district over the years we have a district wide reach and ability to reach more than 50,000 individuals which is important for the marketing and outreach of this project. It will also be easy to replicate the success of the project to other communities.

The District Director in charge of Social Welfare will be the supervising officer for this project. His responsibilities will also includecoordinationand budget oversight; hiring of inventory surveyors; marketing of the project, newsletter, articles, and presentations; coordination of site trainings; liaison with community groups; oversight of contract employees; dissemination of information and reports; preparation of required reports; and coordination and oversight of SURULEP grants.

Other staff on the project will include, a Project coordinator who will be responsible for the community mapping and grouping process including the training of beneficiaries, developing the survey instrument for assessment of the project, developing format for the community entry and dissemination including data entry.

Community mobilization officer will also be responsible for identification of training needs based on community mapping results, identification of potential trainers, assisting with specific and generic training, reviewing training materials and serving as a liaison with existing collaborators.

Numerous key stakeholders have been identified as collaborators in the project.  Much of the success and sustainability of the project depends on these collaborators. An initial list of collaborators and their role in the project is as follows:

•         Business Advisory Centre (BAC) is an integral part of the districts business activities and will there for be responsible for consultancy services for our beneficiaries.

•         Ministry of Food and Agric. (MOFA) will provide resource persons in-kind training and staff support.

•         RADFORD radio will be responsible for dissemination of information at local level.

•         Sissala East District Assembly (SEDA) will provide transport support services.

•         Sissala Literacy Development project (SILDEP) and People Action for Winning life all-round (PAWLA) – a locally based NGOs will be responsible for monitoring the project implementation.

•         Action on Disability and Development (ADD) is United Kingdom NGO with similar objectives to help build strong disability organizations, to advocate for PWD and to challenge the injustices they encounter in their daily lives, as well as influence social policy and to support the inclusion of marginalized groups within the disability organizations.

Strategies for intervention

The project activities will take place in four phases with each building upon the other to achieve the project goals.

PHASE 1

COMMUNITY RESOURCE MAPPING: Community resource mapping is an organized process through which communities can identify specific resource organizations or groups inshoemaking, animal rearing or agric. in general. This will be the initial process of the project to do community entry and interact with the people to know their needs and potential. This will be done through focus group discussion, structured and semi structured interviews. Views about current state of poverty especially with PWDs will be sort. This will serve as reference point for evaluation of outcomes.  Each available resource will be analyzed to find out how it can be improved or expanded for accessibility to the poorest of poor. This will be done by training, modifications and assistive technology. Data collectors will be hired from the communities of impact, three at each site, who will be trained to collect data from identified LEAP households.After the surveys are completed, the information is entered into a database as bases for the next line of action.

PHASE 2

TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE: Based on the information gathered during the community mapping, LEAP beneficiaries will either be offered generic or specialized training. Generic training mainly includes education and sensitization about the on the Disabilities Act in Ghana, disability awareness and best practices for inclusion.

Specialized training may include workshops on business proposals, clinics, and field trips to expose LEAP beneficiaries to a variety of sustainable less labor intensive income generating activities and assistive technology and ways of further replication.

PHASE 3

 ASSISTIVE MINI GRANTS: Potentials beneficiaries identified during the community mapping phase will be given an opportunity to apply for funding to purchase seed stocks such as eggs, guinea chicks, seeds and implements.  Funds will only be given to those groups who commit to maintaining, expanding and replicating individual businesses beyond the two year grant period. Training will be provided to all mini grant recipients to ensure proper use of the funds. Already, stakeholders such as MOFA and BAC are on standby to start up and hand over a chosen business plans.

PHASE 4

INFORMATION DISSEMINATION: Results from the community mapping, training, and assistive mini grant process will be made available to community members to encourage participation. A searchable database containing community projects information will be placed on a website of national and international audience. At the local level, the RADFORD radio station and local National/journals will be used for information dissemination. A project manual also will be developed to serve as a tool for replication in other communities around the region.

MONITORING & EVALUATION

The evaluation process will be initiated at the onset of the project and conducted throughout the three-year period to measure: (1) the effectiveness of project methods, (2) timeliness of services, (3) client satisfaction, (4) accomplishment of specific outcomes, and (5) replication potential.  Several evaluation strategies will be used including choice response and open-ended questionnaires in pre/post evaluation at all trainings, quarterly evaluation of projects and review of records keeping.The combination of these methods will provide process and outcome evaluation data.

PLAN FOR FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

The involvement of collaborating organizations, specifically the involvement of the DSWCD is the long-term plan for sustainability and replication of the project in other parts of the district and continues monitoring of that setup as part of the departments mandate. The project fits within the long range goals of the nation and its plan to increase funding to support similar projects. Individual beneficiaries will also be able to sell their products and make a living out of it while making plans for expansion to the remaining 30 communities in the district.

BUDGET

ESTIMATED PROJECT COST

OBJECTIVE	ITEM/PROGRAMME	START UP OPERATIONS	OPERATION
			YEAR 1	YEAR 2	TOTAL (GHc)
To Generate data to strengthen the current social transfer system to inform better policy decisions.	Materials/equipment	8500	100	200	8800
	Survey on needs and potentials	2500	2800	1500	6800
	Monitoring/evaluation	2700	3000	2000	7700
	Service meetings	2500	3000	3500	9000
	Administrative cost /Staff allowances		15000	15000	28000
	Contingency	2000	1000	1500	14140
To develop community commitment to sustain project outcomes through the maintenance and replication in 3years.	Provide training on group formation	3000	2000	2000	7000
	Provide training on business management	3500	2500	2500	8500
	Social support services	1500	2700	1200	5100
To empower PWDs to challenge their own social exclusion, injustices, marginalization and poverty they encounter in their daily live.	Establishing viable ventures- guinea fowl production, livestock rearing and soybean production- for LEAP beneficiaries. organise sensitization workshops on issues of the dissabilty act.	10000 5000	1000 3000	16000 2360	36000 10360
GRAND TOTAL		49700	64200	41500	141400

BUDGET JUSTIFICATION

Staff on this project will not be entitled to any salaries but Consultant and Professional fees. This will be given as allowances based on amount of work done on the project.  This includes the project coordinator and monitoring and evaluationofficers who will work 500 hours in the project period at a rate of GHc 20 per hour. Responsibilities will include coordination of the community grouping process, training of surveyors, developing the survey instrument, ensuring responsible conduct of project, compiling data and coordinating the project in general.

The Training Coordinator will work 400 hours at a rate of GHc 10 per hour. Responsibilities will include identification of training needs based on community mapping results, identification of potential trainers, assisting with specific and generic training, reviewing training materials and serving as a liaison with existing resource persons.

 Data collectorswill include 10 individuals, each responsible for 2 communities working 10 hours a week for a total of 12 weeks at a rate of GHc 10.00 per hour.  Clerical support is based on 8 hours per week. A web developer will be responsible for loading dissemination of information on the internet at a rate of GHc15.00 per hour for a total of 70 hours within the project period.  Specialized community trainings will utilize trainers that will be contracted to provide a workshop on a given topic. The cost will be GHc500 per training for a total of 20 trainings sessions within the project period.

Travel is calculated at GHc 5.00 per mile for community site visits for community mapping surveys and trainings, coordination and implementation of trainings, and collaboration. Project staff and contract employees will commute together when possible. It would however be more prudent and convenient if three motorbikes are procured for running of the project. This will come at a total cost of GHc 6900 for the purchase of three motorbikes.

Materials to be purchased will include Stationaries like clippers, stamps, papers, toners, pens and markers, files and lockers.

Servicing of meetings includes stipends for beneficiaries and care givers to attend training sessions to cover costs of travel and respite care. This amount also covers costs of refreshments at training sessions.

Institutional overdraft will be 10% of the project cost which will be used to cover for usage of office space, furniture, and equipment’s, cleaning and electricity usage.

Contingency will include all the phone line charges used by community surveyors. It also includes phone use for project staff. Costs associated with interpreter services, materials in alternate formats or any other provisions that might be needed to ensure access of trainings for LEAP beneficiaries.

THREE YEAR ACTION PLAN

OBJECTIVE

ACTIVITIES

LOCATION

TIME FRAME

RESPONSIBILITY

COST (GHC)

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Lead Agency

Collaborators

To Generate data to strengthen the current social transfer system to inform better policy decisions.

Procurement of  material and equipment

Tumu

DSW&CD

DA

3800

Conduct Survey on needs and potentials

Project communities

DSW&CD

7800

Monitoring/evaluation

Project communities

DSW&CD

DA

8700

Service meetings

TUMU

5100

Administrative cost /Staff allowances

39000

Contingency

4500

To develop community commitment to sustain project outcomes through the maintenance and replication in 3years.

Provide training on group formation

Tumu

DSW&CD

DC

7000

Provision of training on business management

Tumu

DSW&CD

BAC

8500

To uplift current low income of LEAP beneficiaries from 0.8 Ghana pesewas per day to 3Ghana cedi’s per day thereby reducing extremely poor people (i.e. those who cannot meet their basic needs) in the communities by 90%.

Provision of Social support services

Project communities

SDW&CD

5100

Establishing viable ventures- guinea fowl production, livestock rearing and soybean production- for LEAP beneficiaries

30000

To empower PWDs to challenge their own social exclusion, injustices, marginalization and poverty they encounter in their daily live.

Organise sensitization on disability issues

Project communities

DSW&CD

DA

20000

MONITORING PLAN

OBJECTIVE

ACTIVITIES

LOCATION

TIME FRAME

Responsibility

Means of verification

Year1

Year 2

Year 3

Generate data to strengthen the current social transfer system to inform better policy decisions.

Procurement of  material and equipment

Tumu

DSW&CD

Assets register, Invoices and receipts

Conduct Survey on needs and potentials

Project communities

DSW&CD

Quesrionaire, available data on need

Monitoring/evaluation

Project communities

DSW&CD

Monitoring reports

Service meetings

TUMU

Invitation letters, list of participants and minutes

Administrative cost /Staff allowances

PVs ,receipts

Contingency

PVs receipts

To develop community commitment to sustain project outcomes through the maintenance and replication in 3years.

Provide training on group formation

Tumu

DSW&CD

Invitation letters, list of participants and minutes

Provision of training on business management

Tumu

DSW&CD

Invitation letters, list of participants and minutes

To uplift current low income of LEAP beneficiaries from 0.8 Ghana pesewas per day to 3Ghana cedi’s per day thereby reducing extremely poor people (i.e. those who cannot meet their basic needs) in the communities by 90%.

Provision of Social support services

Project communities

SDW&CD

List of beneficiaries

Establishing viable ventures- guinea fowl production, livestock rearing and soybean production- for LEAP beneficiaries

DSW&CD

Visible Set of business venture

To empower PWDs to challenge their own social exclusion, injustices, marginalization and poverty they encounter in their daily live.

Organise sensitization on disability issues

Project communities

DSW&CD

Letters of sensitization meeting List of participant and report

Submitted by :

                                              NAGUMO WALTER-RODNEY

(FOR :DISTRICT DIRECTOR SOCIAL WELFARE AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT)