Projects

In a nutshell

Community mobilisation has been identified as a major component for the achievement and sustainability of Local Colleges (CdP) within the framework of the Contract for Debt Reduction and Development (C2D) Education-Training project funded by the French Development Agency (AFD). Despite significant improvements in the enrolment rate since 2008, challenges remain to provide quality education and improve access to education for girls and underprivileged populations. To meet these challenges, MCC funding heavily relies on community mobilisation.

GOPA helps implementing community mobilisation activities to gain the support of stakeholders in

1. choice of the host village for the CdP and of construction sites;
2. execution of resettlement action plans;
3. the proposed educational infrastructure and their active involvement in construction; including monitoring of construction;
4. development of partnerships to encourage complementary initiatives (partnerships for construction of housing to be rented by teachers, school canteens, maintenance of school infrastructure etc.;
5. sensitisation of communities to ensure access, retention of girls and completion of lower secondary education;
6. operation and maintenance of CdPs with the establishment of COGES and their Community Action Plan;
7. raising awareness for increasing schooling, particularly for girls;
8. academic success of students, girls in particular;
9. realisation of income-generating activities to ensure the maintenance of the CDP and / or the operation of school canteens;
10. development of partnerships to finance related infrastructure (e.g. supervised homes for students) or to offer additional services (e.g. homework help) and
11. taking any other initiative deemed necessary for the success of the project.

Our involvement

The geographical scope of the service covers the region of Gbêkê for initially 28 Local Colleges which will be carried out by the Skills Project and organised in phases, and 10 Local Colleges in the region of San Pedro.

• Support MCA-Côte d'Ivoire in the development of the strategy, planning, coordination and supervision of community mobilisation activities
• Validate the social acceptability of the proposed host villages for a defined geographical zone (bassins), by consulting stakeholders in all villages
• Support host villages in selecting potential construction sites that meet the project requirements
• Establish and ensure the functioning of a complaint management mechanism in the respective bassins;
• Implement community mobilisation activities in accordance with the defined strategy and plans in the different bassins
• Update the Geographic Information System of MCA-Côte d'Ivoire regularly;
• Carry out community mobilisation activities for the opening of the CdP, specifying the roles and responsibilities of the different stakeholders
• Continue with the implementation of the complaint management mechanism
• Organise regular meetings with stakeholders according to needs of each community
• Mobilise communities to develop partnerships with authorities and stakeholders in health, child protection and employment promotion
• Capacity Building/ training of the construction support groups (GSC): trainings needs analysis; development of trainings modules, conduction of trainings
• Support stakeholders in organising activities to ensure the sustainability of their Local College (CdP), including its maintenance
• Conduct information and awareness-raising activities on the enrolment in the new colleges, with particular emphasis on girls
• Implement training measures for the restoration of the livelihoods of people affected by the project, especially in financial management, vegetable gardening, rubber tree cultivation, oil palm and cocoa cultivation