Community Partnership for Relief and Development

BACKGROUND OF THE ORGANIZATION

Community Partnership for Relief and Development (COPRED) is a local Malawian non-governmental organization (NGO) that was founded in August 2000. The organization is registered with the Registrar General as The Registered Trustee of Community Partnership for Relief and Development (COPRED) under the registered Trustee Incorporations Act 5:03 of the Laws of Malawi (Registration number: TR/INC/1591) on 30Th April 2003 and, the NGO Regulatory Authority of Malawi (NGORA) on 01/01/2015 with registration number NGO/R/15/04. COPRED is also registered with the Council for Non-governmental Organizations in Malawi (CONGOMA) and the District Civil Society Networks in Blantyre, Mwanza and Neno District Councils.

GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE

COPRED has an elected Board of Trustees and its members hold office for a period of 3 years. The daily management of the organization is conducted by the Executive Management which is headed by Executive Director. COPRED has thirteen (13) members of staff on her pay roll (9 technical and 4 administrative and support staff) that are experienced and highly dedicated to their work.

ORGANIZATION STRATEGIC DIRECTION

COPRED strategic direction is guided by the following vision, mission and the four (4) overarching key strategic objectives:

Vision Statement

Creating a healthy and vibrant self-reliant Malawian community.

Mission Statement

To build knowledgeable and empowered communities to become vibrantly self-reliant through health, education, livelihood and relief interventions.

PURPOSE OF ITS ESTABLISHMENT

COPRED was established to respond to diverse root, basic, immediate and underlying causes of poverty which is directly responsible for the declining livelihoods. These are some of the issues that COPRED is facilitating to address: Lack of education and skills: Limited access to education and vocational training is preventing individuals from acquiring the skills needed to secure decent employment. Limited access to healthcare: Poor health is reducing productivity and limit earning potential, trapping individuals and families in poverty. Natural disasters and climate change: Extreme weather events and climate change can disrupt livelihoods and exacerbate poverty, especially in vulnerable communities and, Structural inequalities: Systemic discrimination based on factors like gender and disability is limiting access to resources and opportunities.

COPRED PROGRAM MODEL TO SERVICE DELIVERY

Since 2003, COPRED has been implementing an integrated service delivery model approach which aims at enhancing efficiency, effectiveness and impact by avoiding duplication of efforts and ensuring that services are tailored to specific community needs but at low-cost. The model involves providing multiple services in a coordinated and comprehensive manner to address the interconnected needs of a community.

COPRED integrated model is designed to respond to diverse root, basic, immediate and underlying causes of poverty which is directly responsible for the declining livelihoods and is delivered as a package titled Sustainable Livelihoods Development Program (SLDP) which has three (3) strategic program thematic areas which are:

 Health

 Education

 Livelihoods

Brief description of each of the above three (3) strategic program thematic areas:

Health – under this core programmatic area, COPRED is implementing: a) Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) through drilling and rehabilitation of wells, b) Menstrual hygiene for adolescent girls, construction of sanitation facilities (toilets, handwashing stations, refuse-pits, dishracks, bathrooms and kitchens). c) Nutrition – under nutrition COPRED is implementing both specific and sensitive nutrition interventions, supported by nutrition education and under-five services, d) HIV prevention and care – under this core area COPRED is implementing targeted HIV risk reduction awareness interventions, HIV treatment literacy and referral to treatment-care and support of the infected and the affected.

Education - under this core programmatic area, COPRED is implementing inclusive early childhood development (ECD-E) and education promoting early stimulation and early learning for school readiness targeting children aged 3-5years through Centre-based ECD approach focusing on Literacy, numeracy, mathematics and basic science. COPRED is also promoting early stimulation and early learning delivered through Community-based inclusive early childhood development focusing on Care for Child Development (ECD-CCD) approach, targeting children aged 0 to 3 years. COPRED provides continuing education support to most needy but brilliant students that passed through the ECD program, in both primary and secondary schools by paying tuition and examination fees, scholastic materials and upkeep. All COPRED programs are gender mainstreamed and we ensure that inclusiveness is seen to happen and no-one deserving is left behind wherever and however possible.

Livelihoods - under this core programmatic area, COPRED is promoting conservation farming, providing inputs to most needy farm families, providing livestock through a pass-on approach as safety-nets, home gardens, promoting restoration and conservation of bare area, water catchments, homestead and village forests, riverbanks and watersheds through forestation and reforestation activities. COPRED is also implementing economic empowerment by promoting small businesses using village savings and loans (VSL) groups as forums for generating capital. COPRED uses livelihoods interventions to mobilize the community to establish village child protection committees, ECD centre management committees, village disability committees, village natural resource conservation committees, village health committees, agriculture field schools and water points management committee.

ORGANIZATION STRENGTH AND COMPETITIVENESS

COPRED is perfectly well placed to be a partner in the implementation of any development program/project in community-based Health, education and livelihoods as outlined above. COPRED strength comes from the previous twenty-four (24) years of work experience implementing community-based integrated water and sanitation and hygiene, HIV prevention and care, crop production, income generation, nutrition education and demonstration, early childhood education (ECD), school nutrition, education support and natural resources management programs

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AND INVOLVEMENT

Community involvement and participation starts at project conceptualization, implementation and celebration of results. The project formulation is done through Area Development Plans that is done at community-level supervised by the director of planning and development (DPD) based at the district council. This process is done at Area Development Committee, which is a community policy committee that allocates and oversee the implementation of programs/projects. COPRED is a key stakeholder in this committee and also a technical advisor.

MONITORING AND LEARNING

COPRED ME&L plan include monthly staff planning meetings which are preceded by weekly field supervisory visits, monthly progress review meetings, and establishment of demonstration sites and learning field visits to other similar project areas.

During implementation of field visits, information is collected for use to:

a) Provide continuous feedback on project implementation and identify potential successes and problems as early as possible to allow for timely adjustments to project operations;

b) Evaluate the effectiveness (outcomes) of the project;

c) Achieve accountability with targeted community and district stakeholders to facilitate reporting on progress towards achieving expected results to all development partners;

d) Document and disseminate success stories