Democratic Consolidation Programme
Increasing community participation in demanding the right to development from duty bearers in Nkhata Bay district.
The Democratic Consolidation Programme (DCP) has provided funding to CELA to increase community participation in demanding the right to development from duty bearers in the Nkhata Bay district. To do this, CELA has identified community members who are willing to take on the volunteer role of Community Based Educator (CBE) and bear the responsibility of pursuing violations of the right to development in the district.
The project addresses these particular objectives –
1) Strengthening of capacity structures to demand for improved access to basic services and infrastructure by holding duty bearers accountable.
2) Raising awareness among community members to advocate for the fulfillment of the right to development.
3) Facilitating redress mechanisms for victims of human rights violations.
4) Monitoring project implementation and facilitating networking initiatives among amongst right holders in order to share and consolidate best practices.
The Nkhuto JP School located in Usisya benefited from the advocacy of Community Action Groups (CAGs) instructed through the DCP initiative how to fight for their right to development, resulting in the old school shacks being improved to new school "blocks."
A refurbished nurses quarters at the Usisya health clinic, the funding for which was obtained by Nkhuto CAG's
Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Initiative to improve living conditions for women and girls in prisons.
This 18 month program, which came to a close in May of 2011, had as its mandate to improve conditions in prisons for women and girls. The women’s facilities at Maula prison in Lilongwe were deplorable, consisting of tin roofed shacks and a roofless kitchen. The Norwegian Embassy funded the construction of new cell blocks and a kitchen for the women held at the prison. One reason why this is so important is many times women who are imprisoned are forced to bring their small children with them because there is no where else for them to go. Beyond directing the construction of the cell blocks, CELA worked to raise awareness among law enforcement and prison officials of the particular needs of women when they are incarcerated, to educated women who are accused or convicted of their rights under the laws of Malawi, and to conduct monitoring of the conditions of women and girls in prisons and jails.
Previous
women's
facilities
Previous
women's
facilities
New women's facilities
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| Women's quarters before renovations |
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| Women's quarters after renovation |
Stop TB Project
Initiative to stop the spread of Tuberculosis in Malawian prisons
Partnering with the Challenge Facility for Civil Society (CFCS) in Geneva, CELA is working in prisons throughout the country to prevent the spread of TB, through clinics which provide TB testing and awareness raising.
By cataloging the cases of TB in prisons, CELA hopes to attract more support for preventative measures from the government and civil society. By conducting awareness campaigns in the prisons, CELA is ensuring that cases of TB are noticed by both inmates and prison officials in order to facilitate the speedy separation of the infected individual from the prison population and to allow for their treatment. Given CELA's strong working relationship with the prison system, it is intuitive for the organization to organize these clinics and awareness exercises, including medical professionals to ensure quality information is disseminated. This project is in its nascent stages, and promises to provide many opportunities for CELA to put to good use its specialties while expanding in new and exciting ways.
Initiative to stop the spread of Tuberculosis in Malawian prisons
Partnering with the Challenge Facility for Civil Society (CFCS) in Geneva, CELA is working in prisons throughout the country to prevent the spread of TB, through clinics which provide TB testing and awareness raising.
By cataloging the cases of TB in prisons, CELA hopes to attract more support for preventative measures from the government and civil society. By conducting awareness campaigns in the prisons, CELA is ensuring that cases of TB are noticed by both inmates and prison officials in order to facilitate the speedy separation of the infected individual from the prison population and to allow for their treatment. Given CELA's strong working relationship with the prison system, it is intuitive for the organization to organize these clinics and awareness exercises, including medical professionals to ensure quality information is disseminated. This project is in its nascent stages, and promises to provide many opportunities for CELA to put to good use its specialties while expanding in new and exciting ways.