Agency for The Development of Women and Children (ADWAC)
We are an organisation that works with communities and partners to sustainably improve the quality of life for women and children living in rural communities by creating access to food, education and healthcare facilities. Poor and marginalised women and children are empowered and poverty is alleviated in the North Bank. We look after our funds by producing monthly, quarterly and annual financial reports and providing accounting and finance training courses for our staff members. We are organised by having a board that meets quarterly and 8 members who are elected for a two year period. We have a strong monitoring and evaluation team who monitor field work, produce narrative reports and use log frames and activity plans to coordinate and monitor projects. ADWAC holds monthly and quarterly team meetings and conducts an annual review and planning meeting to share ideas and discuss the progression of the organisation. We have attended trainings on fundraising, management strengthening, accountability, good governance and human rights. We engage with government by consulting relevant government departments in our project plans, conducting sensitisations with local government and utilising government expertise when conducting our trainings. Members of our team are trained in Public Expenditure Tracking by ActionAID International so that we can check how the government spends public money. |
We are focused on creating sustainable livelihoods. Our main areas of expertise are: Health, particularly HIV/AIDS and Malaria Education to encourage functional literacy for women Food security and environmental management We have received funds from the donors Oxfam, ActionAID International, Gorta, Ireland, New Field, Terre Nouvelle (New World) and Catholic Relief Service (CRS) for our projects. “Governance is trying to achieve power for the powerless” Lamin A. Jarjue (Programme Officer, ADWAC) The local people of the North Bank Region are reluctant to collectively and actively take part in addressing issues that affect their lives and livelihoods. ADWAC believes that a well-informed, participatory community that has a robust local government leads to both an empowered community and contributes to good governance. We are therefore implementing a 12 month project on local institution strengthening and capacity building in the North Bank Region funded by the European Union as part of the Non State Actors Strengthening Programme. The project targets local communities, Village Development Committees, the Ward Development Committee and the Executive of the Kerewan Area Council. The activities being implemented are: • Sensitisations on the Local Government Act at village level and through the use of community radio. • Establishing or restructuring the Village Development Committees and the Ward Development Committee. • Training on fundraising and proposal development with the Kerewan Area Council. • The development of Village and Ward development plans and constitutions. • Devising a Regional Development Plan with the Kerewan Area Council. The project activities focus on building the capacity of the local institutions through trainings and the development of a clear focus for the future of the communities to empower the institutions to be more effective and active in their roles. The activities also look towards sensitising the communities on the Local Government Act so that they too are empowered to participate in local governance in an informed manner and contribute to the decision making process. (1) Food Security and Income Project funded by Gorta, Ireland from 2002 to date. The erratic and short duration of the rainy season over the past 20 years had drastically reduced crop yields in many North Bank Region communities. ADWAC introduced ten improved rice varieties in 38 communities so that now over 4,448 women have adequate access to short duration high yielding rice seeds. (2) Education for Women and Children Project is funded by ActionAID International from January 2006 to the present. We have established and continue to support four Early Childhood Care and Development centres offering preschool education to 600 children. (3) ADWAC established micro credit facilities in 36 villages which enhanced access to loans for 2,850 women. Now women have a readily available source of income to purchase basic agricultural input and meet needs such as medical bills and education for their children. |
Agency for the Development of Women and Children
Kerewan
North Bank Region
The Gambia
P.O. BOX 828, Banjul
Phone: (+220) 5720 106
Fax: (+220) 5720112
Email: [email protected]