Background The work of Ujamaa Center responds directly to the continuing exploitation and exclusion of coastal peoples by examining the inefficient and unsustainable exploitation of assets that should properly be owned and controlled by indigenous peoples. Through community mobilisers (CMs) recruited from and based in communities, it is possible to challenge the political construction that sustains inequality and give new meaning to ecology, politics, knowledge and democracy. Years of injustice, has denied local communities rights and freedoms and only a new development paradigm that places more emphasis on rights rather than poverty can correct this so that the government can stop regarding national parks, reserves, wetlands and un-alienated rangeland as their exclusive property that they can dispose of without regard to the public interest and rights of long established users and occupiers. Ujamaa Center CMs provide critical solidarity, leadership and accompaniment to the communities using a rich modular capacity building process conducted through village based workshops where community debates and action for local development are planned. Ujamaa Center with support from Ford Foundation has launched the project linking rights, environmental justice and social enterprises. This project holds the view that social justice and advocacy will thrive and grow if concrete steps are taken to mobilize skills and resources to address real poverty and injustice. The project will expand the Ujamaa movement i.e. the social forums, the cooperative structures, the resident associations, the environmental justice network, the community mobilisers network to enable Ujamaa Center continue to be the model and learning organization for community based social justice advocacy. The project will also support the development of community based (natural resource) social enterprises for long-term local development. 1.1 Ujamaa Consciousness Program
Ujamaa’s Community Based Mobilisers lead Ujamaa’s processes at the local level to ensure that the community owns its struggles. This style and focus has earned the Center support and respect from local leaders. Ujamaa’s village based workshops have thus become a crucial asset for community debates and action planning for local development. Ujamaa constantly critiques its practice through rigorous reflection forums. The community mobilisers meet once a month to review their practice, draw learning and insights and express solidarity with each other. The process is inspired by Paulo Freire’s idea of “praxis” as closely linking practice and reflection thus avoiding the pitfalls of disconnected “verbalism” and “activism” They occasionally invite experienced practitioners to lead the internal self-reflection. The CMs as blood and life members of the respective communities have interpreted their task as that of facilitators and community catalysts who help sustain the process as the issue based groups and peoples’ organisations formed take over the process on their own grow. It is clear that as a result of the quality and seriousness of our engagement so far, more people in the locations know and appreciate Ujamaa Centre, its mission, objective, and strategies. There is also a general understanding of the unique nature of Ujamaa and its interventions in comparison to other NGOs. The CMs provide critical solidarity, leadership and accompaniment to the communities anchored on indigenous knowledge systems. This is supported by a further effort at strengthening local level institutions for effective delivery of services and genuine participation of all stakeholders.
The key problem however remains to be the inadequate and inconsistent support provided for poor people and communities in Kenya as they seek to improve their livelihoods and their environment. This problem in part results from the inadequacies of community mobilisation and support. Community workers (often called mobilisers, facilitators, para-legals or para-extensionists, change agents) are the vital link between a range of external agencies (NGOs, local government, resource organisations and companies) and the communities in which they as individuals work. Effective Community Mobilisers can help people transform their circumstances. Unfortunately, too often such critical individuals are poorly supported and inadequately trained. This general failure is true of most community capacity building programs in Kenya as indeed elsewhere. Our extensive independent survey of capacity building in Kenya targeted on community workers found that what training is available is short-term, rarely linked to local realities, is delivered by “outsiders” who are professional trainers but not field workers, lacking in follow-up, is mostly non-accredited and theoretical rather than practice-based, and is largely determined by the training supplier.
Whereas Ujamaa has continued through training, accompaniment and mobilization to strengthen the CM network so that communities improve their chances of negotiating with government and business for new resources for development, the Center has found it appropriate to launch a demand-driven, modular, practice-based & accredited learning programme for these critical people (CMs).
1.2 Objectives of the Consciousness Program
§ To spearhead a pilot experience that will lead to a long term consciousness program that will produce activist/scholars or scholar/ activists who can mobilise and organise opinion against the dominant paradigm which is antithetical to the interests of the poor. § To contribute to the improvement of the quality and effectiveness of support offered by Community Mobilisers to the communities they serve by offering adequate and consistent support through training § To enable a qualitative shift in the nature, focus and style of capacity building programmes in the region towards more structured, responsive and practice-based approaches. § To assist the communities by transforming the quality and consistency of support that community workers can give to them in the long term. § To equip the selected Ujamaa Community workers (often called mobilisers, facilitators, para-legals or para-extensionists, change agents) with practice based long-term training that is linked to local reality. § To support slightly more people than projected in the Ujamaa program to provide impetus for more learning and support to wider Kenyan communities in the long-term future
2.0 Expected Outcomes of the Program
§ A developed pilot in the Coast Province of Kenya of a demand-driven, modular, practice-based and accredited learning programme for Community Mobilisers. § A peer-learning network of Community Mobilisers in the Coast that will contribute to the challenges of development practice in the region. § A class of 30 practitioner students to run for nine months with three 1 week sessions (preferably in a workshop) each of the three months apart and 1 day monthly reflections at the Center. § Weekly Units based assignments for the practitioner students linked to practise of the units in their organisations. § 3 consultant practitioners engaged as a working group to conduct the classes, mark assignments and visit students in their practical work. § A stronger peer learning network with capacity to receive alumni and grow to be an institution that will provide solidarity, accompaniment, and further training support apart from being a platform for ongoing representation and defense of this emerging practise. § Equip the CMs with appropriate tools training manuals/modules and other resource materials complete with methodology that can change the delivery of capacity building at the local level. 3.0 Scope of work The consultant is expected to familiarize him/herself with Ujamaa’s Consiousness Program and the Rights and social justice project and in particular the Ujamaa training manual, and the aims and objectives of these projects and programs.
In particular, the Consultant(s) shall undertake the following:
(i) Develop programme and facilitate the 9 month training program (ii) Make recommendations for improvement of the training; (iii) Ensure that the process and report is documented.
The consultant(s) will adopt an experiential approach in facilitation i.e. draw from the participants experience, encourage learning between participants and stimulating/ thought-provoking presentations.
3.1 Expected outputs The Consultant shall facilitate interactive sessions that draws out participants knowledge of issues and, their experience (where applicable) and, ultimately the development of a time-bound action plan and monitoring process.
4.0 Ujamaa Responsibilities Ujamaa shall make all the necessary logistical arrangement and meet all training-related expenses including conference facilities, meals and participants accommodation. Ujamaa shall ensure that the consultant has all the necessary materials for successful delivery of the program.
Ujamaa shall provide the Consultant with all necessary support including access to all relevant background documentation on the program and its participants.
Ujamaa staff shall attend the whole process and the primary liason person at Ujamaa shall be Lwanda Keya and Phyllis Muema, the Program Managers attached to those program. 5.0 Duration of assignment The consultant shall be contracted for a period of 35 days drawn within nine months i.e. 21 training days; 9 reflection days and 5 report production, assessment and review days
6.0 Fees The fees are subject to 5% withholding tax.
7.0 Termination of contract Either Party may opt to terminate the contract if there is a serious breach of contract agreement by either party as per the agreed terms but Ujamaa reserves the right to terminate the contract if the performance of the consultant is deemed to be poor or unsatisfactory. 8.0 Practitioner Consultant’s skills and expertise The consultant should demonstrate the following: · Professional and academic qualification in public policy or related field; · Experience in training and facilitation · Understanding of governance, human rights and social justice issues · Knowledge of legal frameworks for community development · Report writing skills. · A degree in a relevant field of study from a recognized University · Work experience with training such as curriculum development, conducting training needs assessment, facilitating training, follow-up and evaluation · Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills; ability and willingness to work in teams · Excellent and proven writing, communication and supervisory skills. · Demonstrated creativity; ability to apply innovative thinking and problem-solving skills · Deeper and practical understanding of participatory development methodologies · Fervent desire to create social and environmental change · Fluency in both written and verbal Kiswahili and English · Proficiency in computer application packages (word processing, spread sheet & database applications)
Ujamaa Center now invites expressions of interest from individual consultants. Please indicate:
Availability to facilitate the Program
Proposed approach to effectively conduct the program
Fee, in Kenya Shillings (indicate daily rate)
The Consultant should provide names and details of similar work undertaken. Please include details of at least two references and CV to
The Director Ujamaa Center P.O. Box 517 – GPO 80100 MOMBASA
