Organizational Profile of CADS Sierra Leone

Organizational Profile of the Center for Alternative Development Strategies (CADS) Sierra Leone / Global network Programs

Sierra Leone Background: Since 1991, civil war between the government and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people (well over one-third of the population) many of whom are now refugees in neighboring countries. A peace agreement, signed in July 1999, collapsed in May 2000 after the RUF took over 500 UN peacekeepers hostage. The RUF stepped up attacks on Guinea in December 2000, despite a cease-fire that it signed with the Freetown government one month earlier. As of late 2000, up to 13,000 UN peacekeepers were protecting the capital and key towns in the south. A UK force of 750 was helping to reinforce security and train the Sierra Leone army.

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia.

Geographic Coordinates: 8 30 N, 11 30 W Area: Total: 71,740 sq km: Land: 71,620 sq km Water: 120 sq km Land Boundaries: Total: 958 km Border Countries: Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km Coastline: 402 km Maritime Claims: Territorial Sea: 200 NM Continental Shelf: 200 - Depth or to the depth of exploitation Climate: Tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December). Dry season (December to April)

Location: The Center for Alternative Development Strategies -- CADS Sierra Leone program is headquartered in Freetown, Sierra Leone at 61 Sackville Street, PMB 1290, Freetown - Sierra Leone, West Africa. Telephone: (232 22) 224839 / 225051.

Official Email Addresses: CadsIntlPrograms@aol.com / cadsglobal@yahoo.com / cadsprograms@yahoo.com / cadssaleone@hotmail.com

Contact Persons: Kenday Samuel Kamara - President & Chief Development Strategist
Brima Wagen Kamara - National Coordinator
Ingham B. Carew - Agricultural Projects Coordinator
Mdm. Isha Nonoh-Deen: Women's Development Programs Coordinator

Cross section of CADS staff posed with their Chief Executive, Kenday Samuel Kamara (in brown coat) in June, 1998.

Executive Summary: Sierra Leone has been plagued by a bloody armed conflict, which has predominantly contributed to the disruption of social order and its economic growth. And there is the need to re-establish a firm economic and social foundation through the design and implementation of desired and realistic action-oriented development program. To urgently and systematically provide the right advocacy for the international community to be more supportive to the millions of Sierra Leoneans at risk from war, disease and hunger in Sierra Leone.

The establishment of CADS Sierra Leone is therefore a crucial strategy to contributing towards the stable and peaceful development of Sierra Leone and to lead Sierra Leoneans out of the deprivation and despair that cloud their troubled lives -- and guiding them toward brighter, dignified and happier lives.

CADS Sierra Leone is therefore a people's local action for development. CADS exists to successfully make the poor to overcome bondage, misery and suffering using practical alternative development strategies as instruments of social change. CADS helps people to organize themselves and ascertain their rights and train people to utilize development infrastructure, overcoming the impediments, and CADS seeks to make Government function where there is indifference towards suffering of the weaker sections of society.

The center pledges its loyalty to the Laws governing the operations of non- governmental organizations in Sierra Leone and the world at large, to reaffirm its humanitarian commitments to honestly address the empirical needs of its target groups and communities in the areas of rural, social, community development, health education, gender issues, agriculture, appropriate technology, relief rehabilitation, skills promotion, human rights and small business promotion and consultancy services.

General Objectives: CADS Sierra Leone is generally intended to revive the civil structure of Sierra Leone. The center's fundamental objectives include the following:

To motivate, organize and facilitate the development and functioning of farm associations to effectively coordinate programs that address the developmental needs of the rural people.

To support and conduct training programs in a wide range of developmental areas such as rural, social and community development, human rights, gender issues, appropriate technology, small scale industry, skills and trades promotion, agriculture, health education, relief and rehabilitation, and small business promotion and development.

To promote agriculture and entrepreneurship development by establishing demonstration farms, credit schemes, marketing outlets, and income generation activities.

To advocate for a more constructive international community action for the resolution of the conflict in Sierra Leone.

To also advocate for a more compassionate and impartial international community action for support and donor assistance to local NGOs' important work in Sierra Leone.

To share information and assessment of development needs and opportunities.

To identify and discuss critical development problems facing Sierra Leone.

To draw the attention of the Sierra Leone government and civil society to workable development alternatives for Sierra Leone.

To generate sufficient resources for the support of the projects and programs of CADS Sierra Leone.

Methodology: The center primarily conducts research and surveys in its various communities of operations - villages, districts, refugees and displaced camps, market places, and other related areas for identification of issues affecting the living and development conditions of the population to be able to formulate development plans for improving the standards of living of beneficiaries in their communities through participative efforts, and through assistance from foreign or local donor sources for implementation of designed projects.

Strategy: CADS strives to develop and sustain a mechanism through which the beneficiaries meaningfully contribute to projects development by their full participation during all stages of identification of projects for each given area. The process includes research, identification and capacity building before and during implementation based on the long term goal of sustainability of projects.

This involves networking with CADS farm associations' members and through community meetings and special forums, the center dialogues to arrive at consensus on the development needs of communities to be focussed on as they affect their communities.

Organizing Annual Sensitization Conferences during which members of the Government and the civil society and CADS' projects beneficiaries are invited to attend. Setting up demonstration farms the center trains its communal farm association membership to adopt sustainable agricultural practices in their farming activities, and from these demonstration farms the center also derives some of its seeds supplies to these farm associations.

Dialoguing through networking with research and academic institutions as well as governments and NGO group in order to set up broad agenda for consideration on appropriate development strategies for communities.

Maintaining and circulating a well researched national journal called, THE SIERRA LEONE DIGEST.

Material Investment: CADS has a capital investment of the following:

(i) Rented Office space at 61 Sackville Street

(ii) One Vehicle for official transportation purposes. (Four of the center's vehicles were commandeered during the 1999 violent incursions by rebels forces of the Revolutionary United Front, an the center's commandeered vehicles were all misused and burnt by rebels). The center is left with only one vehicle - a 7 sitter white Plymouth Voyager Van.

(iii) Office Equipment - Hewlett Packard Computer. With internet connectivity. One Dell Computer also with internet connectivity. Four telephones. One fax machine. One printer. One scanner. Seven office desks. Twenty five chairs. Two metal cabinets. Six wooden cabinet and shelves.

(iv) Rented Private Mail Bag - PMB 1290 (rented from the Sierra Leone Postal Services).

(v) Rented store facility at Waterloo for storage of farm tools, seeds, fertilizers, etc.

(vi) Some farm tools.

(vii) Some seeds.

(viii) Some bags of fertilizers

Note: The center seeks material assistance especially in the area of farm tools, fertilizers, and transportation (an haulage truck) for our rural farm projects.

Human Resource: CADS has a multidisciplinary team with vast experience in research assessment, developmental programming, health education, agriculture, micro projects development, psycho-social counseling and evaluation expertise.The center basically has the technical know-how to implement projects with economical strategies. The ability of CADS to combine new improved strategies with economy is the most distinguishing mark of this NGO which makes it unique and dynamic, and an organization of focus.

Funding Source: The work of CADS is made possible by contributions from the center's global network office in the United States and from individual donations from compassionate Sierra Leoneans and friends of Sierra Leone and from institutional funding from donor agencies, local and foreign sources.

As a nonprofit making institution, the center conducts needs assessment exercises and prepares project proposals it submits to donor agencies for funding.

Additionally, the center engages in fundraising activities. The center also accepts grants and loans from foreign and local organizations.

Partnerships: CADS is registered wit the Ministry of Development an Economic Planning. The center conducts its operations in accordance with the Laws governing the operations of non-governmental organizations in Sierra Leone and the world at large.

CADS also has very strong working relationship with Christian Children's Charity and Community Development Organization (CCDEO) . Although CADS an CCDEO are independent and separate organizations, details are currently being worked out for coordination in activities.

The center has a global network office in Colorado, USA with the sole responsibility of coordinating international fundraising activities to support the various projects of CADS in Sierra Leone. To contact the center's Colorado Office, write to: The CADS Global Network -- USA Office, 1361 S. Irving Street, Denver, CO 80219. Tel: 1-720-351-5520.

Structure of CADS Sierra Leone / Global Network:

Decision Making Process: CADS has a three tier decision making structure which begins with the assembly of beneficiaries which meets once a year (during the center's annual sensitization conferences) and ends with the national secretariat which manages the day to day affairs of the center.

To Contact Us About our Organization, Send Us an Email at: CadsIntlPrograms@aol.com or Call Our CADS Global Network -- USA Office at:
1-720-351-5520 or Our CADS Sierra Leone Headquarters at (232 22) 225051.

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