SHADE Profile / Past projects

BRIEF PROFILE OF SHADE

1.0. Basic Information

1.1 Name: Self-Help and Development Everywhere (SHADE)

Address
27 Kukuna Road,
Kambia, Sierra Leone,
West Africa

1.2 Contact Person(s)

Name: Christian Boas
Position: Programme Director SHADE, UK.
E-Mail: missyescobar@hotmail.com
Webpage: www.shade-sl.com

Name: Mohamed Alpha Sillah
Position: Programme Manager (Ag.) SHADE, Sierra Leone
E-Mail: shadesalone@yahoo.com

1.4 Legal Status

SHADE is a secular, non profit making, and non- governmental organisation. It is registered with the government of Sierra Leone, with head quarters based in Kambia.

2.0. History

The Self-Help and Development Everywhere (SHADE) is a secular, non profit making and non-governmental organization, established in 2000 by a group of like-minded Sierra Leonean with a wealth and varied experiences from organisations like Action aid, Oxfam, GTZ, Norwegian Refugee council (NRC). It started as a voluntary and community based organisation called Community Health Service Volunteers-Sierra Leone (CHSV/SL) with the aim of helping to save humanity through popular community volunteerism and participation. Later, because of its collaborative efforts, this voluntary organisation was transformed to an NGO called SHADE through the advice and dedication of a British citizen called Christian Boas.Mr. Boas is one of the people who are always ready to respond to the social needs of poor communities and institutions. The organisation is a community based in Kambia district, the smallest, the poorest and possibly the worst affected districts by the more than one decade of civil conflict in Sierra Leone.

Since 2000/2001, the organisation has organised several community sensitisation and awareness raising programmes in addition to mainstream project implementation. It is also a member of various development and peace building networks, including Concern group Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (SLANGO) and a strong advocate of Democracy and Human Rights including the rights of the disabled and the helpless.

3.0. Purpose, Vision and Mission

3.1. Purpose

The major factors that motivated the founding members were abject poverty and the desire to save humanity from the claws of hunger, disease; poverty and starvation that had eclipsed the Sierra Leone society for more than three decades of political and social instability; and at the same time facilitates the process of economic development of the people.

In addition to the death toll and the displacement of over 70% of the population of the country as a result of a more than one decade of bloody conflict, the widespread human rights abuses and the destruction of private and public property, power stations and agro businesses, an equally alarming situation was that the war was being waged by mainly child and adolescent soldiers. This militarization of the youth and the unprecedented degree of violence directed at the civilian population contributed to the disintegration of the community and family structures, including the traditional community based social and economic "safety-nets".

It is against this background that the founding members were inspired by the following Vision:

Working with appropriate community groups in order to promote community awareness and development everywhere.

From the above, the mission of the organisation is:

To create a conducive socio-economic and political environment that will enable the poor and needy to realise their potentials through self-help activities.

4.0. Goal and objectives of the organisation

4.1. Goal:

The goal of the organisation is to Work with appropriate community groups in order to promote institution and capacity building necessary for community emancipation and restoration of human dignity.

4.2. Objectives

To promote income generating activities and enhance a total food security situation of the poor;
To mobilise resources, sensitize and express public opinion on matters affecting the general or societal welfare of the people;
To take active part in relief, rehabilitation or other development programmes with special reference to vulnerable groups in emergency situations and areas of economic needs;
To encourage initiatives leading to environmental degradation, control and devise remedial measures.

5.0. Experiences with project implementation

Training on Environmental Sanitation;
Awareness raising on the rights of voters and other civic education;
Give medical relief assistance to some five underprivileged communities in western area and three villages in the Port Loko district.
House hold sensitisation on HIV/AIDS in some few deprived communities in Kambia district;
Medical and clothing assistance to the Milton Mragai school for the blind;
Joint project with concern group on the dangers of cigarette smoking ;
community capacity building on the hazards of wild bush fire and deforestation;
Micro-finance project for some 25 war widows in two communities in Kambia district;
Clothing assistance to the Amputee camp, and the King George home for the aged;
Part of a team to assess the sanitation situation of the worst 18 vulnerable communities in the south western region of Kambia district;
Sensitisation on reconciliation and forgiveness;
PRA exercise on the street and abandoned children affected by the armed conflict
Part of the round table conference on education for all;
Organise drama and dancing groups for the war affected victims.

6.0. Major results

The implementation of these projects led to the achievement of various results. The most important include:

Increase in food production.
The establishment of a reliable income generation and micro-credit system, working with 25 women.
The civic education change peoples perception especially women on issues pertaining their civic and political rights.
Treatment of minor wounds & ailments and the clothing assistance to certain disabled homes like the blind school, the amputee camp and the home for the aged makes the inmates of these institutions feel as being part of the broader community.

8. 0. Project criteria

SHADE projects adhere to the following criteria:

1. To initiate, promote and encourage a process of total human development, community empowerment, and awareness-building and local self-help efforts; including concern for leadership training, emancipation of women, ecology and appropriate technology.

2. Be of priority and responding to local communities needs.

3. Provide for a response to situations of need, which cannot be met totally within existing structures or capacities of related (local) institutions.

4. Serve people in need irrespective of creed, race, age, sex, social status or political conviction.

5. Have a capable and viable staff, responsible planning, implementation and management.

9.0. Target groups

The target groups are generally people living in poor communities that have suffered from the negative impact of the Sierra Leone brutal war. Among these broad categories, special attention is focussed on:

Unaccompanied women, war widows, disabled, orphans and old people.
The girl child and commercial sex-workers
Children and young people associated with the armed conflict (ex-child soldiers).
Victims of human rights abuses, such as rape, forced marriages and torture.
Youth, including street children

10.0. Organisational Structure

The structure within the organisation comprises the following bodies:

The Annual General Meeting (AGM)
The Advisory Board
The Management committee
The Technical Team

13.1. Composition of the AGM:

The Annual General Meeting is the highest decision-making body and comprises representatives of beneficiary groups, target communities, SHADE staff and founding members. The AGM is convened once a year, but could be convened for an extra- ordinary session in case of emergency situation.

The number of delegates to the AGM varies between 25 and 40. The gender composition of delegates depends on the choice of the participating institutions.

Composition of the Board:

Second in the structure is the Advisory Board, consisting of 3 to 5 members. These are prominent and highly educated citizens, including functionaries of UN agencies with knowledge of development, national politics, government, NGO and members of the target community. The Board meets twice a year, but could be convened for an extraordinary meeting on the request of the Programme Manager in order to authorise changes required to confront important events and emergency situations.

13.3. The Management Committee:

Next to the Advisory Board is the Management Committee. lt is composed of the Programme Manager, Gender Co-ordinator, the project Officer, the Accountant, Monitoring &Evaluation (M&E) Officer.

13.4. Core Staff and the Technical Team

The Core staff are those directly employed by the organization on the basis of long-term (3 years) contract. They include the Programme Manager, Gender Coordinator, Project Officer, M & E officer, Accountant and Administrative Secretary. Project Staff are those employed by specific projects with contracts depending on the duration of the project. The Core staff and Project staff constitute the technical team.

The organisation also works with Community Animators. These are volunteers selected from the beneficiary communities on the bases of their knowledge experience and commitment to community development. The organisation had 10 well trained community animators. They are trained to assist project staff and continue activities at the end of the project.

Internal Communication:

There is a direct and easy two-way communication between office and field and between the hierarchy (Management Committee) and the lower echelons.

The communication from below starts with discussions, consultations, meetings and assessment in the field between staff and members of the communities to determine priorities. The priorities and suggestions are transmitted to the hierarchy with recommendations from the staff. When these priorities are approved by management, they are implemented in the field immediately.

Similarly, decisions taken at field level during staff meetings and community meetings are sent to the office (Co-ordination) for reaction. Policies agreed upon by the office and also by the Board and AGM are communicated down to the field staff for implementation.

The channels are the quarterly, monthly and bi-weekly staff meetings. Furthermore, there is very intensive and regular interaction between staff and management through field visits and visits from the field to the office. The Project officer visits activities on weekly basis from the office in Kambia. Other visits to the field are made once a month by the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer and once every 2 months by the Programme Manager. This way every one is aware of what goes on in the area of project implementation, developments in the environment, in the community and views of beneficiaries.

11.1. Delegation of Authority

Delegation of Authority from the Board to the lower echelons is done through the Programme Manager. He is the Secretary General of the Board and at the same time Head of the Management Committee. He is the channel of communication between the Board and the Management Committee. He also ensures the transmission and delegation of the policies of the board and donors to the rest of the staff.

11.2. Personnel Management and Policy

This is the responsibilities of the Management committee. Vacancies are advertised and candidates are selected by a team consisting of the Programme Manager and senior staff and two other persons outside the organisation. This team is enlarged with a member of the Board for an interview. In addition to qualification, experience and knowledge, the questionnaire also includes gender issues.

On employment, staff receives a letter of appointment and a one-year contract, which contains clear job description, conditions of service, salaries, training possibilities and obligation of both parties and area of posting. The one-year contract has a probation period of 3 months and it is renewable after positive evaluation and if funding permits.

The personnel policy includes an equal opportunity clause, which guarantees non-discriminatory recruitment, training and promotion facilities for all.

Secondary benefits include training possibilities, allowances, allocation of bicycles, motor-bikes and payment of transport cost.

11.3. Financial Management System and Internal Control

All financial transactions are recorded and reported on a "petty -cash and work advance" settlement form, signed by the project officer and the Programme Manager. The "settlement" form entries are compared to those in the "request" form and the approved budget, thus ensuring a system of control. SHADE has an account officer in charge of finances. He keeps all cashbooks. All cash books and petty cash books are written up daily from the voucher information and the reference number of the voucher is noted. Vouchers are prepared for all payments are approved by the Programme Manager and cross checked by the account officer before payment is made. All payments are signed by recipients. All financial transactions have three signatures.

12.0. Monitoring

The organisation operates an internal monitoring system through the Monitoring Officer, who holds a senior staff position. He participates both in project planning and budgeting and therefore has adequate information. He reports directly to the Project Officer with copies to the Programme Manager.

His reports are circulated to project heads and where necessary corrective measures are taken to ensure achievement of results on the basis of the plans and budgets. His reports are permanent items on the agenda of the quarterly Management Committee Meeting.

Past projects

Treating of inmate at the Milton Margai school for the blind by CHSV Voluteers (now SHADE)