SCORE - Strengthening Civil Society for Rural Empowerment
Project Description:
PACS in Mozambique (known as SCORE) builds on experience and lessons learned through the Inhambane Livelihood Recovery Program (1999-2004) and the growth in civil society in the area during the project period. PACS will strengthen existing CBOs to better provide marketing, business training, savings and loan support and water supply services. In order to achieve required sustainability PACS will simultaneously seek to build the number and capacity of NGO and local government service providers to build linkages with village level CBOs. As in other PACS sites the development of practical systems and structures for such linkages is critical both in terms of ensuring service quality to communities and for community 'voice'to be heard by local government structures. Integral to this process in Mozambique will be the trialling of a model for civil society and government interaction at the Forum da Localidade level. Other activities to achieve the same goals will be undertaken with Consultative Councils, specific government services and the private sector for market development. HIV/AIDS will be mainstreamed into project activities with specific research being undertaken on how best to assist HIV/AIDS affected households, and in particular widowed wives, better retain asset control following the death of a family member. The sub-program (SCORE) in Mozambique will promote the UNICEF malaria prevention strategy as part of the malaria roll back global strategy that has been endorsed by the Government of Mozambique. This is built on the concept of increasing access to mosquito nets through a social marketing strategy implemented by the Ministry of Health (MOH). It is further based on the strategy to increase demand for nets by providing increased information on methods of malaria prevention, early detection and treatment, as well as on simple methods of vector control. The MOH and partner NGOs, who will be trained by SCORE staff, will provide this information. Research has shown that there is a clear relation between the use of barrier prevention methods and reduction in child morbidity and mortality.One of the major problems of insecticide treated nets (ITNs) projects is finding cost effective and sustainable ways of distributing ITNs, particularly to vulnerable groups living in remote areas. For this purpose, UNICEF has piloted a project in Ile District of Zambezia and Gaza Provinces where the District Health Team (DHT) manages the distribution of ITNs throughout all of its health facilities. This has proved a cost effective delivery mechanism as well as a means to strengthen the capacity of the local DHT.All interventions within this sub-program SCORE will be tested and monitored to ensure labour savings aspect for women are taken into consideration. This could for example for water interventions, apart from the health aspect, reducing the time spent to reach a water point could save several hours per day. It is predominantly women who participate in savings and loan programs. They will not only get greater access to income and learn how to manage it. Through this process women also learn how to mange conflict within the groups and their own household, how to lead and facilitate processes and how to plan for use and protection of their capital. Women's participation in groups and committees will be encouraged and promoted which will lead to the empowerment of women and the importance of voicing their demands.
