Project

Strengthening Citizenship and Consolidation of Democracy in Chad

Grantee: Fondation pour la Démocratie et le Développement

The project’s objective was to build the capacity at the grassroots level regarding democracy. This objective was pursued through training the population about citizen rights and freedoms, including establishing a permanent observatory for national and local electoral consultations, and the communication of information supporting the construction of a democratic state. The intervention directly targeted vulnerable groups, farmers (both women and men); and on a wider level also reached out to development actors, trainers of trainers and local facilitators; and employees of local, administrative and communal authorities.
The project aimed to provide appropriate responses to the needs and difficulties faced by target beneficiary groups – women and vulnerable groups who were unable to take part in the electoral process. The method and the content of the training sessions as well as the message communicated via the educational media adopted were consistent with the project’s objectives. It was also in line with the priorities set out in the country’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.

Read Report
French

Lessons from Project

Explore More Lessons

💡

In any future projects of this type, youth must also be integrated as a beneficiary group. The involvement of young people in project activities could contribute to a further strengthening of the gender dimension and complementing the existing focus of the project on women.

French Read Report

💡

There were recurrent problems with organizing the permanent observatory for national and local electoral consultations proposed by the project as different stakeholders could not agree on key elements of the observatory. This outcome was too ambitious in relation to the operational capacity and staff involved with managing the project.

French Read Report

💡

The project mobilised very well qualified staff to implement activities. However, a large number of these personnel worked on a volunteer basis and this had a detrimental impact on the quality of the output. The insufficient number of personnel available had also a negative impact on the effective monitoring of the project implementation.

French Read Report

💡

The information tools that the project developed for the training and literacy activities were very effective and relevant to the level of knowledge and skills of the beneficiaries. Trainees emphasized that had benefited significantly from the training and a number of the women participants for the first time got involved in democratic processes including participating in legislative elections as candidates.

French Read Report

💡

The project’s strategy was built around the preparation of a conceptual, methodological and operational framework in a participative manner with the target groups. It integrated three main priorities: functional literacy and awareness-raising; improvement of the conditions of women; and community participation at the local level. The choice to address the literacy issue within marginal populations of Chad was particularly appropriate raise citizen awareness among the target groups.

French Read Report

💡

One of the positive effects of the project was its contribution to reducing mistrust towards authorities – governors, other local authorities, political parties. Some citizens for the first time made direct contact with their representatives so as to involve them in project activities.

French Read Report

💡

The project succeeded in providing concrete training and awareness-raising on the importance of citizens’ involvement in the electoral process. Its focus on educating small civil society organizations and vulnerable groups – in particular, women from rural awareness was unique since the target beneficiaries had little awareness of their electoral rights.

French Read Report