cental

The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) has begun taking initial steps towards the implementation of a project on poverty and corruption in the country. The project will be implemented in Nimba, Bong, Margibi, Grand Bassa and Grand Gedeh counties where CENTAL Integrity Clubs (iClub) are in place and active. 

The poverty and corruption initiative is aimed at garnering practical experiences and knowledge from poor and disadvantaged people who are adversely affected by corrupt acts. It also focuses on interfacing with and obtaining empirical evidence from stakeholders with experience in working with community people. The exercise further employs discussion meetings involving policymakers as well as implementers with the view to understanding the kind of development programs they are involved with - challenges and quality of participation in inception and implementation. 

This project is part of Transparency International desire to focus on people that are affected by poverty and how they can contribute to innovative ideas to mitigate challenges such as corruption that increases poverty.  The implementation of the project in Liberia was enhanced following a  strategic meeting held in February this year to establish the case for the feasibility of implementing a poverty and corruption program in Liberia. The strategic planning which brought together CENTAL and its five integrity clubs was facilitated by Kulan Amin - Coordinator - Transparency International (TI’s) Poverty and Corruption in Africa Program. 

Kulan held series of strategy meetings with CENTAL, which laid the foundation for CENTAL staff and iClub supervisors to understand methodologies that would  involve the disadvantaged and allow them the opportunity to raise their voices as instrument to advocate for change in the way national policies are structured in order to avoid these policies from negatively impacting their livelihood. While in the country, she also used the opportunity to meet NGO partners and other stakeholders in government to discus possibility of collaboration in the fight against corruption in the country.  Along with CENTAL and its iClubs, she paid visits to poverty-stricken communities like West Point, Peace Island, among others, where she came face-to-face with images that clearly demonstrate the impact of endemic corruption.  These pre-project activities are meant to capacitate CENTAL and its integrity clubs with tools required in collaborating with poor communities and help inform programs that require the involvement of poor and disadvantaged groups. It is an assessment process that attempts to derive answers directly from people affected by corruption, local officials and NGOs and community-based organizations whose work involves working with community people.   

 

Counties targeted for now under this initiative are considered the most populous melting-pot areas for all in the country, as they are easily accessible and attractive for business and other activities. Assessment and facts finding exercise have already been carried out in these counties where experience and knowledge sharing discussions elicited rich ideas to inform upcoming programs. 

During these assessment exercises, attempt was made as much as possible to meet with stakeholders who affect or are affected by policies of development nature. Stakeholders interviewed included Assistant Superintendents for Development, members of County Development Agenda (CDA) County Development Officers, city mayors, marketers, handicapped, community-based organizations (CBOs) and other community people.