ADSA Alcohol, Drug and Substance Abuse

ASIP Agricultural Sector Investment Programme

BESSIP Basic Education Sub Sector Investment Programme

CSO Central Statistical Office

GDP Gross Domestic Product

HIPC Highly Indebted Poor Countries

HBC Home Based Care

ILO International Labour Organisation

LCMS Living Conditions Monitoring Survey

MGD Millennium Development Goals

MMR Maternal Mortality Rate

OVC Orphans and Vulnerable Children

PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper

SAP Structural Adjustment Programme

SCJ Sisters of the Child Jesus

TEVETA Technical, Education Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training

Authority

    The congregation of the Sisters of the Child Jesus has since 1926 been producing apostles to our own people in Zambia. Our Father Founder Bishop Stephen Larue planted a seed, which has germinated, grown and started bearing fruits. In the spirit of continued sowing of the seeds for posterity, self-sacrifice inspired by our faith in spiritual childhood informs and fortifies our apostolate.

    As a congregation of religious Catholic women, we do take cognisance of the fact that the Church can only be relevant to society if it commits itself to integral human development predominantly because the church exists to evangelise. We are humbled to be part of the church, the body of Christ, which is living and ministering to the needs of the people irrespective of religious beliefs.

    The dynamism of integral human development has impelled the congregation to ‘read the signs of the time’, which connotes being alive to discovery, innovation and creativity in steering the societal craft to new prosperous heights. These tenets can only be tapped to traverse to socio-economic independence and prosperity by liberating the mindsets of our people to join in reading the signs of the time.

    Sensitive to this perspective, designing a truly African development education philosophy has been inoculated in all projects as the strategy to build community capacity to generate demand driven interventions. Thus, the role of the congregation would be catalystic while communities lead the way.

    As Superior General, I am heartily moved to be associated with the first ever-strategic plan for the congregation. As noted during the strategic planning process, ‘the strategic plan is not a paper process, but a people process’, may I invite all sisters and the laity working for the congregation to selflessly invest God give talents and distinctive competences to translate this strategic plan into reality. The congregation and indeed our people depend on you as you do on them. Our rewards are heavenly.

    While recognizing the fact that huge resources would be invested in income generating ventures for self sustainability, close to 80% of the budget is expected to be financed by our valuable partners, old and new ones alike. I am much obliged, on behalf of our members and the millions of people whose lifeline is embedded in our planned projects beg to solicit support from local and international donors. Networking partner civil society organisations are also welcome to partner with us.

    We pledge, diligence and commitment to our values as a faith based organization.

Reading the signs of the time, the congregation of the Sisters of the Child Jesus (SCJ) has developed this four-year strategic plan for the period 2006 to 2009. The strategic plan sets the framework for the congregation to evangelise to the people through creative and innovative interventions that are originated and empowered by target constituents in response to declining living conditions. Simultaneously, the framework provides strategies for propagation of Christian faith for the growth of the church as an oasis of peace and prosperity. It is envisaged that in the end, the congregation will have sown a seed for its own growth through initial formation and renewal of faith among its members.

The Congregation of the Sisters of the Child Jesus was founded in 1926 by Bishop Stephen Larue, White Father. In 1973, the leadership of the congregation was transferred to local Zambian sisters. Currently, there are twenty-three (23) communities of sisters in various apostolates. The dioceses in which the congregation serves God’s people are: Kasama and Lusaka Archdioceses, Mpika, Mansa and Ndola Dioceses.

The need for the strategic planning process has its roots in the history of the congregation, which was initially under the leadership of White Sisters until 1969 when the final step towards self-governance was taken.

Since self-governance, there have been a number of challenges associated with dwindling external support from traditional doners of the congregation. This has negatively impacted on the very essence of the congregation’s purpose of establishment, which is evangelisation through integral human development.

Inspired by the need to entrench self-sustainability in the congregation and stay on course in its service, the incumbent Superior General and the Councilors who are the supreme decision makers of the congregation took a step to embark on strategic planning and management.

The strategic planning process was consultative as a reliable basis to solicit broad based consensus from all members on the direction of the congregation. The consulting firm, Pan-African Academy for Health and Social Sciences facilitated the process.

Workshop participation was balanced as participants were drawn from various professions and communities of sisters. The following were some of the professions of sisters who were represented:

• Pastoral workers/theologians
• Nurses
• Agriculturalist
• Administrators
• Accountants
• Teachers/educationists
• Formators

Important to note, is that all levels in the organisational structure were adequately represented starting from junior to senior sisters.

Participatory methods were used throughout the workshop in order to allow for effective participation from the workshop participants. Further, participatory methods easily enabled participants to share their experiences and knowledge on planning, project management and implementation.

1. Background to the congregation of Sisters of the Child Jesus

Founded by Bishop Etienne Larue, White Father in 1926, the congregation of Sisters of the Child Jesus celebrated its 75^th Anniversary in 2001. The celebration provided an opportunity for members to reflect on the path of the congregation towards growth in pastoral work and apostolic service to the people.

The Vatican Council II, which called for a renewal of religious life, compelled the congregation to prepare the First General Chapter in 1970. The general chapter is the periodical meeting of a religious body to review its life and to make laws. Therefore, it is the highest decision making authority of the congregation.

During the 1970 General Chapter, a number of developments took place, which included change of name of the congregation from Servants of the Infant Jesus to Sisters of the Child Jesus. In addition, the realisation that the Vatican Council’s call for renewal and adaptation required the revision of constitutions and directory, the congregation drew up Capitular Document and Custom book for use during the period of experimentation since time was inadequate to revise everything during the chapter.

Committed to maintaining the founding spirit in the process of renewal, the third chapter in 1982 was significant because it was preceded by two seminars during which four pioneer sisters shared with sisters their experiences and more importantly on the Charism as they learned it from the founder himself. The seminars became a source of inspiration and a basis for a deeper understanding of the congregation’s Charism. The chapter, which closed in January 1983, recommended the preparation of the constitutions and a commission was appointed to work on the project.

The fourth general chapter, which took place in 1988 completed and adopted the constitutions. In 1994, the fifth general chapter gave the mandate to officially print and distribute constitutions to members and other authorities.

In the process of renewal, the congregation has continued to commit itself to growth through initial and ongoing formation. In this regard, the sixth ordinary general chapter of 2000 put emphasis on self-evangelisation and "Reading the signs of the times".

In apostolic service, the congregation runs regular and special schools, hospitals and rural health centres, home craft centres, early childhood learning schools, and other projects aimed at increasing people’s accessibility to services that underpin integral human development.

Further, the congregation has actively been involved in pastoral work and various aspects of evangelisation at parish and diocesan levels. Through this and other social activities, sisters understand challenges that people face at grass root level.

According to the historical sketch of the congregation of Sisters of the Child Jesus (2001), renewal in an ongoing process. The formation of the Handbook prepared in 1989 – 1991 shows the sincere desire and effort to keep abreast of developments, evaluating where the congregation has been, where it is and where it intends to go. This realisation and the inspiration tapped from the call to read the signs of the times and taking cognisance of some of the challenges that the congregation has faced over the years, strategic planning has become indispensable.

3.2 Membership and communities

There are 137 sisters in the congregation. This number includes sisters who are finally professed and those who are on temporal vows.

Currently, the congregation has limited apostolate. The majority of sisters are pastoral workers, nurses and teachers.

There has however been a notable increase in other disciplines like accountancy, administration and social work.

Some of the challenges that the congregation has been facing since it was handed over to local Zambian sisters include the following:

1. Situational Analysis
   1. Internal situational analysis
      1. Initial and ongoing formation

         Initial formation

         Overview

         Initial formation starts with admittance into aspirancy during which young girls are helped to reflect whether or not they are called. Potential candidates aged 17 years with an acceptable level of education or training are then admitted to postulancy, which lasts 2 years.

         Successful postulants are admitted to the novitiate. Good health, suitable character, education and maturity to embrace the apostolic religious life of the congregation are indispensable considerations.

         In the novitiate, which marks the initiation into religious life, the novices’ understanding on the divine vocation and the vocation to the religious life in the congregation is deepened. The novitiate lasts for two years.

         Upon completion, novices apply to take vows. This is the first commitment and temporary profession, which may not be less than four years, and not more than six years before one takes the final vows.

         The problem

         The growth of the congregation in membership terms is a zigzagged one. The trends in growth currently show an unhealthy situation, which is affected by many local variables including inadequate promotion of the congregation to potential candidates.

         Process of recruitment: even though the process of recruitment gives ample time for the candidate to reflect, the expected support from the community where a junior sister is sent to live is not guaranteed. Adequate psychological preparation is critical because some of the personal problems that affect old members of the congregation may have an effect on young sisters who may develop an immediate negative impression on religious life.

          

         Economic conditions: The hostile economic situation in the country may be a reason why some candidates join sisterhood anticipating a luxurious life of prayer, harmonious living and material gain. This can also be connected to the legacy of initial formators who had adequate resources, which initially lured young Christians to join religious life.

         Family problems: Some candidates may be forced to join sisterhood due to the harsh life they led and they opt to lead a life of prayer.

         Limited information: due to resource limitations to hold summer schools, among other important sessions of reflection, candidates tend to have inadequate information on the challenges of religious life. Therefore, if they establish that they have to work hard to sustain the congregation, it may be a reason for failure to sustain their religious life.

         Career development and education standards: the career masters in high schools are not adequately supported to fully play their critical role in helping young ones to identify their talents at an early stage. This includes helping those who are called to religious life at a tender age. Initial formation must start at this level as opposed to the current situation of targeting girls aged 17 years.

         The low education standards in the country have also contributed profusely to recruitment of candidates because many girls cannot satisfy our academic requirement for candidacy.

         Ongoing formation

         Overview

         Ongoing formation is currently done through exchange of spiritual and apostolic experiences, talks, and recollection and study days. It enables members to be critically aware of the integration of religious and apostolic professional life into at stages of human development, and to be open to new demands and challenges in a changing environment. It is envisaged that in the process sisters will live a life of faithfulness and remain true to their vocation.

         The problem

         Even though ongoing formation is meant to continually deepen the faith of sisters so that they can remain committed to their calling, there are many challenges that affect their vocation.

         Poverty: some of the families of sisters live below the poverty datum line and this has potential to affect the vocation of sisters who may be forced to help their families is seeking solutions.

         Ongoing formation strategies: Sisters are not adequately exposed in order to cement their religious and apostolic professional life, due to limited financial resources.

         Personalities: Personality problems among some members affect team spirit and this has had a corresponding negative effect on religious and professional life.

      2. Self government and sustainability

         Self-government and sustainability of the congregation are intertwined and cannot be divorced from each other. The congregation has reached a critical stage in its history; a stage where the inflow of aid from its traditional donors has become tight.

         The withdrawal of aid has a devastating negative impact on the congregation, which is not currently well positioned to generate enough material and financial resources to sustain its service to members and local communities.

         According to Marc Nsanzurwimo, M.Afr., "The maturity of the Church is not only measured by the emerging of indigenous leadership and a high number of its ministers. A Church is mature when it has enough material and financial means. If the Church is conceived and perceived as a family of God, all its members have to experience it as community responsibility"

          

         Agreeably, like the local Church, the congregation needs human, material and financial resources to continue its formation of sisters and provision of services to the less privileged.

         While appreciating the role of the local community to contribute to the congregation, it is not arguable that more that 80% of people in the communities where the congregation operates live under abject poverty. Therefore, it would be unrealism at its best to underplay the fact that poverty militates against people’s capacity to support the congregation.

         Further, there are many church institutions that depend on local contributions and this makes it impossible for the poor Catholic faithful to support the congregation.

      3. Institutional capacity

      General administration

      The administration of the congregation is currently entrenched in the constitutions and Directory. There are no separate policies and manuals on human resource development and management. In some cases and for various reasons there are: misplacement of personnel, abrupt transfers, tenure instability in case someone dies or quits sisterhood, etc.

      The absence of detailed policies and performance appraisal systems among other professional administrative systems has given rise to the current apparently perceived personalisation of issues in management, especially if it involves making of critical decisions. This may be a potential source of discontentment among members resulting in demotivation and a general poor work culture.

      Financial administration

      Sources of funds and other material resources

      The current sources of funds and materials are: donations, salaries of sisters who are in employment, special fundraising projects, and farming. Not all these sources of funds are reliable and adequate. The salaries, which members get mainly from the civil service, put together cannot sustain the congregation.

      Worse still, crop production, which is the main current farm activity, is not commercially viable. Moreover, both farms are neither electrified nor machanised for optimal increase in production and efficiency. This is further fueled by limited capacity in terms of skills and staffing levels, which are below requirement.

      Another important factor is the location of farms. They are too distant from target potential markets.

      Concisely, current projects are not yielding desired results (low productivity).

      Assets

      The congregation has assets valued in billions of Kwacha. This includes real and movable assets.

      Financial management

      Like general administration, financial management is guided by constitutions as the only available framework. According to the constitutions (p.18), financial administration of the goods of the congregation is governed by the code of canon law (Can. 634-640), the constitutions and capitular decisions and by civil law.

      While other standards are satisfactory, current financial administration systems are below the required standards to meet the full auditable levels by law and other accounting standards.

      Technical and technology

      Technical

      Currently there is limited apostolate, which is mainly restricted to teaching, nursing and pastoral work. This has its roots in the legacy of initial formators who saw these professions to be more vital at the time.

      Even though the situation has improved, the congregation would still depend on external technical input due to limited technical competences in certain fields.

      Requests by other church agencies and dioceses for services of sisters are another important factor, which has contributed to gaps in maintaining a certain level of technical competence for the development of the congregation.

      Technology and other facilities

      The level of investment in technological development of the congregation is satisfactory. However, there is still a gap in increasing other communities of sisters’ access to technology for increased efficiency in work processes and communication. Currently, there are a few communities with computers, faxes, Internet facilities, etc.

      Available transport facilities are inadequate as compared to the number of communities and workloads that involve extensive travel. This problem has been compounded by telecommunication problems.

      Legal

      The congregation, which has also been registered as a Trust has the legal authority to venture into projects that include land development and income generation for sustainability of its services.

      Socio-economic

      The harsh socio-economic conditions obtaining in the country has also impacted on the internal development of the congregation. High inflation, unemployment, poor road and communication infrastructures, etc have a grave impact on congregation.

      The effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic has extended to members of the congregation who are forced to take time off to visit sick members of the family and attending funerals.

      Structural

      The current organisational structure of the congregation does not clearly spell out channels of communication. Hierarchically, the general relationships of sisters in positions and those at the lower echelons of the congregation are not harmoniously arranged.

   2. External situational analysis
      1. National perspective
         1. Demographic Data

            According to the Central Statistical Office (CSO) preliminary 2000 census, the population of Zambia, which has a total surface area of 752, 612 square kilometers, is 10, 285, 631. Of this, 5, 070, 891 are males while 5, 214, 740 are females. Copperbelt Province has the highest population followed by Lusaka, and Northern Province.

            The annual population growth rate between 1990 and 2000 was 2.9% as compared to 3.1% between 1980 and 1990. This shows that Zambia’s average annual population growth rate declined by 6.4% between 1980-1990 and 1990-2000 intercensal periods.

         2. Socio-economic Context

Although the economy was exclusively dependent on copper export earnings, at independence in 1964, Zambia’s per capita income was US $1, 200 and she was economically a prosperous country.

The country’s economic prosperity capacitated government to rapidly expand social and economic infrastructures for education, employment creation, health, roads and transportation, manufacturing, etc which led to increased income levels, free school enrolment up to University level and a longer life expectancy.

Zambia's literacy levels were ranked amongst the highest in Africa.

However, since the mid 1970s Zambia’s economic and social situation has been deteriorating due to the adverse effect of terms of trade and so the country has now been rated as one of the poorest, ranking 153 out of the 174 poorest nations (UNDP Human Development Report, 2000).

Economic indicators show that the per capita income has continued to decline. More than 80% of Zambians live below the poverty datum line and Zambia is among the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC)

The Zambian public debt is also among the highest and the Government has a total debt burden of approximately 6.5 billion US dollars. Debt servicing in 2004 was a significant portion of overall government expenditures, and in 2003 government spent USD $ 113.1 million in debt servicing (2004 Budget).

Implementation of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) measures, which was accelerated after the change of government in 1991, has had adverse effects on all sectors and majority of the people. Formal sector employment has declined from 27% in 1975 to 10% in 2000 (ILO jobs for Africa 2000 page 31). Youth unemployment has also increased from 18% in 1986 to 35% in 1991, and has been more severe in urban than rural areas. From a gender perspective, urban labour force participation statistics reveal that unemployment is more a problem of urban females than it is to their male counterparts (CSO/ LCMS, 1998).

This validates government’s position that the poverty situation in Zambia has a gender differential impact. Reports show that poverty levels are higher in rural areas than urban areas. Women’s high vulnerability to poverty has been attributed to a number of factors (MoFNP/PRSP), including:

• Low levels of education and literacy among women and girls

• Women’s very small share in formal sector employment (12% for women compared to 88% for men in 1996. In the same year, 39% of women were employed as unpaid family workers compared to only 16% of men.

It has been acknowledged by government that the escalating disease burden and declining resources in real terms are some of the important causes for the numerous problems that the health sector is facing today. HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis are some of the diseases that have drained astronomical amounts of resources in the country.

Evidently, most health indicators in Zambia have not improved over the last ten years and some have deteriorated. Life expectancy is very low and declining (from 46.9 in 1990 to 37.0 in 1999). In 2003, it was estimated at 33 years (Social Watch Report, 2003)

Infant mortality has increased to 109 per 1000; and under-five mortality rate has gone up to 197 per 1000 (Zambia Demographic and Health Survey, 1996) While the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) is officially recorded as 649 per 100, 000 live births, figures even higher than 1000 are being reported in some surveys. The high MMR has been caused by prenatal complications (25%), complicated deliveries (24%), and postnatal causes such as post-partum haemorrhage sepsis (25%).

Equally, the health situation of children has not improved, with acute respiratory infections and malnutrition remaining serious problems; according to the 2001 UNICEF Report on the State of the World’s Children, 42% of children under-five in Zambia are stunted.

The literacy level for the population aged 15 years and above increased from 54.8% in 1990 to 67.9% in 1996. Female Illiteracy increased from 46.7% in 1990 to 59.9% in 1996 for the age group 15 years and above, while urban literacy increased from 68.5% in 1990 to 83.1% in 1996. Although there have been some improvements, the rural/urban and female/male gaps in literacy are still wide and literacy levels generally are still low. (Transitional National Development Plan 2002 – 2005, p.88)

1. HIV/AIDS

The advent of the HIV/AIDS epidemic around 1984 is the greatest development challenge facing the Zambian society.

The epidemic threatens to reverse the social and economic achievements scored by Zambia since independence. The virus has already and continues to infect many Zambians. Currently, the national HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Zambia among the sexually active adult population aged 15 to 49 years is 16.5% (Range: 13.5% to 20%)

The geographical and gender pattern of HIV prevalence has continued unabated over the years. The incidence of HIV/AIDS is still more pronounced in the urban areas (23%) than in the rural areas (11%).

Women bear the worst brunt of HIV than men. 18% of the women carry the HIV virus compared to only 13% of the men aged 15 to 49 years, and 15 to 59 years, respectively (ZDHS 2002).

Knowledge about HIV/AIDS is virtually universal among Zambian adults, most of who understand that it is a fatal disease and that no cure is available. Misconceptions about HIV transmission persist, however. About 30 percent of the population believes that mosquitoes or witchcraft can transmit HIV. Information dissemination on HIV/AIDS in rural areas is still erratic, and efforts are minimal, scattered and uncoordinated.

Because of the high HIV prevalence rate in Zambia, the orphan population has continued to increase. Zambia is home to more than 572, 000 AIDS orphans. The disintegration of the extended family structure, which was once vibrant, entails there would be no one to take responsibility for orphans. The high number of street kids is evident and indicative of this scenario.

None is certain about the future of the epidemic but in many ways, the future direction of the epidemic is in the hands of the Zambian people and Zambian institutions and much depends on whether individuals are able to change high risk behaviours and on the success of other interventions.

1. Situation in Northern Province the main operational area of the congregation
   1. Demographic Data and Implications

      Northern Province has a population of 1, 407, 088 of which 49.5% are male and 50.5% are female. The population has increased by 481, 223 from 925, 865 in 1990. This indicates an annual population growth rate of 4.3%, which is the highest, compared to other provincial growth rates. Kasama District has the largest share of the population in the province with 12.8% followed by Mbala with 11.5%. Kaputa has an average annual growth rate of 5.0%, Mpulungu 4.1%, Chinsali District 3.7%, Chilubi 3%, Isoka 2% and Mpika 1.7%.

      The high population growth rate has devastating negative implications on the development of the province. This is compounded by HIV/AIDS, which has continued to spread with ferocious speed.

   2. Socio-economic Context

      Austere economic measures at national level have threatened income and food security at household level in Northern Province. The liberalisation of the agricultural sector in 1991 resulted in government withdrawal of subsidies in terms of input supply and crop marketing. Farming inputs are now very expensive, credit facilities are inadequate and markets are non-existent in rural areas.

      These conditions have hampered agricultural production and contributed to the widespread hunger situation in rural areas, resulting in heavy dependence on relief food. In geographical terms, the remote parts of the country, which includes Northern Province, where most of the people survive on subsistence farming with very little earnings from the sale of crops, have been the most hit.

      The co-operative movement, which used to play a major role in agricultural marketing, has completely collapsed. Small-scale farmers have been left at the mercy of unscrupulous traders who take advantage of their desperate situation and impose meager prices for the farmers' little produce. This reinforces and aggravates the levels of poverty in the province.

      Further, the province is constrained by low inherence of soil fertility, bad rood infrastructure, and obsolete telecommunication infrastructures, underdeveloped water transport and limited accessibility to critical services

      Even though the province has great potential for hydro-electricity due to its vast water resources, the energy sector is among the least developed. This has also contributed to the slow pace of development.

      One of effects of underdevelopment has been migration of productive population segments to urban areas in search of jobs.

      Education

      According to government official data, Northern Province has 831 basic schools, 17 high schools, 42 community schools, 3 schools for continuing education and 1 Basic School Teacher Training College.

      Many young Zambians are denied the opportunity to go to school either because of lack of user-fees to be enrolled or because of prohibitive distances that have to be covered to access the nearest school. The actual number of school going children is erratic largely due to parents' failure to secure school fees for their children, as well as the nature of the education system itself. Consequently, the illiteracy level is still very high.

   3. HIV/AIDS

      The degeneration in the socio-economic status of the majority of people in Northern Province has also been accelerated by the high incidences of HIV/AIDS. In 1999, the total number of HIV/AIDS cases was estimated to be 13.5% of the population.

      The HIV/AIDS pandemic has skyrocketed the number of orphans in Northern Province, which stands at 12% of all orphans in the province. The estimated number of orphans in the province is 69, 396 of which 57, 614 are in rural part of the province and 11, 782 are in the urban part.

      Due to the breakdown of the extended family structure, there are numerous cases of single-parent families, mostly female-headed. It is estimated that 20-35 % of households are female headed in Zambia. Although the number of child-headed households is unknown in rural areas, it is now estimated that nearly 75% of all households are caring for at least one orphan. A recent UNICEF report describes the situation faced by Zambia as a silent crisis.

   4. Alcohol Drug and Substance Abuse (ADSA)

Even though the data on ADSA may not be readily available for Northern Province, the problem is proliferating at a rate that may not be short of a crisis.

Some of the causes of ADSA are unemployment, inadequate implementation of the law, and limited social amenities.

Effects include destruction of families, inefficiency, juvenile delinquency, mental illnesses, and illicit sex, which has contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS.

1. Response Analysis

The Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), one of Zambia’s development planning and resource programming tools, is within the national framework for poverty reduction interventions. The overarching objective of PRSP is to achieve sustained economic growth, improving access and quality in the provision of social and public services (especially education, health and water and sanitation), and mainstreaming issues of HIV/AIDS, gender and environment

Recognising that most Zambian households are predominantly agriculture, the overall sector strategy has been to promote a self-sustaining export-led agriculture sector, which ensures increased household income and food security.

Further, government has realised that the implementation of the PRSP is one of the strategies for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and has invited various stakeholders including the civil society to scale up the implementation of poverty reduction interventions.

Even though there are slippages in recording overall success in attaining the objectives of PRSP, Zambia has made significant progress, for instance the country has now reached the completion point under the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Counties (HIPC) Initiative. This has resulted in accessing a bulk of external debt relief estimated at US $3.8 billion.

Government has developed a Transitional National Development Plan (2002 – 2005), which draws many strategies from the PRSP. The theme of the TNDP is to achieve ‘sustained economic growth,, employment creation and poverty reduction’. To attain this, a multisectoral approach has been developed with key objectives and programmes in agriculture, mining, tourism, transport, manufacturing, energy, environment, health, HIV/AIDS, education, gender, governance, policy and central administration, judiciary, foreign affairs, and defence and security.

The TNDP macroeconomic framework is based on the following projects for the period 2002 – 2005:

• Achieve annual GDP growth rates of 4.3% in 2002, 4.0% each in the years 2003 and 2004 and 4.5% in 2005;
• Improve the country’s external sector’s viability;
• Bring down end-year inflation to a single digit by 2003; and
• Run a balanced domestic budget by 2005

Though modest, some of these targets remain unmet. The inflation rate is still in two digits; economic growth is still below the target. However, the debt stock has reduced following the HIPC completion point.

Around the early 1990s, government came up with the Agricultural Sector Investment Programme (ASIP) as a policy for boosting agriculture production. However, government acknowledges that the performance of the sector has continued to be adversely affected by high interest rates, limited credit facilities, inadequate credit facilities, inadequate markets, poor infrastructure and inadequate access to agro-services.

Over the past decade, government has responded to improving the quality of education and increasing accessibility to potential pupils under the Basic Education Sub Sector Investment Programme (BESSIP).

Other efforts to promote education for all include the recent free primary education policy. This is meant to increase children’s accessibility to education. However, factors that increase children’s accessibility to education are multiple and complex. Free education is thus not the only answer to the problem. The infrastructures are still by far inadequate.

The National Programme of Action for Youth (NPAY) is designed to address youth unemployment through practical skills training and leadership development.

For technical education, government has established the Technical, Education Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority (TEVETA), which has developed a comprehensive skills training programme for both formal and informal sectors.

The whole programme is poorly implemented. Another important gap in the TEVETA programme is the cost sharing aspect, which ignores exemptions for the poor and vulnerable.

5.1.6 Gender and Development

Under the TNDP, the broad objective of government is to achieve the full participation of women and men in the development process at all levels in order to ensure sustainable development and attain equality and equity between the sexes. The three broad strategies to achieve this are:

• Enhancing women’s access to, and control over, factors of production
• Enhancing women’s participation in decision-making process
• Strengthening collection of gender-disaggregated data and analysis to enable gender targeting of poverty reduction programmes

Many factors constrain the implementation of these strategies, illiteracy of women being the most important one.

Given the multidimensional causal-effect of HIV/AIDS, the current multisectoral response to the epidemic is a pragmatic approach to fighting the scourge. Both the government and NGOs involved in HIV/AIDS programmes recognize the importance of a continuum of care. This continuum includes efforts to prevent HIV infection in the first place, to provide counseling, spiritual and emotional support and medical care to persons who are infected or who are living with AIDS and to sustain those otherwise affected by the epidemic, such as widows and orphans.

A National HIV/AIDS Council supported by a secretariat has been established and aims to build on projects and programmes that demonstrate best practices. These projects and programmes serve as catalytic activities that are being replicated among priority social populations and priority areas. The National AIDS Council and Secretariat is providing oversight and coordination for the catalytic project, while implementation remains the responsibilities of the appropriate line ministries.

The common interventions under justice and peace include the following, but not limited to:

• Budget tracking
• Parliamentary liaison
• Paralegal services to victimized citizens
• Civic education
• Gender and development capacity building for effective participation of women in national affairs

5.3.3 Home Based Care

Home-based care is a common intervention to HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support. It also includes OVC care and support.

1. Responses of Sisters of the Child Jesus

The congregation has enriched initial formation by inviting external experts within the Catholic Church to teach special courses like psychology, liturgy, church doctrine, Christology, Mariology, self evangelisation, inculturation, community life, etc.

The programmes for ongoing faith renewal include the following: workshops, retreats, counselling, community meetings, etc.

The following initiatives have been employed to mobilise resources for the congregation:

• Training of sisters for salaried jobs mainly in the civil service

• Securing donations from well wishers

• Various fundraising ventures by each community

• Initiation of income generating projects: Farms, and Renting houses (at central level)

The congregation has contributed in improving the conditions of the general population through the following interventions:

• Managing health centres (government grant aided)

• Managing nursing school

• Managing diocesan health programmes, e.g., hire of sisters by dioceses to run home care programmes

• Management of regular schools

• Management of special schools for the visually impaired (Mporokoso and St. Mary’s)

• Pre-schools

• Illiteracy classes for women

• Material and financial support to OVCs who request the congregation

• Advocacy against child abuse through the media

• Free medical care for OVCs in SCJ run health facilities

• Admission of OVCs to SCJ regular schools

• Counselling of women who are physically abused by addict husbands

• Promotion of pioneer movement

• Offering piece work to surrounding communities as alternative source of income as opposed to brewing of illicit beer

• ADSA awareness

Some of the current obstacles are:

• Currently SCJ has not fully developed a networking relationship with other civil society organisations other than sisters congregations and dioceses

• Inconsistencies in the provision of supplies for projects due to lack of system to mobilize local supplies for projects

• SCJ’s weak organizational capacity

• Negative cultural beliefs/customs and traditions that work against promotion of gender equality, encourage spread of HIV/AIDS and hinder development e.g. witchcraft, sexual cleansing, incest, etc

• Poor road networks, bridges and other social infrastructures

• Government policies on education, agriculture, health and other sectors are important threats to the success of SCJ projects.

Some of the opportunities include the following:

• Willingness/readiness of the community to participate in activities initiated by SCJ

• Presence of other stakeholders for possible collaboration

• On going constitutional, land and electoral reforms can facilitate change

• Government has popularity and its structures are well spread. These structures can be utilized through strategic partnerships with government institutions.

• Government has authority to enforce law and this can be taken advantage of in lobbying agencies of government for action on issues requiring law enforcement

• Willingness of donors to support rural based projects

• The TEVET Development Programme: if strategic partnerships are forged with government, SCJ may take advantage of the TEVET programme in the further development of survival skills training

• ASIP: even though implementation has been poor, a great opportunity has been created to undertake various agricultural activities. Linkages with other partners could be made by SCJ to ensure that all agricultural projects are fully supported

Even though there are many stakeholders playing special roles in response to the socio-economic challenges facing various population segments, SCJ has a unique competitive edge over them.

Firstly, SCJ has graduated its people from a culture of depending on handouts to self-dependency. Therefore, the people have been brought to the realization that answers to the current crises rest with them.

Secondly, SCJ has a physical presence in the following Archdioceses/Dioceses: Kasama, Lusaka, Mpika, Mansa and Ndola. By using, the well spread structure of the Catholic Church from the Archdiocesan level to the Small Christian Communities; SCJ has great capacity to reach all parts of the Archdioceses/Dioceses. Church and other community infrastructures for Catholic agencies are accessible to SCJ. These will not only be utilised for the Catholic poor, but also other groups.

Thirdly, SCJ has managed to build an unshakable reputation in social projects since 1926.

• Rootedness in Christ

• Simple life style in apostolic service

• Self-sacrifice

• Availability

• Community sharing

• Community mobilisation and capacity building at all levels for sustained responses

• Institutional capacity development for sustainability

Decision-making is vested in the council, which comprises five councilors who are elected by the general chapter of the congregation to serve for a six-year term.

The proposed organisational structure is tailored to meet the operational challenges of the congregation in implementing this four-year strategic plan. Departmentalisation is prominent to professionalise all sectors.

Access to electricity, water and telecommunication facilities is impeded by many factors. Providers of these critical services have concentrated on projects that are centrally located leaving the vast landmasses with potential for viable projects uncovered. Therefore, the costs of accessing these services would be needlessly high.

Unfavourable donor conditionalities may not be supportive to proposed project concepts.

• Even though political will is assured in the near future, lack of government commitment to promote rural development in rural areas is likely to be a major challenge.
• Government policies in health, education, agriculture and other sectors may affect responses for instance the free education policy has implications on sustainability of community schools, which largely depend on local contributions. This is critical because members of the community always refer to the policy thereby killing the spirit of self-dependency and self-sustainability.

• Inflation, which is currently in two digits, may affect the project due to increased costs of key resources
• High taxes of locally purchased commodities would result in increased costs of running the projects

• Increased government borrowing will lead to high interest rates and can in turn affect the performance of the economy. This situation, which is the current trend, is likely to continue and SCJ can suffer consequences in future

• The strategic institutional framework has implications on resources. The capacity of SCJ to sustain itself will largely depend on technical competences of qualified staff at project level. Huge investments in capacity development will be unavoidable. More challenges will be expected during the phase of going to scale, which involve creation of more structures and engagement of more staff.

• Limitations in technological endowment will result in inefficiency during the course of implementation. Appropriate facilities will therefore be needed. Even though the costs of securing facilities like computers are relatively high, the benefits will outweigh costs involved.

The budget is activity based, which means that all costs are unavoidable. The challenge will therefore rest with SCJ to source for funding and build the local capacity of beneficiary communities to substitute certain costs with locally available resources.

The current membership of the congregation has limited capacity to adequately plan, implement, monitor and evaluate interventions. Therefore, there will be need for recruitment of more technical staff and build capacity of the entire project team to successfully implement the strategic plan. Management policies and systems design will be critical to the process of strategic management. More challenging, is the fact that monitoring and evaluation to facilitate continuous development of operational plans is integral to the process.

8.7.8 Diocesan decisions: The dioceses have ultimate authority over government grant aided schools and health facilities for which the congregation is a managing agency. Therefore, decisions that dioceses would make from time to time have potential to affect the operations of the congregation in running these institutions.

The following areas would be given priority attention:

• Kasama and Chilubula project areas (for hospice/HIV/AIDS, private school and farm)
• Mporokoso and Kawambwa (special schools)
• Mpulungu and Mpika (early childhood education)

Particular focus would be on the following groups:

• Orphans and vulnerable children
• Drug/alcohol addicts
• Vulnerable women
• People living with HIV/AIDS
• Food and income insecure households
• The disabled children

SCJ, through the strategic plan process has developed an adequate administrative and management structure that will ensure effective and timely implementation of the Strategic Plan.

Specific internal controls for management decision making, planning, monitoring and evaluation will be developed prior to full scale implementation of activities identified in this Strategic Plan. These will include a comprehensive M&E system together with a manual, a policy manual related to personnel, procurement and financial management. In addition to these, special committees to implement, monitor and evaluate community-based projects will be formed and these will have a wider stakeholder representation.

The project management team of SCJ will also produce various reports for cooperating partners, which will also be made available to stakeholders. These will include:

1. Narrative Progress Reports, Monthly, quarterly and annually.

2. Financial Reports, monthly, quarterly and annually

3. Audited Statements of Expenditure

It should also be noted that only legally approved auditing and accounting firms shall audit SCJ’s Books of Accounts as is now the case. There will also be a mid term and end of term evaluation of the Strategic Plan by the consulting firm.

Evaluations of interventions will be done every six months. However, the main mid-term evaluation will be done in the mid of the life span of the strategic plan implementation, i.e., after one year and six months. These evaluations will provide an opportunity for strategy re-orientation, where applicable, and incorporation of emerging strategies.

This will be done at the end of four years, when the period of the initial strategic plan will end. Impact assessment will be the main remit of the process in order to identify successes and failures. Lessons learned will form the basis for development of another strategic plan.

Donors shall be important partners in order for the strategic plan to be implemented. However, SCJ is conscious of donor policies, which limit their focus to areas that each of the donors is willing to support. This implies that even though proposed projects are all vital and urgently need implementation, not all are likely to be supported by partners. Failure to mobilize resources for some of the projects shall not be confused with non-viability. SCJ will at all costs exercise maximum restraint in making decisions concerned with the prognosis of each project. Resource mobilization will be a crosscutting activity that SCJ will undertake. Other opportunities of resource mobilization will be seized as they unfold.