Results of development cooperation through Norwegian NGOs in East Africa: volume II

This paper presents a number of case studies that shed light on the overall effectiveness of Norwegian aid to East Africa&rsquo;s countries. <br /><br />Among the notable case studies in the paper is the 'Chesta Girls Secondary School' programme in Kenya, which was intended to increase school attendance among girls and combat the idea that girls are simply future assets for dowries. The project has provided a partial solution to the problem of girls not attending secondary school and lacking life skills. <br /><br />'Lok' project was implemented in Kenya, using a 'Group Savings and Loan' approach. The project exceeded its planned targets, both in terms of number of groups and the amount of money transacted annually, and was considered successful.<br /><br />'Capacity Development for Interfaith Cooperation' in Tanzania is a project to promote interfaith dialogue and action from the grassroots to national levels. However, the interfaith component was found quite vague and unclear as to the value it added in the Tanzanian context. Therefore, related NGOs are recommended to revisit the overall project strategy. <br /><br />The 'East Africa Cup' is an annual event that focuses on empowering boys and girls by using sports. Nevertheless, the lack of systematic documentation has been limiting the possibilities of improving activities. As a result, the involved organisations are recommended to complement the current tournament activities with joint monitoring characterised by documentation of outcomes attained in various countries. <br /><br />The 'Community Based Rehabilitation' project in Uganda engages people with disabilities, seeking to integrate them into the mainstream of society and empower them to participate in development process. The programme has influenced policy change, and issues of disability are mainstreamed at all governmental levels. Nevertheless, CBR should consider investing in strengthening the management information system to be used as an informative tool.