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The
one-year institutional capacity building programme involving 10 organisations,
which commenced in the year 2000, was concluded in August 2001. The aim of
the project was to impact Zambian NGOs to develop their organisational
capacity and enhance good governance practices within their institutional
frameworks. The programme was managed by the Institute for Democracy in
Southern Africa (IDASA) a renowned South African organisation with years of
vast experience in developing the organisational capacities of NGOs in the
region. The project was generously funded by Swedish International
Development Agency (SIDA), Norwegian Development Cooperation (NORAD) and
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
 The
training programme was well received by LRF staff especially management staff
and the board. The Institutional-tutoring programme, which ran for a week in
August, was an internal organisational strengthening programme. The
Foundation benefited from the vast experiences of a South African consultant
Derrick Marco who was making his second stint at the Foundation having taken
the Foundation through the Vision and Value workshop in November 2000. The
Foundation is revisiting its management policy and procedural process through
engaging in broad Board and Staff consultations set to be finished and
adopted in the coming year.
FUNDING
The
core project activities of the Foundation continue to be funded by three
consistent generous donors whose contribution has enabled the Foundation to
fulfil its projected activities plan. The funds were made available by NORAD,
SIDA and DANIDA. The Foundation is further indebted to the three donors for
their continued support over the past five years without whose support the
Foundation would not have proceeded with its programmes.
CONCLUSION
The
Foundation has now completed the second year of the 2nd phase of a project
that runs for three years (2000-02). The Foundation is on course with its
project plan, whose target is, among others, the establishment of provincial
advice centres through out Zambia. So far five centres have been launched two
in the year 2000 and three in the year under review. The establishment of
provincial centres and provision of free legal services is a vital service to
the poor and a powerful tool of keeping government accountable.
The
Foundation is usually confronted with new challenges in making its services a
reality, through threats from state institutions, which are somehow slowly
accepting the existence of the organisation in dealing with issues of human
rights violations.
By
1991 the LRF was only heard of around the capital city Lusaka but over the
years the organisation has steadily been making inroads in major provincial
towns, which are administrative organs of each province in Zambia.
LRF in
all its endeavours of expansion owes it to its generous donors without whom
it would not be possible to exist and render scarcity services of a legal
nature. The founder members of the organisation continue to generously
support the organisation offering invaluable dedication and time to foster
the direction of the Foundation. The Foundation is operating countrywide and
bearing in mind that fresh challenges are already with us we pledge to
continue providing access to justice.
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