Local Participative Development in Maputo

Location: Districts 3 and 5, City of Maputo (capital), Mozambique.

Context and Objective: Following several multi-sector urban development projects and local actor training projects, this new project begun in 2007 is aimed at the improvement of living conditions of populations residing in two Districts of the city of Maputo. Concrete actions go hand in hand with a continuous effort toward reinforcement of community associations that bear local development initiatives. The recognition of their role by the public actors of Maputo is an objective that will facilitate sustainable development.

Actions:
This project is based on the principles of partnership and participative local governance. It rests on the initiatives of all of the actors present in the neighborhoods: community associations and local authorities. To implement this strategy of local participative development, the project follows 3 complementary stages:

Stage 1: Realization of a training process in aid of local actors, in response to needs identified previously thanks to a study. This training will improve the knowledge and competencies of the local actors in regards to associativism and governance, local development and decentralization, partnership and negociations.

Stage 2: Identification and Implementation, by local actors, of concrete social projects, in response to prioritary needs defined through consultation. The projects target, for example, sanitation, the fight against AIDS, education.

Stage 3: Capitalization and revelation of experiences of the project to reinforce partnership practices between the Public Actors and community associations at the level of the City of Maputo. Partnership relations must be thus formalized by the authorization of certain associations by the local administration, and by the ratification of a partnership « charter » between the Municipal Council and the associations.

Direct beneficiaries: the members of 16 community associations, or around 200 people.

Indirect beneficiaries: 40,000 inhabitants in the 2 Districts.

Partners:
- The technical partner of this project is the Association Mozambicaine pour le Développement Concerté (AMDEC). Associated with the realization are around 15 community associations.
- The Municipal Council of Maputo, the Districts Administration, the Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports are the institutional partners. 
- The project is financed by the European Community and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.