Capacity Statement
INTRODUCTION
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency(ADRA) is a global humanitarian organizationwith a mission to work with people in povertyand distress to create just and positive change.ADRA Sudan belongs to the worldwideADRA network, comprised of more than 130 ADRA Sudan employs a team of experiencedsupporting and implementing country offices. staff that design, manage, and implement itsADRA’s five core sectors include Food Security; programs in accordance with donor, ADRAHealth; Economic Growth; Education; and policies, and requirements. ADRA’s technicalEmergency Management. ADRA Sudan has team includes a Livelihood expert; a Geologistdeveloped its expertise in these sectors with WASH and engineering expertise; aand in various subsectors, specifically in Community Medical Physician; a Statistician;Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL), Water, and a Monitoring and Evaluation specialist.Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and Economic The administrative and managerial teamDevelopment(including Literacy, Capacity includes: country director, two programsBuilding and Income Generating Activitiesmanagers, and finance director.
Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL)
ADRA Sudan is implementing projectsIn addition, ADRA Sudan has invested in theaimed at improving small- scale farmers’creation and strengthening of Farmer Self-capacities and skills as a means to: a) increaseHelp Groups(SHGs) which have reachedagricultural productivity and local availabilitypositive results in terms of increasing groupof food, b) increase the household incomemembers’ income opportunities as well asand accessibility to food and c) contribute toimproving social cohesion. In particular, SHGsthe local economy. Small-scale farmers’have had a significant impact on women ascapacity building focuses mainly on improvedthey provide them with the chance to comeand sustainable farming, harvesting and post-together to ensure the work of the groupharvesting techniques. Small-scale farmersbenefits them and their children and toare trained to adopt participatory approachesbe more involved in the community life inincluding in field demonstrations, Farmer Fieldgeneral. In its FSL intervention, ADRA SudanSchools (FFS) and Farmer Market Schools (FMS)is increasingly focused on strengtheningthat build on already existing competenciesthe linkages between local farmers and theand knowledge, allow learning by doing andmarket as to ensure sustainability and toexchange among the participants.contribute to overall economic growth. Safe access to energy continues to represent ADRA Sudan is part of the Food Security anda major concern for the communities due to Livelihood Coordination Sector at the nationalthe large dependency on firewood as main level where it coordinates its interventionsource of cooking fuel for domestic use. The with United Nations agencies, internationalThe production of Fuel Efficient Stoves (FES) in and national organizations. ADRA Sudan isADRA’s ECHO project in the White Nile State also part of Resilience in Horn of Africa (RiHA),has proven to reduce not only consumption a multi-year program initiated by ADRAof firewood and charcoal, but also to decrease Denmark and currently being implementedsafety risks for women connected to firewoodby ADRA Sudan and ADRA Ethiopia.collection. Beneficiaries also benefit from FESproduction by receiving Cash for Work in theFES workshop and by acquiring training inproduction process.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
Since 1986, the Water and Sanitation projectsADRA is implementing WASH projects bothADRA Sudan have drilled more than 820 waterin refugee and IDP settings as well as in hostwells and installed them with hand pumpscommunities to ensure that the benefits ofin the rural communities of Darfur, Sennarimproved sanitary conditions as well as ofand White Nile States and in the displacedincreased access to water are shared amongcamps in Khartoum State. ADRA Sudan hasthe two groups so astoreducepotentialits own drilling machines which facilitates thetensionand conflicts.implementation of infrastructural projects.ADRA Sudan interventions in the WASH sectorhave included rehabilitation and constructionof water and sanitation facilities includingwells, boreholes, water pumps and latrines.WASH interventions also include hygieneand sanitation awareness raising projectsto improve hygiene and health practicesamong local communities. In its hygiene andsanitation awareness raising projects, ADRASudan has adopted strong participatoryapproaches including the use of ParticipatoryHygiene and Sanitation Transformation(PHAST), Community-Led Total Sanitation(CLTS) and Children’s Hygiene and SanitationTraining(CHAST)
Education and Economic Development
The goal of ADRA is to overall improve accessto quality and inclusive education throughimproving the quality of teaching, enhancinglearning opportunities and ensuring theavailability of adequate educational facilities.Since2001, the literacy component hasincreasingly gained importance in ADRAprojects in the area as a response to thewidespread high illiteracy rates among thebeneficiaries. In its intervention ADRA hasadopted the REFLECT methodology, whichis an innovative approach combining adultlearning and social change objectives.6CAPACITY STATEMENT 2020 The adoption of the REFLECT approach has1990s. For instance, since 1994, ADRA hasbeen able to improve basic literacy and been working in the outskirts of Khartoumnumeracy skills as well as to encourage with the aim of empowerment of IDP womendiscussion and participation in the with small enterprise skills and livelihoodidentification of community needs and opportunities.problems and possible solutions.Finally, a central element of ADRA approachto economic development is the creation ofCommunity Saving Groups (CSGs) or VillageSaving and Loan Associations (VSLAs).The abovementioned institutions have theshort-term goal of improving access tocredit and loans for vulnerable people thatare usually excluded from formal credit andloan institutions. In the long-term, increasedsavings at the household and communitylevel are expected to build resilience to futureADRA Sudan approach to economicdevelopment aims at improving individual andhousehold income and breaking the viciouscycle between vulnerability and poverty.Economic development is a means forempowering the most vulnerable throughimproved literacy skills, knowledge andentrepreneurial skills which enable themto enjoy a life of dignity, justice and respect.ADRA Sudan’s engagement in economicdevelopment projects dates back to the
Partnerships and Participation
research institutions to deliver developmentprograms to communities throughout thecountry.We view collaboration as a cost-effective andtime-saving means for implementing projects,sharing lessons, and combining technicalexperience and expertise for maximumproject impact.ADRA has developed excellent relationshipswith both international and local nongovernmental organizations(NGOs) andcommunity-based organizations(CBOs) inSudan, and often partner with organizationsto further our objectives.ADRA Sudan has partnered with severaldevelopment agencies, government ministriesand departments, and educational and
Cross-cutting themesGenderProtection
ADRA puts a focus on women and girls ADRA ensures the process of incorporatingbecause they are the most vulnerable to protection principles and promotingthe devastating effects of poverty and crisis. meaningful access, safety and dignity inWhen we invest in education and livelihoods humanitarian aid. ADRA has a Protectionfor women, everyone benefits. Families are Policy and a specific Child and Vulnerablehealthier, communities are stronger, and Adults Protection Policy. Climate change andeconomies are improved. Our programs environment: The achievement of sustainableare community-based and involve the development depends also on environmentalentire family so that our efforts effectively rehabilitation and conservation. They not onlyincrease knowledge, change behaviour, and constitute an important stand-alone outputare sustainable. We consider gender equity of the projects but also a crosscutting andand shifting negative sociocultural norms underlying issue that is mainstreamed in theas a cross cutting intervention for all of ourdesign of all our initiatives.programs
Governance
ADRA breaks down barriers of prejudicethrough community training and bypromoting inclusive policies. Local partners,communities and main stakeholders areinvolved in the identification of priority needsand in the elaboration and implementationof action plans to address them, as well asin the monitoring and evaluation process toensure ownership and sustainability of thedevelopment process