In 2010, the Kitega Centre introduced VICOBA-Plus to help lift communities out of poverty.
The model provides essential training, support and encouragement, empowering people to work together to create a community built on sustainable development.
Participants are provided with three months of skills training, which allows them to:
- Build and deepen community
- Mobilise locally available resources and recognise that that greatest resource is myself.
- Start Individual Income generating and further develop Community benefit projects
- Improve Livelihoods
- Self-empowerment
- Lead the change they want to see in their communities.
For the last twelve the centre has trained over 1500 people equipping them with the VICOBA – Plus Skills, and over 20 VICOBA – Plus groups in 30 communities across East Africa .
VICOBA – Plus is not a microfinance model that focuses on saving and credit.
It is self discovery, dreaming, collective action, transformation, local resource mobilisation, mindset shift, community etc. it is about helping communities to thrive and flourish.
VICOBA – Plus has become a community mobilisation tool that inspires people to think about what they can do to change their communities.
The VICOBA groups are pioneering development initiatives in their communities. Over 600 community members in 20 communities are working collectively to improve their lives.
Beneficiaries of the VICOBA – Plus define it as follows;
- VICOBA – Plus is community
- VICOBA- Plus is a lifestyle for people to do something for themselves
- VICOBA- Plus is Hope
- VICOBA- Plus is a model that helps people bring about positive change in their lives and community.
- VICOBA- Plus is working together.
- VICOBA- Plus is Happiness
- VICOBA- Plus is Love
- VICOBA- Plus is transformation of individuals and communities
- VICOBA- Plus is Community
- VICOBA- Plus is an invitation to self-discovery.
- VICOBA- Plus is pursuing of one’s dream for God’s glory and the good of others.
- VICOBA- Plus is Working hard
What is the Impact of VICOBA – Plus
The model has helped in building and deepening community – improving community relationships and creating a sense of unity.
In addition it has improved family relationships, and we have recently realised that it is a great tool in helping address Domestic and gender based violence. Men and women working together to lift themselves out of poverty.
Collective action, the model emphasises the need to help others achieve their dreams as the key to achieving personal dreams and this has created a sense of collective action which has resulted into:
- Discovery of self and the need to recognise everyone as valuable in the development process.
- Identifying and utilising locally available resources, this has also improved the saving culture of individuals
- Establishment of collective income generating and social benefit projects; i.e agricultural projects, early child ;learning schools to provide education etc
Improved Self – esteem
Increase in household incomes
Self employment opportunities created, and this has increased the
New houses built
New businesses started
Education for the children especially the girls among others…
Comments are closed.