Sustainable Development and Persons with Disabilities: The Process of Self-Empowerment (ADF, 1995, 117 p.): Section II: Building economic self-reliance: Chapter 7: Implementation and resource mobilisation: Appendix 2: The Entebbe workshop resolution con RLS

Sustainable Development and Persons with Disabilities: The Process of Self-Empowerment (ADF, 1995, 117 p.)

(introduction...)

About the author

Foreword

Abbreviations

Sources and acknowledgements

Section I: Understanding and perception

(introduction...)

Chapter 1: Introduction

Objectives of this guide

Who may use the guide

Language and liberation

Debate and discussion must continue

Chapter 2: An integrated approach to sustainable development for persons with disability

Chapter 3: The enabling environment: SAPs, development and disability

(introduction...)

Action guidelines

Appendix 1: Structural adjustment programme (SAP) - The experience of Zambia

Chapter 4: Community-based rehabilitation

(introduction...)

Practices in relation to the PWDs

What is CBR?

Case studies

A general assessment of CBR: Possibilities and limitations

Action guidelines

Section II: Building economic self-reliance

(introduction...)

Chapter 5: Building economic self-reliance

The importance of self-reliance

Employment options for PWDs

Group versus individually designed and managed IGPs

IGPs at the crossroads of gender and class

Action guidelines

Chapter 6: Income generating project planning

The importance of planning

The experience of a clothing manufacturing project run by a PWD organisation

Other lessons to learn from other experiences

Recommendations of the entebbe workshop

What is involved in successful planning

What kind of information is needed for planning?

What do we do with all this information?

Action guidelines

Chapter 7: Implementation and resource mobilisation

(introduction...)

Sustainability

Resource mobilisation

Running an enterprise

Some case studies of projects run by PWDs

Action guidelines

Appendix 1: Revolving loan scheme (RLS)

Appendix 2: The Entebbe workshop resolution con RLS

Chapter 8: Monitoring and evaluation: Measuring the success of IGPs

(introduction...)

Monitoring

Evaluation

Methodology of monitoring and evaluation

Action guidelines

Chapter 9: Capacity building: Skills training and institution building

(introduction...)

Empowerment

The pedagogy of disability training

Women with disabilities and capacity building for IGPs

Action guidelines

Section III: Lobbying, networking and building alliances

(introduction...)

Chapter 10: Strategies for lobbying, networking and building alliances

PWDs are their own principal change agents

Lobbying, advocacy and networking

Broad alliances

Action guidelines

Notes and references

(introduction...)

ADF board of directors

Appendix 2: The Entebbe workshop resolution con RLS

The issue of Revolving Loan Scheme was discussed in one of the working groups of the Entebbe Workshop, which, in its plenary session, adopted the following resolution:

Funding partners should accord priority to projects involving revolving loan schemes. Organisations of PWDs in Africa should plan and secure resources for revolving loan schemes to provide the following services and facilities:

· 100% loan financing for projects of both individuals and groups of PWDs.
· Training through existing NGO networks of PWD entrepreneurs in business planning, management and providing of outreach business, monitoring, counselling and support services.
· Sensitisation of mainstream organisations in order to reach PWDs in rural and urban centres in each country.
· Promote publicity of the revolving loan scheme to the wider society.
· The revolving loan should be managed through an appropriate financial institution that will be responsible for the processing, approval and monitoring of financial projects.
· The revolving loan schemes should be uniquely designed in line with political and economic cercumstances of each country; but should subscribe to the following general principles:

A multi-disciplinary board of directors with representatives of PWDs should be elected by the promoting agencies to run the affairs for the schemes.

A negotiated interest rate on loans and an agreed grace period based on the gestation period of the project should be agreed upon by the partners involved.

A reasonable repayment period in light of the nature of the project, size of the loan and other considerations should be incorporated in the contract agreement.

Clear logistical plans to enable potential beneficiaries to get speedy access to information and loan procedures should be part and parcel of the revolving loan strategy.

Clear sustainability plan linked to investment plan for the loan guarantee fund should be put in place right from the beginning.

· This workshop recommends that agencies such as ADF, NGOs and UNDP should incorporate a deliberate policy within their funding and technical assistance policies focusing on revolving loan schemes.

· For higher levels of funding, groups should approach financial institutions.

As can be seen, it is an ambitious vision. It may be too ambitious. The proposed RLS is not just a national scheme but a multinational (or pan-African) one to cater specifically for the PWDs. It seeks to direct the RLS to provide 100% loans to the beneficiaries (both individuals and groups). Beyond its usual financing function, it also mandates the RLS to provide training, business planning, management, outreach business service, monitoring, counselling and support services.

There is no reason why this vision should not be pursued. However, it might add weight if the participating organizations are prepared to pledge some of their own savings into the pool, besides seeking soft funds from donor organizations. This way they will put some of their own assets at stake, and thus be forced to take a direct interest in ensuring its success.