Project Initiatives

School Building Project

The 21st Century School Project aims to provide students, teachers and local communities with a ‘fit for purpose’ school system which, meets the standards of a 21st century educational and learning environment. Crucially, the 21st century School will focus on the needs of the students and will provide students and teachers as well as the communities with:

• Integrated and Interdisciplinary skills essential for the 21st century work place
• Access to global learning tools thereby bringing the students and their teachers in touch with international learning standards
• Tools to adapt and lead in the development of long term personal and educational skills
• Practical and research learning environment
• Access to relevant teaching and learning technologies towards excellent educational attainment

Strategic Development Plan for the Internally Displaced Persons (STRAD-PIP)

According to the United Nations Human Rights’ (OHCHR) Guiding Principles on internal displacement, internally displaced persons (also known as “IDPs”) are “persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized border.”

Internally Displaced Persons, particularly in situations of armed conflict are generally:

• Subject to heightened vulnerability in a number of areas
• Suffering significantly higher rates of mortality than the general population
• At high risk of physical attack, sexual assault and abduction
• Deprived of adequate shelter, food and health services

Notably, the overwhelming majority of internally displaced persons are women and children who are especially at risk of abuse of their basic rights. More often than refugees, the internally displaced tend to remain close to or become trapped in zones of conflict, caught in the cross-fire and at risk of being used as pawns, targets or human shields.

The needs of displaced persons are not different from the needs others. Essentially, displaced persons need good quality housing and related infrastructure in a stable, safe and secure environment. The aim of Strategic Development Plan (STRAD-PIP) is to develop unique approach to the housing and infrastructure needs of displaced persons towards providing them liveable environment. Essentially, the STRAD-PIP will:

• Deliver a good housing/accommodation system which improves the living standards of displaced persons while also ensuring security of lives and properties.
• Develop an innovative Educational System to ensure children and students who are displaced are able to continue their education in a safe environment.
• Develop a co-production approach in developing and delivering the STRAD-PIP
• Work with displaced persons, NGOs and the governments to develop the economic capabilities of displaced persons towards creating and generating sustainable employments
• Develop robust infrastructure and facilities that meet the need of displaced persons and which support economic development.
• When required to return back home or place of residence, support the rebuilding of the destroyed and dilapidated housing and infrastructure to ensure displaced persons are able to continue to live in good quality housing and in a safe and secure environment.

Strategic Urban Regeneration Plan (SURPLA)

Urban areas are complex and dynamic systems. They reflect the many processes that drive physical, social, environmental and economic transition and they themselves are prime generators of many such changes. However, across Africa, unplanned urbanisation is placing significant burden on urban resources with many people in urban centres living in poverty or slum. Notably, many people living in urban centres lack access to basic services and livelihood including good quality housing, good water and sanitation system, security of tenure, and adequate living/play area. Similarly, policy and political responses to urbanisation have been inadequate and short term thereby, leading to poor outcomes for all.

Our aim is to work with all stakeholders and partners in regenerating urban areas, particularly, slums to ensure urban dwellers have access to the services which enhance their livelihood.

Regeneration covers a broad range of public policy. Regeneration is a holistic process of reversing economic, social and physical decay in areas where it has reached a stage when market forces alone will not be sufficient. This involves using public money to leverage private investment into an area. The aim of the SURPLAS is to deliver regeneration activities in areas which target the following areas:

• Worklessness, skills and training development
• Enterprise and business development
• Industrialisation and commerce
• Infrastructure
• Housing growth and improvement
• Community development
• Environmental improvement
• Neighbourhood renewal

The main strategic objectives of SURPLAS are:

• To stimulate economic activity and employment by leveraging external funding, private sector investment and Government involvement/investment in the area
• To strengthen the capability of local organisations to undertake long-term economic enterprise development thereby leading to further economic development
• To provide more jobs for local people by encouraging and supporting the development local enterprise
• To facilitate enterprise by local people through enterprise training and financial and managerial assistance
• To support projects designed to improve the environment, and the provision of community services and to reduce the level of crime where these can be linked to the re integration of local people into local economic activity
• To develop innovative approaches to problems which are capable of application in other inner city areas
• To work with the Governments in developing robust Urban Development Strategies and Policies which, can serve as a development template for urban regeneration and renewal. This will also improve the co ordination between Government, and residents

Specialist Development Project for People with Disabilities in Africa

In Africa, an estimated 60-80 million people are living with disabilities. People with disabilities face exclusion, discrimination and difficulties in their fundamental rights. Disability can be caused by a wide range of factors, including malnutrition and disease, environmental hazards, traffic and industrial accidents, and civil conflict and war, and the number of people with disabilities continues to increase.

Whatever may be the cause, in Africa, people with disabilities are more likely to live in poverty and do not have equal access to education, health care, employment opportunities, housing, social protection systems, justice and participation in political life. The ability of people with disabilities to participate in socio-political and economic activities is often hindered by lack of supportive physical, environmental, housing, transportation and communications infrastructure. The lack of support and prevalence of exclusion mean that people with disabilities are the poorest of the poor in Africa.

Our aim is to develop a robust housing and infrastructure system for people with disabilities and their families. The will include providing infrastructure and facilities which support independent living and enhance the lives of people with disabilities and their families, thereby giving them the confidence and skills to participate in socio-political and economic activities in their communities.

National Strategic Development Plans

Housing is a system and like other systems, it has an impact on the economy, infrastructure development, environmental sustainability, the financial market, living standards, and the health and wellbeing of a nation. In addition, housing stores and distributes a nation’s wealth and is a major driver of the economy. Perhaps, more than any other factor, housing (where one lives) determines one’s life chances.

Our vision of housing is of a housing system that works for everyone irrespective of the social and economic class. We believe that the best way of achieving this in the long term is securing investment for all tenures to enable live in a house and at a place of their choice. Getting housing right can be a foundation for other things- education, health, strong communities, safety and security, and economic growth. Conversely, if we get housing wrong, it can have a huge impact on people’s lives, the society and the economy. Ultimately, if we do not invest in housing for people of all levels, we will pay for it elsewhere.

The Housing Development and Investment Plan is aimed at developing robust plans to address regional or national housing and infrastructure needs taking into consideration unique national and local demands. Some of the National Housing Development and Investment Plan include: South Sudan Strategic Development Plan; Development Agenda for Liberia, A New City Development Plan for Tanzania and Development Plan for Western Nigeria.

Essentially, a well-functioning housing system which meets the needs of all households is pivotal to addressing national, regional and local infrastructure and economic challenges Overall aims are to develop and deliver:

• A well-functioning housing system – mixed community, availability of choice, affordable homes and growth of supply.
• High quality sustainable homes – safe & secure, energy efficiency and, health & well-being.
• Homes that meet people’s needs – transportation, business & employment, recreation, good quality education, , .
• Sustainable Communities – economic diversification, physically, tourism, technology connectivity, smart city capability and socially sustainable, climate change/reduction in carbon.

Implementing the Strategic Development Plan will deliver a wide range of benefits to the strategic areas including economic development, job creation, infrastructure development, diversification of the economy, efficient service delivery, improvement in governance efficiency and civil society participation in governance.

Police-Armed Forces Housing Development Plan (PAHD-PLAN)

The first duty of the Government is to defend the physical and atmospheric boundary of the nation while also maintaining internal peace. This duty is carried out by the Police Force and Armed Forces on behalf of the Government. Notably, Police Force and Armed Forces:

• Sacrifice their freedom
• Face danger and suffer serious injury
• May have to pay the ultimate price of losing their lives in the line of duty
• Their families experience the fate of their loved ones being away on active duty or not being available to support growing families

Consequently, the Police Force and Armed Forces deserve good quality housing and infrastructure and it is hoped that the PAHD-PLAN will become an acceptable model for investment in the redevelopment of Police Force and Armed Forces’ housing in Africa. The overall aim of this PAHD-PLAN is to develop and regenerate housing and infrastructure (barracks) occupied by Police Force and Armed Forces personnel and their families across Africa with the goal of delivering:

• A fit for purpose housing and related infrastructure in line with 21st century standards
• Robust infrastructure and facilities which improve their day to day living experience
• Opportunities to leverage investment funding to support the development of housing and infrastructure
• A viable housing system which provides value and can repay investments while also generating long term revenue to the Police Force and Armed Forces
• A housing system which enhances the safety and security of the Police Force and Armed Forces personnel and their families
• Co-production with Police Force & Armed Forces in developing housing and infrastructure