Mozambique DPOs and capacity building

The situation of disabled people in Mozambique is characterised by extreme levels of poverty, low levels of education, illiteracy and low self-esteem. A recent research project for Disability KaR examined the role and effectiveness of DPO capacity-building initiatives in the country.

Contrasting perspectives

For Mozambican DPOs, capacity building means strengthening their organisations to be effective in their work and to achieve results for their members. They want capacity building to increase their skills to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate their work. However, technical support needs to be accompanied by financial resourcing, so that DPOs can implement programmes and projects to gain experience in administering their affairs.

DPOs see some of their Northern NGO partners as giving limited technical support, without paying attention to how organisations survive from day to day. Yet some Northern NGO partners are recognised as striving to provide more balanced forms of support.

The over-reliance on Northern, rather than local, experts by their Northern NGO partners is seen as unhelpful to DPOs, who prefer the use of local resource people for training inputs. DPOs also see an unequal distribution of power with their Northern NGO partners raising money from the North in the name of disability but not discussing openly how it should be spent. DPOs see themselves being treated more like clients and objects, rather than as the primary bodies who legitimise outside intervention in the sector in the first place.

However, Northern DPOs are appreciated for their empowering attitude, treating their Southern counterparts as equals, whom they respect and listen to. The shared values of the disability movement contribute to this more equal relationship.

As for the government Ministry responsible for disability issues, this is seen as a helpless spectator. It has no resources for disability work, and actually seeks funding from the same few agencies who are involved with disability work in Mozambique.

Commitment to open and frank discussions and experience sharing on an on-going basis among Southern DPOs themselves is now required. The DPO workshop that was held during the second visit of the research was a response to this need, and the organisations greatly valued its very frank exchanges.

Article by Jabulani Ncube, Independent consultant