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Projects

All CSAP projects involve dealing with people, large numbers of them: at the grass roots; in youth, women and community groups; and in professional groups such as business entrepreneurs, scientists and technologists.

CSAP Project

CSAP delivers measurable project results that contribute directly to the achievement of Millennim Development Goal's.

CSAP projects must be:

  • People-centred
  • Mass impact
  • Contribution to the Millennium Development Goals:Poverty Reduction; Education and Health; Environmental Sustainability and Regeneration
  • In accordance with National and Commonwealth Secretariat Priorities

Our work covers these three intertwined areas:

  • Applications of new Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) at grass roots level;
  • Implementation of new ideas and innovative approaches in poverty reduction and income-generation;
  • Environment and heritage promotion (an emerging and growing trend).

Outlined below are some of these projects:

Primary and Secondary Education

CSAP has helped design and implement education promoting programmes in three countries where 60-70% of the youth could not complete their primary or secondary education, including:

  • High School Equivalency programme in Jamaica
  • Web-based delivery of primary education in St Lucia
  • Second Chance Education scheme in Samoa
  • CSAP is assisting with the introduction of strategic ideas and contemporary practices in the education; and in training of school inspectors in Mauritius

Poverty reduction

  • CSAP and the Ministry of Social Transformation in Barbados conducted a pilot empirical survey to assess poverty in select parishes. This project, the first ever of its kind undertaken in the country, created a computerised data-base of over 600 households and has become a milestone in the Government's efforts to eradicate absolute poverty in Barbados as per MDGs.
  • In St Vincent and the Grenadines, CSAP introduced the discipline of commercial banking practices in the development banking which is facilitating the provision of credit to small entrepreneurs and farmers. An assessment made by the Government shows that within 18 months, over 1000 self-employment opportunities have been created.
  • Enabling production of fou fou (staple food) by women groups in poverty stricken remote rural areas of Cameroon.
  • Creating income generating opportunities by exposing craft artisans in Fiji to design and marketing trends in eco-souvenirs.

Information and Communications Technologies (ICT)

CSAP has acquired a strong niche in bringing applications of ICTs to grass roots level.

  • A customised software has been designed and implemented for the Barbados Youth Business Trust (BYBT), which provides lending facilities to youth and the disadvantaged creating some 200 entrepreneurs.
  • Training of 30 web designers drawn from various institutions in Grenada
  • Training of 32 web designers drawn from various institutions in Sri Lanka
  • MIS for SEDU in St Vincent and the Grenadines
  • A computer appreciation project for rural and district women in Kenya
  • Designing a road map for the future development of Sri Lanka's software sector.
  • A multi-agency collaborating programme for bringing applications of ICTs to women entrepreneurs in Cameroon in collaboration with ITC, CIDA and Francophonie.

Health and AIDS

  • In Southern Africa, CSAP helped train some 45 community and civil society leaders in caring for the orphaned children from AIDS-devastated families. Between them, these trainees are responsible for taking care of about 5000 children.
  • A similar project is being implemented for abandoned and street children in Kenya.
  • CSAP assisted in transferring infusion technology for traditional medicines at the Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine (CSRPM) in Ghana where about 70% of population depends on traditional medicines.

Environmental Sustainability

CSAP has helped in community based nature conservation and management of protected areas in the Caribbean and South Pacific. The South Pacific conference was the largest ever gathering of environmental technologists/community leaders funded by AusAid and NZAID among other agencies.

CSAP steered it and a four-year strategic plan has been developed. CSAP also facilitated sharing of experience between the two regions of the Commonwealth through a customised exposure visit.

Future indications

  • ICT applications for youth and women in Kenya, Uganda, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Cameroon, Bangladesh
  • Poverty reduction through heritage skills and innovative ideas: Kikoye, Jua kali, boat heritage, fou fou, eco-souvenirs, GMP in pharma sector, seaweed, in countries like Uganda, Kenya, Belize, St Lucia, Cameroon, Fiji, Bangladesh, Barbados, Ghana, Sri Lanka etc