FAITH IN THE FUTURE
Peter Stern* explains how Christian Engineers in Development is helping to improve lives in the developing world.
Large numbers of professional people are employed in
international and bilateral aid programmes throughout the
world. Funding, which invariably includes the provision of
technical assistance for these programmes, is provided generally by
international agencies and western governments to those of
developing countries. As the aid goes to
governments, it is usually channelled into development work in the
public sector. Thus, aid for agricultural development is
handled by a Ministry of Agriculture, aid for hospitals goes to a
Department of Health, and for water development goes to an
appropriate government agency. So local, non-government
organisations (NGOs) undertaking development get little direct
benefit from these massive flows of official aid and technical
assistance. Christian Engineers in Development (CED), a group of
professional engineers and others with Christian convictions and a
commitment to operating as a team providing technical assistance to
communities in developing countries, helps to make up for this by
providing technical assistance to local organisations such as
churches and other NGOs.
Most professional people familiar with overseas development work
are aware that technical assistance requires both expertise on the
ground and a base with professional back-up. Because modern
technical development covers a range of disciplines, an engineer or
technician in the field needs to be supported by an organisation
that contains people with experience who can guide and
advise. CED provides both the opportunity for staff to
operate in the field and back-up by experienced qualified
professionals. From a career point of view there are
advantages in working overseas under chartered engineers who can
supervise and vouch for experience gained in the field.
In the past CED included in its objectives the provision of
opportunities for young engineers to get on-the-job training in
overseas development work. One of the positive signs in most
developing countries today is the emergence of young indigenous
engineers also keen to gain professional experience.
Therefore the opportunities for young expatriates from the UK are
scarce. An indigenous young engineer is clearly more
suitable, in being acclimatised, familiar with local society and
knowing a local language. And there are cost advantages in
local employment, one being the saving in international
travel. However, CED does need more mid-career team
members in full-time service available for investigating potential
projects (including feasibility studies and viability assessments),
drawing up applications to donor agencies for project funding, and
assisting with the supervision of on-going programmes.
As a non-profit registered charity, CED does not canvas for
jobs. Operations in
development
originate with requests, usually from organisations in developing
countries, but also from church organisations in the UK that are
linked with the church communities overseas. The majority of
projects are in water development because the improvement of water
supplies is so critical in the developing world. But CED is
also employed in other fields of development such as building
construction and electric power supply, including micro-hydropower
and solar sources. CED's operations are generally conducted
under a tripartite agreement between an overseas development
organisation, a funding agency and CED. We provide the
required technical assistance input, which may include support to
the technical staff of a local partner organisation. The
involvement of local staff in the design and implementation is an
important factor in ensuring long term sustainability.
Currently, CED has work in Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and
Pakistan. Operations in Uganda began nearly 20 years ago and
continue today, mainly in partnership with the Anglican Church of
Uganda in its Grass Roots Development Programme for access to clean
water for rural communities. In the past nine years this programme
has provided clean water and improved sanitation to 21,600 people
at a cost of £288,450, an average £13.35 per head. CED has
also been in a partnership with the Anglican Diocese of Ruaha,
Tanzania, on the recently-completed £400,000 Kilolo Sustainable
Development Programme, providing access to clean water, improved
sanitation and health and hygiene education, benefiting up to
13,000 people. A similar programme is about to commence in the
Pawaga area to serve a potential population of 40,000 people at a
cost of £700,000. In both of these cases 75 percent of
funding is provided by the European Commission's Co-financing with
European NGOs initiative.
In Kenya, CED has been working with a local NGO, African Community
Initiative Services, on its Eastern Provinces Rural Water Supply
Programme. This work has included the rehabilitation of dams
constructed in the 1960s and the design and construction of a new
river 'sand dam'.
In Rwanda, we have been working in partnership with a local NGO,
the Rwandese Health Environment Project Initiative, on school
buildings, water supplies, and maize milling equipment, and with
the Episcopal Church of Rwanda on village water supplies and
small-scale irrigated agriculture.
CED's partner in Pakistan is a strong, local, secular NGO,
staffed by multi-faith (Muslim, Christian and Hindu) professionals.
The Participatory Village Development Programme, in the arid Sindh
region in south west Pakistan, works on the rehabilitation of well
sources and existing storage dams.
CED's annual turnover in 2006-07 was £204,000, of which £196,000
was spent on development work. In addition to the European
Commission mentioned above, grants for capital works have come from
the UK Department for International Development, the States of
Guernsey, the Isle of Man Government, Tear Fund, the Swindon Old
Town Church Partnership and from charitable trusts and charities
such as Wilmslow Wells for Africa, the Meal-a-Day Fund and the Eva
Reckitt Trust. Funds are also received from the regular
donations of church groups, charitable trusts, individuals and the
annual subscriptions of members. These funds are used mainly to
finance operations that are not included in grants from development
agencies, such as preliminary investigations involving a site
visit, survey work and facilitating applications by developing
organisations for project funding.
For further information about CED visit www.ced.org.uk.
*Peter Stern is a Fellow of CIWEM and a Director of Christian
Engineers In Development.
Back
