The organization got registered with Malawi government in 2010 to operate as non-governmental organization. CCDO is committed to empowering the youth, young women, girls and children to voice out issues that affects them on their daily lives, fighting increased early marriages, preventing the further spread of new HIV/AIDS infections and mitigating its impact, advocating for the promotion of local democracy and human rights, gender equality and enhancing young people’s active participation in socio-economic development of the nation through lobbying and advocacy, capacity building, research, documentation and policy dialogue.

CCDO is located in southern region of Malawi with its head office located 5 KMs from Blantyre City.

 

Background

The organization was formed against the background of non-recognition of rural women and young people’s initiatives in spite of their enormous contribution to the country’s economy.

CCDO “envisages that all rural young people’s development is fostered, protected from neglected, exploitation, abandonment and are empowered to become self-reliant and responsible citizens in societies where democratic values and principles are respected.” 

The organization was further formed against the background of continued regard of rural youth and young women as the most vulnerable groups and immature in decision making.  Despite the most dynamic contributions of the youth to the national development, they are not recognized. All credits are unfairly given to older people as duty bearers especially men.

 

Vision 

Health and education for all.

 

Mission 

CCDO exists to promote a good health and education needs for women, children youth and other disadvantaged groups in hard to reach areas, through capacity development advocacy and impact mitigation

 

Core Objectives

CCDO's objectives are weaved into the following:

  • Create a better condition for young people to make informed decisions about their health, sexuality and reproduction.
  • Alleviate the impact of chronic illnesses including HIV and AIDS through provision of evidence-based interventions among the targeted.
  • Empower the rural/vulnerable women and the youth to be self-reliant economically
  • Develop to full capacity the Malawian child in order for them to contribute effectively towards national development.
  • Design and implement interventions that shall significantly improve the lives of orphans and vulnerable children in Malawi.
  • Promote community development through innovative approaches deployed in various targeted communities for the benefit of the marginalized child.
  • Advance the rights and freedoms of vulnerable groups through advocacy, lobbying and impact mitigation

 

General Organization Activities

CCDO programs and its activities focus on Sexual, Reproductive and Health Rights (SRHR), Youth Economic and Leadership Empowerment, HIV prevention and advocacy, Human Rights and democratic governance, Gender empowerment and community health.

The organization engages local leaders and district level duty bearers on various programs that affect the youth and young women. For example, advocating for district bylaws in fighting earlymarriages and unplanned pregnancies, Youth Friendly Health Service (YFHS) availability and advocating for the inclusion of the youth in important decision making forums.

We conduct:

Community feedback forum meetings; interface lobbying and advocacy meetings and; Capacity building targeting rights holders, duty bearers and service providers ; disadvantaged groups consist of the youth, women, people living with HIV and AIDS and people with disabilities in Thyolo district particularly covering 47 villages in Thyolo district under T/As Nchilamwera, Changata, Khwetemule, Nsabwe, Kapichi, Bvumbwe and Chimaliro, and the neighboringMulanje district, Chiradzulo and Phalombe. Its office is based in Makwasa, Thyolo district.

 

Our Past Programs:

CCDO had been implementing several projects aimed at improving well-being of marginalized people with material, technical and financial support from different partners.

Below are some of the achievements:

Accelerating Children’s HIV/AIDS Treatment (ACT) project with financial support from Management Sciences for Health. CCDO implemented the Accelerating Children’s HIV/AIDS treatment (ACT) initiative in 2016. The project aims at reducing overall population morbidity and mortality with an emphasis on improving the quality of HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services by increasing the effectiveness, sustainability, equality and efficiency of district-based planning, budgeting and implementation processes

CCDO also Implemented a project titled ‘Strengthening Household Economy of 300 women and 200 youth While Preventing HIV Infection through Incubator Machines pass on loan grant’ at TA Changata. This was being funded by American Embassy Office in Malawi. The overall goal of the project was to strengthen Household Economy of 300 women and 200 youth by 35% and Prevent HIV Infection among women and youth by 50% through Incubator Machines pass on loan grant in Traditional Authority Changata in Thyolo district.

 

Current Programs

With Funding from Hivos, CCDO is implementing a project titled Enhancing protection of 1500 girls against Early Marriages and SGBV in TA Nkanda in Mulanje district. The project is collating various bylaws to create a comprehensive by-law that protects a girls’ right and freedom from child marriage, SGBV and protect a girl from harmful cultural practices that promote the spread of HIV. This project is exploring the systemic factors that lead a girl into an early marriage in Mulanje and the key actors that are part of this decision. Therefore, CCDO would want to compel and sensitize the local structures of Mulanje district in formation, restructuring and enforcement of by laws in the impact area.

With funding from Hivos CCDO is carrying out a project called “SRHR Advocacy for Rural Adolescents in Thyolo District”. The project is collating various policies including Malawi National SRHR Policy, Youth-Friendly Reproductive Health policy and National Youth Policy to address dominant cultural norms and advocate for access to comprehensive SRHR for youth and adolescent girls and protect them from harmful cultural practices that violate their rights and promote the spread of HIV. This project is exploring the systemic factors that lead girls’ early pregnancies and school dropouts in Thyolo district, and engage the key actors that are part of this decision. Therefore, CCDO would want to compel and sensitize the local structures of Thyolo district in transformation of the deep rooted customs and traditional cultures in the impact area.

In partnership with ViiV Healthcare and Positive Action for Children Fund, Chipembere Community Development Organization (CCDO) is carrying out the “Accelerating Children’s HIV/AIDS Treatment Initiative (ACT) Project” aimed at Identifying HIV infected children and linking them to care and treatment at facilities in Malawi, Thyolo district.

The project has promoted the identification of and continued care of infants and young children of HIV positive parents, in order to reduce the numbers of infants who go undiagnosed or who are diagnosed too late for successful care and treatment. Therefore, the expected overall result from the project is to reduce mortality among HIV-infected infants by as much as 75% upon ART initiation.

The project is directly working with 20 community-based organizations (CBOs Volunteers) and 10 Health facilities in Traditional Authorities (T/As) Mchiramwela and Khwethemule in Thyolo district. The project is also introducing income generating activities through installation of Solar energy Borehole for irrigation farming and poultry production for parents whose children are tested positive. This is to improve their health status through provision of nutritious diet.