Member Programmes » Francophone Africa

LEAD Francophone Africa 2005 Highlights

The year 2005 turned out to be a crucial benchmark for LEAD Francophone Africa (FA). Not only did the Programme achieve more than the expected objectives, but they also introduced new activities that impacted in most of the eligible countries. The economy of scale achieved through decentralising activities has allowed the training of 120 participants instead of the planned 60, and the establishment of several LEAD National Associations in many countries.

Pan-Africa Focus:

LEAD FA has been working with LEAD Nigeria and LEAD Southern and Eastern Africa to create a larger Pan-African programme, with an aim of extending LEAD presence and advancement of sustainable development practices to other counties within the continent and beyond. In the last years, all three Programmes have already been collaborating more at a pan-African level through activities that complement the work of each Member Programme at the national and sub-regional level.

LEAD Francophone Africa trained a record number of leaders in 2005, and now has 119 Fellows in 25 countries of Francophone Africa.

International Fellows Training programme:

LEAD FA delivered an International Training Session on Ecosystem Approach to Health for C11 associates, in Dakar, Senegal in August 2005. Associates visited different communities around Dakar to explore and observe social, economic and ecological development patterns; the diversity of responses to economic and environmental challenges; and evolving initiatives and mechanisms to support sustainability issues at the local and regional level.

National Associations of Fellows:

A very important achievement for LEAD Francophone Africa in 2005 has been the creation of National Associations by the Fellows. LEAD National Associations are registered as members of the Civil Society and operating in the following countries:

  • Benin
  • Cameroon
  • Côte d’Ivoire
  • Mauritania
  • Mali
  • Morocco
  • Niger
  • Senegal
  • Togo
  • Tunisia

Additional National Associations are being established in Algeria, Burundi, Burkina, Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Central Africa. The objective is to have at least fifteen LEAD National Associations fully operational by the year 2011.

Today, the National Associations are at the forefront of spreading sustainable practices across disciplines:

  • LEAD Togo successfully implemented a joint project with LEAD International on “Communication for Sustainable Development”.
  • LEAD Mauritania is running a computerized centre where vulnerable women are trained in income generating activities
  • LEAD Mali is involved in policy dialogue following up on conferences they organized on the Recommendations of the Commission for Africa and on Ecosystem’s Approach to Human Health.
  • LEAD Côte d’Ivoire has planned a series of conferences on Reconciliation and Peace Building.
  • LEAD Niger is implementing a project on poverty alleviation
  • LEAD Tunisia Fellows actively participated at the World Summit on Information Society in Tunis, Nov 2005
  • LEAD Chad Association has been awarded a grant by the Academy For Educational Development for a three year project that aims to facilitate access to school for poor families. The pilot project is focusing on more than 2300 girls of the elementary education in 34 schools in rural areas around Djamena.