EXPLORATORY VISIT TO LUANDA, ANGOLA 20^TH – 24^TH MARCH 2005 BY NAMIBIANS  (draft)

 

Anna Muller from NHAG, Edith Mbanga and Sylvia Nambahu from the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia visited Angola during 20^th and 24^th March 05.  This visit was facilitated by IBIS, (Namibian and Angolan) offices. 

 

On Sunday, the day of arrival our first introduction to life in Angola came through informal discussion with Anneke Mulder, from Cordaid, where we learned about the reluctance of government to accept outsider organizations working in the country.  Luanda is like an island of information and sharing while the outlying provinces receive little information.  Radio Iglisias, from the Catholic Church are the only non government media and is not allowed to broadcast in the provinces.  People are displaced and are fed up after 30 years of war.  They are not used to speak up and now have no way of expressing their opinions.  Children are without education.

 

MONDAY 21^ST MARCH

 

Meeting with Tina Abreu (IBIS)

In the morning we briefly met with Tina Abreu from IBIS who is also busy with her PhD on civil society.   She discussed with us the unfamiliar concept of the meaning of civil society in a country where a rich government three years after the war is slow to bring the development to the people, while it is common knowledge that the money from diamonds and oil  stay in the hands of a very small minority. 

 

Our discussions further with Tina in the afternoon continued and after theorizing a bit about the meaning of civil society (we just know how to do this we have not yet academized our practices enough) she expresses her concern are about outsiders bringing development strategies for the Angolans and how the Angolans do not internalize these approaches.  (something we all can relate to and have to be careful of not becoming ourselves).  For instance the Luanda Urban Poverty Programme,  a DFID supported program, with its English name, is not even known by the government officials and the local people do not understand the words. 

The lack of the government’s response to development needs in the country is emphasized again - no rehabilitation for the disabled, no visible improvements to infra structure and communication, continue creations of diversity between the people.

 

 

Luis Arauja and Pinto from SOS Habitat:

A meeting was scheduled with Luis Arauja and Pinto from SOS Habitat, an Angolan NGO.

Luckily we brought Meme Silvia with us, a member from Oshakati who lived for many years in Luanda – so the translations from Portuguese were possible.  Edith explained how they, as the poor communities have organized themselves in Namibia. 

Luis explained that SOS habitat work closely with community to raise awareness about their rights -  teaching the people that as Angolans’ they have the right to land.   The people working in the office are from the community.  They started to work with one community fighting against evictions.  There are 9 communities who they had contact with and on 26^th March they want to establish a Movement para Citidenius (Citizenship).  The government does not recognize the plight of the poor and evictions took place during last year and court actions are not an option.   They have managed to stop the evictions because the government has to go for elections next year.

He is very keen to organize for us to meet with people from the community on  Wednesday.   They are experiencing problems securing support from funding agencies since their work is seen as working against the government.  He is also keen to work together with other organizations in the regions, and would like to visit Namibia. 

Focusing on rights issues he has reservations of more pragmatic approaches because of the government disinterest in development. 

 

 

The Namibian discussed amongst ourselves a lot about opportunities of activities (of cause based on known Federation rituals) to strengthen the poor in Angola -  there must  be a lot of initiatives that communities can take to improve their lives even in the absence of government support. Especially by people who managed to survive a 30 year war?  Sharing and exchanging amongst people can also facilitate the rebuilding of a civil society.  And did we not start in most of our SDI countries without the support of our governments? 

 

TUESDAY,  22 MARCH 2005

 

Meeting with CARE International

After struggling through enormous pothole roads – and traffic congestions we met partners of the Luanda Urban Poverty Programs in CARE International’s office

 

We met Natalia, Antonio and Hilga  from CARE  and started to discuss community based programs.   They are involved in organizing communities around credit and savings, following a micro finance approach,  as part of the LUPP program, and were very enthusiastic about community processes. 

The people in the Angolan open markets already started doing merry-go-round savings and Care started having discussions around the difficulties they were facing.  They started of with saving schemes with bigger groups, but later divided them.  They are also trying to include all the people not only those with established businesses.   There are banks in Angola that will provide credit for women.  Some of these were suppose to attend the meeting.

 

We were later joined by Bai Kagudi and Domingo Shilombo from RASME (a network of micro finance service providers).  Although they were prepared to give slide presentations, while expecting some banking officials to attend the meeting, they did not arrive and the informal discussions continued.

 

The first power point slide on the wall showed the following:

Building a culture of public community engagement

Towards good governance through participatory planning

 

Natalia asked how we do this in Namibia and Edith explain how they as poor people, came together to look after their own needs, and not going empty handed to the government.  Even those without income can be assisted

 

Care forms part of LUPP with the following role:

• Facilitate Micro Finance from banks to saving groups
• Help skills on business also on exchange programs
• 125 groups  (741 households) organized to access credit
• they also facilitate Business Development Services

 

WEDNESDAY 23 March 05

 

Meetings with communities in Cambamba with SOS Habitat

While waiting at SOS for a 4x4 vehicle,  better able to cope with the potholed roads of the barrios, three men arrived and shared their story with us.  They were put in jail, as a “Big Man”  from the polit buro locked them up.  Their gardens were destroyed and their land taken over.  Because of the power of this man they could not get any justice.  The land was traditionally where their fathers practice agriculture.  The “Big Man” started negotiations for half the land, promising them employment and was going to pay 5,000 per month.  Then he start working the land and when they went the security contact the police to put them in jail.  The man never paid a single cent. 

 

A staff member from SOS Habitat explained to us that many houses were destroyed during the evictions.  IN the two places we are going to visit in Cambamba 340 houses were destroyed leaving more than 1,000 people without their homes.   The government is planning to do a project – but they do not know what kind of project.

SOS habitat 2 years old Stop evictions try to unite community

 

Cambamba 1 and 2:  amongst the evicted

During our visits to the community in two settlements in Cambamba (1 and 2) the community quickly gathered under the meeting trees amongst the ruins of their destroyed brick houses.  The settlements are on the outskirts of Luanda and is more rural in character.   They are in the vicinities of one of the sophisticated “compound” developments with multi-story apartment buildings enclosed with a high wall, where foreign people live (in this case we were informed it was for the South Africans and Chinese).  They explained to us how their houses were destroyed, while they were living on the forefathers land (traditionally belonging to the people who work the land).  The original owners started to give permissions for their family to stay there.   Seven months ago the police came to destroy their brick houses.  Now they are living in corrugated iron shacks and some are busy to build again.   The schools are very far and some members work, while the women sell at the markets. (There were more then 20 young men at the in the middle day who one can assume has not employment) There is no water in the settlement and they buy water for 200 kwanzas (US$2.30) for a 20  liter can . They started to dig to lay water pipes, but did not have enough money to finish the work.

After explaining about the saving groups in Namibia, and how the poor people get strength form their savings, one member from the first community was very skeptical.  Previous savings disappeared with the person who had the money, and there are people with no money.  But they and the government do not want to listen to them, even though they went often.  They  have no trust in their government. 

 

At Cambamba 2  we got a bit nervous (with all the stories of people just being arrested) with the soldiers protecting the water installation on top of the hill coming closer to listen to the meeting.  Edith was just explaining that poor people do not have to sit and do nothing, they can also plan to improve their own lives.

The group is planning to do their own layout and expect assistance from SOS Habitat.  They also want to construct a big tank for water where they can buy their own water. 

The one woman was disappointed with the police bending her corrugated iron when destroying her house.  When she asked where she live now, she replied that she straightened the corrugated iron and build a house again.  One of the elder women in the group complained that things have not changed.  “We suffered during the war from UNITA when we stay overnight in the city, since we could not make fires to cook food, and now we suffered from our own government.  They even destroyed our garden.”

The people are concerned about saving money in the bank, since they are afraid that the money will loose value through high inflations.  (Although inflation rates have stabilized after the war)

Democracy for them in Angola is just in the mouth, and their President does not want to talk to the people.  They have heard in Namibia that Sam Nujoma talks to the people of the country.

 

Development Workshop

Unfortunately we did not manage to meet Alan Cain, the director, but we met Carlo and Willie from the Development Workshop (websit address www.dw.ongonet.org).  This NGO with international links have been working since 1981 in Angola and is involved in development projects in the community.  These include  improving local technology; micro finance projects;  a cultural programme with 12 communities in the Huamba Province;  and water and sanitation programs in communities.  They assist communities to access embassy funds for their projects and give technical support.  They are planning a cultural exchange to Namibia’s Art Center and will also visit SDFN’s communities.

 

THURSDAY 24 MARCH

Social Fund (FAS)

ON Thursday our visit tot the settlement was delayed by an unusual  whole day rains.    While we were waiting at IBIS office for another 4x4 vehicle to navigate the roads (or had been roads) had to be organized to ensure that we can reach the settlements barrio, Tina explained to us the Social Fund operating in the country.  The fund receive donor funding and the board include members from the government, Unions NGOs and Professional bodies.  Organised communities can access the funds directly (no money is available for other NGOs) for physical infra-structure where the community have to contribute  20% of the costs. 

 

Visit to Barrio Suppa

It was already midday when we, with Hilda and Antonio from CARE Hilde and Antonio reach Barrio Suppa and met Mama Tresia.   Because of the rain no other people could attend the meeting (Similar to Namibia – everything comes to a standstill during the rain) She is part of a group with disabilities who received social security money which were stopped and they were left destitute.  With the support of CARE, they started a saving group which have now 7 members.  Five of them received assistance to build their own houses with government funds which was negotiated by CARE.   They are doing weekly savings with 50 kwandza at a time.  People are allowed to save less, but they are saving equal.  They have saved 7000 kwandzas.  They met other saving group members during conferences and trainings organized by CARE.

Mama Tresia was very interested in our way of operating.  Edith encourage her to visit other groups.   We propose that the Angolans should come and see what the Namibians are doing and that we organize an African exchange at the same time. 

The groups are saving

1. to borrow for the business needs from banks and to use the saving as guarantee
2. for helping each other
3.  by people with disability

 

After the meeting Hilde and Antonio also share with us there intentions to strengthen the communities, by formalizing them into a co-operative model to enable them to carry on with the work once the LUPP project ends by next year (2006). 

 

Conclusion: 

There are organized communities based on NGO supported project work in Angola.  These are focused on micro finance, project approaches and human rights issues.   The programs have similarities with the beginning years of NHAG, where the NGO tried to drive the process, used formalized methodology and mobilize the community.  That was before the changes to community driven programs, which the network (federation) develop and manage themselves. 

It is our opinion that the poor people of Angola should be exposed to the option of communities sharing experiences as a basis to initiate their own development.   Exchanges amongst communities for dialogue and practical development solutions should be encouraged, with the aim to establish networks. 

 

Angolan/African exchange to Namibia proposed:

We propose that SOS Habitat and Care International bring community members to Namibia to visit the communities and have discussion with NGO/Federation representatives from other Africa countries.  The proposed date for the exchange is the last half of June or beginning July 2005.