FORGE Program
Encyclopedia
FORGE is a United States based nonprofit organization that works with displaced
communities in Africa. FORGE was founded by Stanford University
graduate Kjerstin Erickson at the age of 20 in 2003. Since its founding, FORGE has implemented over sixty community development projects that have served more than 70,000 refugee
s in four refugee camp
s in Zambia
and Botswana
. An official Operating Partner of the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), FORGE works in Zambia, hand-in-hand with refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola
, Rwanda
, Burundi
and Sudan
.
, Economic Development
, Health Education
, Women’s Empowerment
and Community Enrichment
.
Recently, FORGE has launched a new program called the Collaborative Project Planning Process (CPPP). Believing that the most effective, relevant and sustainable development projects come from the insights and vision of the refugee community itself, FORGE launched the CPPP to provide refugees with the resources that are unreachable to them when building education and enrichment projects for their communities.
To begin the CPPP, FORGE first recruits potential refugee leaders who are especially capable of spearheading
development initiatives in the refugee camps. The CPPP then goes through the Stages I, II and III. The preparation work is all done by the refugee leaders and the role of the FORGE staff member is to give advice to the refugee leaders when necessary. After all four stages of the CPPP are complete, the projects designed by the refugee leaders will begin and they are to run the projects for at least a year. The funding for new projects is coordinated by FORGE headquarters in the United States and is managed by a FORGE field staff member who serves as a facilitator and an adviser of the refugee leaders as well as a bridge of communication between the refugee camps and the US office.
Fundraising
for new projects is basically the responsibility of the US office, although most international staff based in Zambia, including project managers, are required to raise a minimum of $5,000 to offset the costs of their monthly stipends. The fundraising for the Collaborative Projects happen between stage 2 and stage 3. There are currently three projects underway in this collaborative approach. They are the Block H Reliable Seed & Market Program, Mwangaza Education Centers and FORGE Health Service. These projects are now going through stage two and heading towards stage three.
s.
FORGE has been working closely with the refugees in three refugee camps in Zambia: Meheba, Kala and Mwange. As peace was proclaimed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
, the Congolese refugees in Kala and Mwange camps were beginning to repatriate under UNHCR's assistance. In light of this, FORGE is now planning to expand its work to the Congo in the coming years. FORGE aims to continue to support and help the former refugees to rebuild their lives in their home country of Congo by providing education, training and counseling until the people genuinely feel safe living in their homeland and have confidence to rebuild their communities on their own. As of December 2009, FORGE no longer operates in Kala and Mwange refugee camps.
Displaced person
A displaced person is a person who has been forced to leave his or her native place, a phenomenon known as forced migration.- Origin of term :...
communities in Africa. FORGE was founded by Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
graduate Kjerstin Erickson at the age of 20 in 2003. Since its founding, FORGE has implemented over sixty community development projects that have served more than 70,000 refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s in four refugee camp
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
s in Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
and Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
. An official Operating Partner of the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), FORGE works in Zambia, hand-in-hand with refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, Burundi
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
and Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
.
FORGE’s Mission
FORGE aims to build upon the capacity of African refugees to cultivate empowered communities and to create the conditions for peace and prosperity in their countries. FORGE believes that individuals affected by war are a key factor to breaking the cycle of war and poverty in Africa. Instead of providing relief work for refugees, FORGE aims at providing education and training to refugees in order to empower them with greater economic and leadership capacity. There are five main project areas that FORGE is now working on: EducationEducation
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, Economic Development
Economic growth
In economics, economic growth is defined as the increasing capacity of the economy to satisfy the wants of goods and services of the members of society. Economic growth is enabled by increases in productivity, which lowers the inputs for a given amount of output. Lowered costs increase demand...
, Health Education
Health education
Health education is the profession of educating people about health. Areas within this profession encompass environmental health, physical health, social health, emotional health, intellectual health, and spiritual health...
, Women’s Empowerment
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
and Community Enrichment
Community development
Community development is a broad term applied to the practices and academic disciplines of civic leaders, activists, involved citizens and professionals to improve various aspects of local communities....
.
Recently, FORGE has launched a new program called the Collaborative Project Planning Process (CPPP). Believing that the most effective, relevant and sustainable development projects come from the insights and vision of the refugee community itself, FORGE launched the CPPP to provide refugees with the resources that are unreachable to them when building education and enrichment projects for their communities.
Collaborative Project Planning Process (CPPP)
The collaborative project is a partnership built between FORGE and refugee leaders in the refugee camps where FORGE currently works. The planning of the project involves the following four stages.- Stage I - Identification of needs: The refugee community identifies its top needs and priorities.
- Stage II – Assessment of needs: Selected community leaders research and evaluate these needs.
- Stage III – Project proposal: The best intervention point is selected and leaders submit a Project Proposal to FORGE’s website for funding.
- Stage IV – Funding and implementation: Once funded, the project is implemented, monitored and sustained by the community.
To begin the CPPP, FORGE first recruits potential refugee leaders who are especially capable of spearheading
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
development initiatives in the refugee camps. The CPPP then goes through the Stages I, II and III. The preparation work is all done by the refugee leaders and the role of the FORGE staff member is to give advice to the refugee leaders when necessary. After all four stages of the CPPP are complete, the projects designed by the refugee leaders will begin and they are to run the projects for at least a year. The funding for new projects is coordinated by FORGE headquarters in the United States and is managed by a FORGE field staff member who serves as a facilitator and an adviser of the refugee leaders as well as a bridge of communication between the refugee camps and the US office.
Fundraising
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
for new projects is basically the responsibility of the US office, although most international staff based in Zambia, including project managers, are required to raise a minimum of $5,000 to offset the costs of their monthly stipends. The fundraising for the Collaborative Projects happen between stage 2 and stage 3. There are currently three projects underway in this collaborative approach. They are the Block H Reliable Seed & Market Program, Mwangaza Education Centers and FORGE Health Service. These projects are now going through stage two and heading towards stage three.
FORGE’s Development and Future
Since its establishment, FORGE has worked in four refugee camps in Botswana and Zambia in central Africa. As the refugee camp in Botswana was beginning to decrease in size and the refugees were repatriating, FORGE started to retreat from the area and focus its work in Zambia where a large number of refugees have come from the countries surrounding Zambia due to civil warCivil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
s.
FORGE has been working closely with the refugees in three refugee camps in Zambia: Meheba, Kala and Mwange. As peace was proclaimed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
, the Congolese refugees in Kala and Mwange camps were beginning to repatriate under UNHCR's assistance. In light of this, FORGE is now planning to expand its work to the Congo in the coming years. FORGE aims to continue to support and help the former refugees to rebuild their lives in their home country of Congo by providing education, training and counseling until the people genuinely feel safe living in their homeland and have confidence to rebuild their communities on their own. As of December 2009, FORGE no longer operates in Kala and Mwange refugee camps.