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Project Record
African Community Access Programme (AFCAP)
Programme Goal: Sustained economic development, poverty reduction and improved livelihoods of the rural poor through more effective, efficient and equitable access to socio-economic opportunities (employment, healthcare, education, etc.).
Programme Purpose: To create sustainable access for rural communities to external opportunities and services (including health, education, employment, markets and social and political networks).
Background:
AFCAP funds applied research to rural access problems, communicates the research outcomes to stakeholders, and supports the mainstreaming of the research results into practice. A six-month inception phase was completed in December; projects are now in operation or in planning in several sub-Saharan African countries.Intended Outputs:
- Best practice on Rural Roads Technology mainstreamed in Africa
- Evidence of impact of appropriate rural road technology disseminated
- Sustainable ownership mechanisms for construction and maintenance of local road systems
- Knowledge and research capacity in Africa improved and key knowledge disseminated and adopted
- Status of improving access to basic infrastructure for poor in Africa reviewed and further developed
Progress and Impact:
AFCAP has made substantial progress in establishing a robust research programme for the rural transport sector in Africa. National co-ordinators have been appointed in Mozambique, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi and Kenya, national steering groups have been identified, initial projects have been developed, and contractors for these projects are being procured.
Discussed with International Institute of Water and Environment Engineering of Ouagadougou University possible development of a short course for rural road engineering. There is potential to collaborate with KNUST in Ghana and the opportunity to offer course material across the French West African region.
Letters of Agreement have now been secured with the governments of Mozambique, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi and Kenya. AFCAP is supporting study tours for the Ethiopian Road Authority and a strategic planning workshop in Tanzania.
General Notes:
Project funding of £7,500,000 includes management contract