Sudan Development Foundation (SUDEF)
was founded and developed by members of the Sudanese diaspora as a way to provide opportunities for the people of Southern Sudan to bring positive change to their lives and help shape the future of their country. SUDEF's approach fosters a culture of self-reliance, innovation, promotes creativity, stimulates entrepreneurial ideas and creates sustainability through continued resource and knowledge sharing. Our programs and services enable communities to achieve these objectives and address a multitude of issues that have caused dependence, poverty and instability.
SUDEF believes that development should be a process which provides opportunities for individuals and communities to enhance their well-being and positively influence decisions that affect their daily lives. Our goal is to support community development through capacity building, which supports communities that look inward for solutions to the serious problems facing them and removes obstacles that force people into poverty.
Participatory development is the model that we believe leads to sustainable development. This model allows men and women to map out community problems and seek solutions within the community through brainstorming sessions. Capacity building creates an environment in which individuals and communities identify problems, propose solutions and mobilize local resources toward local initiatives. Our approach cultivates a culture of self-reliance, innovation, promotes creativity, stimulates entrepreneurial ideas and creates sustainability through continued resource and knowledge sharing. Our programs and services enable communities to achieve these objectives.
Our Community Centers provide the necessary opportunities for the people of Southern Sudan to create positive change and shape the future of their country. It allows communities to create an environment that grows peace and prosperity and puts an end to decades of war, poverty and dependence.
SUDEF's affiliated with Global Reach Partnerships which is responsible for providing the necessary skills and leadership training needed to facilitate our programs within Southern Sudan. Global Reach Partnerships works with Champlain College and leaders within the business community of Burlington, Vermont to provide members of Sudanese diaspora training in community development, micro-finance, budget planning, agricultural services, and general business skills and computing. Sudanese diaspora members here in Vermont work directly with staff and students of Champlain College and with mentors within the business community to further advance their skills in these specific areas in preparation for their work as facilitators of SUDEF's Community Centers in Southern Sudan.
SUDEF's technical and vocational training program is based on the World Bank model that suggest skills acquisition is vital for an economy to compete and grow, particularly in an era of economic integration and technological change. SUDEF believes that for rural communities in Southern Sudan to resettle and rebuilt they need access to skills and training. Our Community Resource Centers offer the following vocational and technical training programs:
Building and Construction: such as masonry and carpentry along with basic plumbing and electrical training.
Electronics - Computing - Media-Communications: hands on experience in small electronics, solar generators, and computer skills and media communications focused primarily on radio and cellular phone technology.
Community Health Training: community outreach, basic first aid and health and wellness education
Mechanical Training: training in repair and maintenance of small machinery and basic automotive repair
Agricultural Training: Our goal is to help communities increase food production. Training in crop rotation, new crops and crop diversity and improved techniques for irrigation and enhancing crop yield.
Small manufacturing: courses in value-added products, soap making, garments and other small scale light manufacturing.
MICRO-ENTERPRISE TRAINING
SUDEF believes that one of the important measurements of our success in creating viable and self-reliant communities in Southern Sudan is how quickly we can do it. Southern Sudan needs to ramp up its development capacity very quickly. Our Community Resource Centers will offer basic business management skills. The program will also guide clients to develop reasonable business plans. A successful business plan will qualify entrepreneurs for micro-loans through our micro-finance program.
Financial Management - this program will highlight the monetary and intrinsic values of the micro-credit loan program and how to monitor and balance cash flows. In its most basic form the client will be better able to understand how the banking system works, its incentives and the best practices associated with financial management.
Business Management - this outlines the basic components of running a business, including staffing, problem solving, planning and budgeting.
Marketing and Skills - this program addresses the need to market and promote ones business or trade within a local market focusing on how to attract customers. Skills development, fees for services and product pricing are also addressed in this course.
