Community Empowerment for Rural Development (CEFORD)

Community Empowerment for Rural Development (CEFORD) is a non-profit and an indigenous NGO registered as a Limited Liability (by Guarantee) under Registrar of Companies – in year 2000; and also registered in November 2000 with Uganda Non-Governmental Organizations Board as S.5914/3432 according to the NGOs Statute of 1989.

The history of CEFORD dates back to 1993 when the Uganda government with financial and technical support from the Netherlands government implemented Community Action Programme (CAP) and later Women Empowerment Programme (WEP) in the West Nile region. Both Programmes were considered a success by the communities and District Local governments of West Nile, external evaluators and Royal Netherlands Embassy in Uganda.

Their focus was on community mobilisation and capacity building through service delivery and implementation of micro-projects. CAP concentrated on supply of social infrastructure services and implementation of agricultural projects, while WEP concentrated on empowerment of women and the strengthening of their capacities to participate in the development process.