Social Mobilization:

DTCE intends to implement its mandate by utilizing its core strengths and expertise in social mobilization, capacity building and generating, as well as supplying bottom up demand for local developmental initiatives of various types and obtain other citizen entitlements related to local participation and empowerment. ‘Community mobilization’ comprises an integral part of the DTCE program’s design. Awareness and information campaigns are carried out for mobilizing target communities to take ‘ownership’ of their rights and development needs. DTCE facilitates the creation and consolidation of social capital including CCBs through community mobilization, training and advocacy at the local level by engaging civil society organizations and government functionaries.

Local Capacity Building:

DTCE has developed cutting edge curriculum, training materials, master trainers, and partnerships with training organizations, which are updated and fine-tuned with the emerging needs for local training and capacity building. These customized training programs are conducted for various citizens’ engagement forums created and facilitated by DTCE, as well as other community organizations at grass roots level.  Emphasis is laid upon project proposals formulation based upon local needs assessment and Project Cycle Management (PCM). DTCE had been engaged with the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) for capacity building in planning and budgeting, CCBs and monitoring committees at district and tehsil level.

Seed Funding:

Citizens’ engagement and community empowerment is the missing link between anti-poverty and social inclusion activities. DTCE is attempting to bridge this gap by facilitating the access of common and marginalized people to participate in rights-based development opportunities. This latter focuses on the socially excluded groups of society, in particular the rural poor who constitute one-third of the people, religious minorities and women who number one-half of the Pakistani population. DTCE had been providing seed funding to community identified local development projects approved by the respective councils at district, tehsil and union level.

Special focus is given to members of socially excluded community based organizations, CCBs, CSOs, V&NCs and general citizens in terms of seed financing and capacity building to increase their levels of empowerment and participation.  Experience over the previous years indicates that the socially excluded members even though they have high demand for services and rights but due to their cultural and socio-economic status are unable to obtain and exercise their due rights.  These marginalized groups being the neediest yet most vulnerable, will be provided concerted amounts of DTCE support for locally identified development projects.