Development Education Centre (DEC) was established in March
1988 by a group of concerned individuals through the facilitation
of Cecilia U. Asogwa. The vision of forming the organisation
is, “helping women to help themselves”, starting
with those resident in the rural areas.
The organisation was officially registered on the October
28th 1991, with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Abuja,
under the land (perpetual succession) Act Cap. 98 with the
Certificate of Incorporation number 6282.
DEC is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation. It is
ecumenical in nature and is affiliated to the Association
of Christian Lay Centres in Africa (ACLCA), a member of the
Collaboration Committee of World Lay Centres and Movements
of Social Concern in the World Council of Churches in Geneva,
Switzerland.
DEC is currently one of the leading NGOs and a model as far
as women education, empowerment and microcredit is concerned
in the South-East geographical zone of Nigeria, with branch
offices in most of the towns in the zone, where it has women
self help groups numbering 500.
Objectives
DEC has as its headquarters, a magnificent edifice situated
at number 3-5 DEC Avenue, Independence layout, Enugu. The
headquarter building, houses the administrative block, conference
facility, banking hall, residential facility that can take
up to a hundred guests at a time, and a conference hall capable
of sitting 300 persons at a time.
The principal aims of DEC on inception include helping women
to help themselves towards self-reliance, bring about social
justice, peace and development. To stimulate women in rural
areas, as well as the urban poor to act for positive change
in their situations through self help initiatives.
To initiate, encourage and strengthen leadership in her self
help groups though capacity building programmes.
To organize skills acquisition programme among the rural women
and out-of-school female youths, to enable them to be gainfully
employed. DEC aims to educate and infuse in the rural and
urban poor women and youths, the spirit of co-operation so
that they can appreciate the need to pull their resources
together in order to undertake joint ventures.
To professionalize our micro-finance and financial programme
using best practice approach to help the rural as well as
the urban poor residents. To promote qualitative and efficient
Community Health Programmes to tackle the issue of HIV/AIDS,
immunization, maternal health care, etc.
Beneficiaries of DEC Programme
Beneficiaries are mostly rural and urban poor women and
their families who because of their status may not be able
to benefit from government programmes and other schemes from
government programmes and other schemes from formal financial
institutions. Also included are out of school female youths
who are taught various skills and trades to make them self
employed or employable.
Operational Structure
DEC Enugu as a matter of policy operates under two departments.
(a) Financial Services Department
(b) Social Services Department
A. DEC’s FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT
This department includes microcredit provision to clients,
mobilization of savings and deposits of members and non-members,
drug revolving loans to community health workers, equipment
loan for the establishment of micro enterprises; poultry,
goatery, piggery, cottage industries and associated ventures.
B. DEC’s SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT
This is one of the two departments existing in DEC. Just as
in the financial services department, there are several units
under this department. Some of the programmes being run by
DEC under the social services department include:
1. Adult and functional literacy
This sub department has two sub departments: (1) Adult literacy
(2) Skills acquisition.
The Skills Acquisition sub department has the following sub
units:
(a) Fashion/Textile designing
(b) Auxiliary Nurse assistant
(c) Typing/Computer literacy
2. Community health programme
This programme is designed for all communities where DEC is
operating. During the first year of joining DEC programme,
groups are encouraged to select a capable person to be trained
by the centre as their community health worker. This training
is for 21 days. Areas of intervention and focus are personal
and environmental hygiene, expanded programme on immunization,
family planning, women’s reproductive right, HIV/AIDS
and STD. their responsibility is to carry on an intensive
campaign in their villages on these health issues in order
to bring about change.
3. Capacity building
The unit in charge of this programme is responsible for the
training and strengthening of officers and members of DEC
assisted groups and affiliates, as well as members of staff.
It involves organizing workshops and seminars, during which
resource persons drawn from within and outside DEC are invited
to facilitate relevant topics.
4. Micro enterprises and food processing equipment.
This unit has as its responsibility, the task of assisting
beneficiaries of DEC loan and ensuring that such loans are
well utilized, especially in setting up small-scale enterprises.
The job here also entails constant monitoring and evaluation
of beneficiaries and their activities.
5. Community sensitization and advocacy
This unit is basically charged with the responsibility of
sensitization of the rural dwellers to be aware of basic women’s
human rights, women’s participation in decision making,
conflict resolution, peace building, community development
and gender equity and fairness. This unit is responsible for
bringing about social changes that take place in the communities
using pressure groups to demand for social justice, denial
of human rights etc.
6. Community development
DEC group members are encouraged to mobilize resources both
internally and externally for community development.
