PROMOTING THE SPIRIT OF VOLUNTEERISM

A








PROJECT PROPOSAL







OF







COMMUNITY SERVICE ORGANISATION (CSO)






CONTACT: DISHMA INC.
P.O. BOX 8885, KAMPALA-UGANDA
TEL. +256774336277
WWW.SITUATIONHEALTHANALYSIS.BLOG.BLOGSPOT.COM
IMHS_UG@YAHOO.COM




© 2009


Background Information:
The Community Service Organization (CSO) is an international volunteer organization masterminded by Dishma Inc. on 10th September 2009 to support career development concerns of fresh graduates.

Job competence and employability is becoming very challenging in recent years. Tens of thousands graduates every year expecting to find jobs at the end of the day. Unfortunately, not all can be accommodated in corporate firms and organizations because of the overwhelming numbers.

It is rather the more productive patience (time) that one must observe in order to appear meritious in the face of employers. It can be so through actions like volunteering, internship and/or job-training/hand-on training.

Besides, even those chanced to have got accommodated immediately must have had a superior supporting hand by the side. In many cases, they either own property, there was technical know who at play or have had to buy professional position for millions of shillings.

For the unprivileged, it would take more than just school accomplishments to be more genuine to employers. They must have relevant skills and experience to attract employment firms. Those who fail and insist at trying their everyday luck by submitting several applications could be met with a lot of frustrations and other psychological problems.

To excel in ones pursuit for success in his or her aspirations, one must be organized; plan and complete one career step one at a time until the time he or she would have the needed weight to compete favorable for a set job vacancy.

Dishma Inc. suggests three basic stages, which are; 1) practicing of required hobbies, and skills -like reading, attending parties, social/interpersonal, leadership, computer skills, problem solving/conflict resolution, presentation skills etc -respectively; 2) apply for a volunteering or internship opportunities for one to two years and excel at them when given the opportunity; 3) Then, confidently apply for a job in line with the experience obtained from the volunteering or internship opportunities.

The Dishma Inc. now presents itself to fill the support gap in the earliest career advances of providing fresh graduates with opportunities to intern and volunteer, a platform with which to interact and talk with employers and necessary support information, not withstanding the numerous opportunities CSO could have for excelled volunteers.

Needs Statement:
Increased graduate unemployment has caused a lot of tension within individual graduates and with family and social attaches. As a result,so many resort to criminal activity to make ends meet, while others drown into alcohol and other drugs, suffer from depression, relationship set-backs and at times serious mental health problems.

A detailed systematic program is therefore needed to find a right and dignifying place for fresh graduates as well as people with real desire to extend an helping hand miles away to those in need, who may be; individuals, corporate firms, judicial subsystems (like the police imnates and prisoners) -for the ultimate community benefit and from the right policies and decisions made.

Vision:
To have graduates with the right attitude, who can best compete for jobs or any form of licensing for a dignified living, and rightful management-decision and policy-making, while very hopeful for future prosperity for all.

Mission:
To transform unemployed graduates into competent and employable candidates so that they can have a “troubling” edge to employers -in as far as selection at organization entry is concerned -for the vast knowledge, skills and experience of their applicability. And at the same time ensurring effective resources planning and management for the ultimate community benefit.


Goal:
To ensure that the increased number of graduates attain some form of employment for self fulfillment at person and social level, as decision-makers make right-ful policies that benefit the community as a whole, rather than selfish motives: for individuals and their families.

Specific Objectives:
To promote the continued practice of soft skills and special talents so that graduates can have wider options to market, form a product sense, and subsequently provide them with some form of employment.
To provide a platform to fresh graduates with which to transform their academic mindset into real world applicability and the necessary experience of doing so.
To support continued ambitions of ex-CSO volunteers towards happier fulfillment's in life through accessing them a data back of organizations and companies advertising settable jobs.
To carry out communicable research on career development and employability so that the ever emerging challenges in the employment industry are comfortably overcome.
Advocate and promote community-based interventions that entirely focuses on social development, moreover; participatory.

Activities:
Carry out career training workshops of its volunteers that is orientations meant to stimulate new learning and practice of knowledge by fresh graduates
Do career guidance and counseling to reduce frustrations and other psychological symptoms that may have resulted from false hopes of modern education sometimes portrays
Deploy prepared and ready-for-field volunteers for a period of real life job experience where they will expected to make results of their tested knowledge and skills with community challenge successfully
Offer ex-CSO services as recruitment exercises for excelled ex-CSO volunteers into CSO and Dishma affiliated development organizations and projects -a product of the numerous carried out with key employers and agreements

Target Areas:
Local and International graduates
Research students

Programmes to be Addressed:
Career development and competitiveness program
Child care and family support program
Adult education program
Elderly care and support program
Special needs and vulnerable groups support program
Psycho-social and community-based intervention program
Primary health care and rehabilitation program
Disabled-persons support program
Human development and ecological security research and advocacy program

Partners:
Institutions or higher learning
Parents and guardians
Organizations and corporate firms
Recruitment firms
Government departments
Local community leadership
Communities and field associates

Values:
Partnership -through which share experience, expertise along side what our best professionalism
Sustained impact – from the efforts, prioritized approach of our resources dispensation
Teamwork -through which knowledge and skills up are filled
Will power -as the basis of production and results
Research and publications -as the best way through which knowledge gap is filled, break through made and for continuity
Mutual respect -in every organization endeavors
Equity in out-look and assessment in organization decision-making
Love that lasts for ever

Projected output:
Acquisition by CSO of skills and knowledge relevant for career development
Ability to make informed decision over what CSO volunteers are happy becoming as perfect careers
Identify potential yet rewarding talents and careers for CSO volunteers
Attainment of relevant experience in CSO volunteers selected disciplines for effect field practice
Numerous publications on career development obtained in hardcopy and soft copy or online
An updated database for ex-CSO volunteers and that of allied corporate employers
Replaceable community impact

Indicators of success:
Reduced graduate unemployment
Reduced number of graduates involved in drug use
Excellent corporate and international image
Increased number of alumni in the employment setting

Management Structure:
Board of governors(5)
Executive Director (1)
Programme Managers (8)
Administrative Assistant (1)
Office Assistants (3)

Sources of Income:
CSO investments
Volunteer contribution
Member subscription

Expected Challenges to Come:
Common societal resistance common when new community programmes come into existence, however, using numerous change management techniques in which most of its members have training in, CSO would succeed. Otherwise the idea has been tested globally and found to apply in addressing career development challenges. Dishma Inc has the greatest confidence that the program will succeed without any significant challenges.

Monitoring and Evaluation:
Through monthly staff and volunteer monthly reports CSO shall be able to streamline its operations. Research tools like structured interviews, checklists, focused group interviews, key informants, and confidential work experience for volunteers. This shall work for both baseline and endline surveys.

Budget Estimates:
Item Cost
Rent..................................................................................£2,400 p.a.
Office Equipment............................................... ......................£1,200
Administration........................................................................£3,000p.a.
Transport vehicle and fuel...................................................... £4,000
Volunteer support.....................................................................£2,200p.a.
-Food
-Accommodation
-Training
-Monitoring and evaluation
Simultaneous..........................................................................£1,000p.a
Total cost............................................................................£12800pa