Community Development Environment Protection Society (CDEPS) is a community-based organization that was initially established by mid-income earners mainly for poverty eradication. Following its increasing success in its initial goal, the organization expanded its mandate in 2002 also to incorporate environmental factors. CDEPS was actively involved after the devastating effects of the 2004 Tsunami
that brought about protracted war and hardships, especially for the low-income earners. The organization has been at the forefront in advocating for women rights and empowerment to ensure their involvement in economic activities to reduce poverty. CDEPS has set up social structures such as self-help groups and village based association to empower the poor and create avenues for economic prosperity. The organization has put in place crucial civil society framework that will actively provide services to the poor that would otherwise be farfetched for these people. CDEPS has committed itself to improving the society by eradicating poverty and environmental preservation. Our Vision
An avenue for economic empowerment for parties to eradicate poverty. Ensure that everyone’s rights are respected by ensuring that their views are aired and heard. Our Mission
CDEPS makes it its responsibility to ensure that the world is a better place for everyone by ensuring poverty elimination and environmental preservation. Objectives
1. Create awareness among the participants on the importance environmental protection to the society and the effects of environmental pollution on the community.
2. Identify and exploit economic activities available to the community to ensure that the participants have sources of income hence elevating the standards of living and reducing the poverty levels.
3. Empower women, children, and other vulnerable groups in the community to prevent marginalization and abuse of these groups and hence ensuring that they are economically empowered for economic growth of the society.
4. Promote peace and harmony in the communities that will ensure smooth running of the society’s affairs and hence ensure steady and continuous economic growth hence poverty elimination.
5. To ensure that the communities maintain their cultures and social settings even as they strive to eliminate poverty and raise their standards of living. Staffing
CDEPS has a broad range of skilled staff that have been running the organization effectively and efficiently ever since its inception. The organization is committed to ensuring that it selects the most qualified individuals in each department to ensure that quality of services is maintained. Other posts are also occupied by skilled staffs who work tirelessly to ensure that obtain organization goals. The organization offers seminars and training programs for all our employees to ensure continuous improvement in the quality of services for our stakeholders. We also provide equal opportunities in our recruitment process to we get only the best and most qualified and always prefer to hire someone from the local community when limited skills are required for the job. Our organization could assemble and mobilize standby project staff within three working days if additional manpower is needed. Name list of standby area based mobilizers/ volunteers of our organization is attached with this document as Annex 1
In addition to our highly qualified staff, external outsourcing from experts is also done when needed. The experts’ opinion and contribution are utilized especially when formulating and implementing projects set by the organization. We make it our policy to ensure that we consult the right specialists before and during undertaking of projects to ensure efficiency and high quality. Our field mobilizers are well trained and experienced in handling project activities related to Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock, Water/ Sanitation and Technical services such as baseline surveys, Work supervision, Activity monitoring and project impact assessments. So far we have managed to complete successfully about 27 projects in the fields of; Education, Livelihood, peace-related mission, psychosocial counseling, water and sanitation and construction. These projects have had life-changing impacts on the lives of many individuals. In fact over 90,000 individuals have benefited both directly and indirectly ranging from vulnerable women, men youths and children. This is only a portion of what CDEPS seeks to achieve through help from donors and well-wishers of course. The said projects and programs have been achieved through funding from donors such as UNICEF, USAID, UNHCR, FAO, ILO, UMCOR, ASB, WFP, Code-aid and CHA-Batticaloa. With our ever increasing needs for more projects and programs, our financial needs are also growing. We are seeking to partner with other activists groups and humanitarian groups and hoping to receive more funding and support. Our dedication and spirit is our guiding principal even as we strive to make the world a better place.
