Impact

Our model of impact

We believe in the power and potential of young people to create solutions to some of the most pressing challenges of our time. Driven by this belief, we empower young people with the skills and tools to create positive change towards more accountable, open, inclusive institutions and public services.

CERC’s model of impact is not a traditional charity model:

• We forge powerful partnerships with young people, communities, civil society organisations and donors.
• We advocate unlocking financing and political will at the highest level, while innovating to deliver and scale up inclusive solutions focused on the most marginalised.

Combined, this model has led to a strong track record of delivering impact.

Results delivered on the ground

In Kinshasa and South Kivu, we deliver pioneering solutions and scale the most effective initiatives to promote accountability in public services. Some examples:

• We established 204 Integrity Clubs in South Kivu and Kinshasa and directly trained 3,060 school children (ages 14–19) to monitor education services in their schools and advocate with those in power to improve deficient services and infrastructure.
• 396 schoolgirls and 44 students at risk of exclusion were empowered to be monitors, confidently voice their schools’ concerns and needs, and influence decisions.
• We trained 278 teachers and 138 principals from 150 secondary schools in South Kivu and Kinshasa to combat inefficiency and corruption in education services.
• Student-led advocacy helped fix 33% of the problems identified, including inadequate classrooms and toilets, lack of water at school and school infrastructure in poor condition.
• In recognition of the project’s impact, education officials have agreed that Integrity Clubs will be rolled out across South Kivu.

Making large-scale change

Scaling up Integrity Clubs to a new province

In 2021, CERC secured US$858,942 to maintain 50 existing Integrity Clubs in South Kivu and set up 100 new Integrity Clubs in Kinshasa. The initiative empowers 2,250 students (aged 14–19) to monitor the reforms of the DRC Education and Training Sector Strategy 2016–2025 in 6 municipalities of South Kivu and 6 of Kinshasa, so that students – especially girls – receive accountable, inclusive and equitable quality education.

Next step: working closely with 10 parliamentarians, 50 senior education officials and 6 NGOs to embed anti-corruption and transparency protocols in the education sector.

Consulting senior education officials

In June and July 2021, CERC conducted in-depth assessments and studies on corruption and lack of accountability in the DRC education sector with 54 senior Ministry of Education officials and 19 anti-corruption practitioners and experts, leaders of civil society organisations, teachers’ unions and faith-based associations.

The work in Kinshasa and South Kivu included four consultative workshops, baseline surveys in 41 secondary schools and a review of existing studies on corruption, accountability and youth participation. Its findings were used to produce a baseline strategy to shape policy change and stimulate debate on corruption and accountability in education.

CERC at the Anti-Corruption States-General

In October 2021, CERC took part in the Anti-Corruption States-General held by the Ministry of Justice under the “Projet d’Appui à la lutte contre la corruption en République démocratique du Congo”. The meetings aimed to make a complete diagnosis of corruption and anti-corruption initiatives, build consensus on priority actions and reforms for a significant and lasting reduction of corruption in the DRC, and define how the recommendations would be implemented and followed up.

Invited as an expert, CERC addressed corruption prevention, integrity education and the use of technology to promote transparency and accountability in public service delivery.