04 September 1998

Bonn, Germany: Eusebio Muloshi, a UNV Institution Building Specialist from Zambia, is completing his four-year assignment in Gambia under the National Poverty Alleviation Programme (NPAP) attached to the Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (TANGO). Mr. Muloshi provides TANGO and its more than 60 members with technical advise in a wide range of areas of institutional enhancement such as policy design and evaluation, advocacy, fundraising, and the development of information systems and technology. As his assignment nears its end, Mr. Muloshi spoke to Diana Pérez-Buck /UNV News to review his experiences in the field.

UNV News: Mr. Muloshi, what role does TANGO play in The Gambia?

Eusebio Muloshi: TANGO is Gambia's network for national and international NGOs. Its role is to co-ordinate the activities of its member organisations so as to most effectively utilise the resources mobilised by them for social development and avoid unnecessary duplication. At the same time, TANGO is meant to serve as a forum, an opportunity for member NGOs to meet and discuss issues of mutual interest, to share experiences, to strategize together, to find the best approach with which to address field challenges.

UNV News: What were your objectives as an Institution Building Specialist in relationship to TANGO?

Eusebio Muloshi: My main goals were to help consolidate TANGO's position as a representative, dynamic and credible NGO consortium in Gambia and to provide the necessary support and technical advise to help the NGOs operate in an effective, relevant, sustainable and participatory way. I wanted to help TANGO increase its financial independence and grow and remain institutionally healthy. Another of my goals was to reinforce the relationship between TANGO and the government and other stakeholders of the Gambia.

UNV News: How did your work with TANGO develop to reach those objectives?

Eusebio Muloshi: I spent a week working with each TANGO member on an individual basis to address specific needs. In general terms, I sough to educate all members in policy and social advocacy and helped consolidate an internal "learning co-operative" to improve intra-TANGO communication. For example, bi-monthly "Task Forces" are meant to bring together NGOs whose work is in common areas such as health and education, credit programs or the environment. I also worked on strengthening TANGO-government ties. I made sure that meetings between the NGOs and state officials took place in the context of four components: sustainable livelihood, rural water supply, food security and functional literacy. This way both parties share the latest developments and discuss how to move ahead.

UNV News: What do you see as your best achievement?

Eusebio Muloshi: The fact that TANGO members are operating with better organisational and communication skills. On a general scale, one of our best achievements is also that TANGO's input is increasingly being incorporated by the government into official policy design and implementation.