CRECCOM Participates in Localisation Bootcamp to Advance Locally Led Development

Local and international partners at the Localisation Bootcamp in Lilongwe.

This week in Lilongwe, CRECCOM is engaging in a significant dialogue on the future of development at the Localisation Bootcamp, organized by the Save the Children Malawi–Zimbabwe Cluster in partnership with Save the Children Norway.

This event has convened both local and international partners to explore practical approaches to shifting power, enhancing locally led initiatives, and fostering equitable partnerships that yield lasting benefits for children and communities.

CRECCOM Executive Director, Alinafe Ireen Chibwana is participating, highlighting the organisation’s dedication to development strategies that prioritize community involvement in decision-making and implementation.

During the discussions, she emphasized that localisation extends beyond policy discussions; it is a path to achieving sustainable impact by empowering local institutions to lead change in areas where they possess the greatest understanding.

Felix Lombe delivers opening remarks at the bootcamp.

In his opening remarks, Felix Lombe, Chief Executive Officer of the NGO Regulatory Authority, called for a unified approach among development stakeholders, stating that localisation should transcend the "local versus international" mindset and instead concentrate on collaborative efforts for national advancement.

Bhekimilo Khanye, Country Director of Save the Children Malawi, underscored the necessity of clearly defined roles, mutual accountability, and deliberate power-sharing to ensure that the localisation agenda results in tangible benefits for children.

For CRECCOM, the bootcamp serves as a vital forum for shaping a practical roadmap that encourages community ownership, enhances the institutional capacity of local organisations, and promotes partnership models grounded in trust, complementarity, and shared responsibility.

The discussions in Lilongwe are anticipated to influence future collaboration among development actors, ensuring that impact is driven closer to the people and sustained through systems and leadership rooted in local contexts.

Through its involvement, CRECCOM continues to affirm its belief that transformative and inclusive development is most effective when it is locally led, collectively supported, and informed by the voices and experiences of the communities it aims to serve.