Community Development Centre - CDC

What Community Development Centre - CDC does

Community Development Centre (CDC) is a non-profit, nongovernmental "Community Concern Organization" founded in 2014 and headquartered in Juba, South Sudan, with a regional office in Arua, Uganda. CDC serves refugees, internally displaced persons, returnees, and host communities across the Uganda-South Sudan border region, with operations spanning refugee settlements including Rhino Camp, Omugo, Bidi-Bidi, and Imvepi in Uganda, and Yei and Lainya counties in South Sudan. The organization employs approximately 30 staff and implements a portfolio of community-centered programs rather than a unified software platform. Its core products and underlying technology include the Hagiga Wahid mobile SMS misinformation management system (paired with WikiRumours software) for verifying rumors in refugee settlements, MP3 speaker box and SD card audio content distribution to listener groups, VR for Peace (VR4Peace) immersive storytelling for conflict groups, and Jangala Big Box internet connectivity deployments at community centers. CDC also runs community media projects (Soot Semee, Hope Village), a community economic development model (RABITA), an environmental initiative converting plastic waste into bricks, and an audio learning program (RadioSchool).

The organization's business model is grant-funded: revenue is derived from project-based grants awarded by institutional donors and development agencies, including the Austrian Development Agency (lead funder of PAMANA and SPEED), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the International Development Research Centre, and the Australian and New Zealand governments. CDC operates predominantly as a consortium implementing partner (e.g., under Caritas Switzerland for PAMANA and SPEED) rather than as a lead agency on its largest grants. Programs are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries through direct field implementation, community ambassadors, listener groups, and local partnerships with NGOs such as AFARD, OFAO, Swisspeace, HCR UK, and Amplifying Voices UK. Go-to-market is community-led, with marketing and engagement conducted through the organization's website, social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flickr), community radio programming, and grassroots community networks.

Name

Community Development Centre - CDC

Legal name

Community Development Centre (CDC)

Website

https://cdc.ngo

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Community Development Centre (CDC) is a non-profit NGO that implements community-centered humanitarian, peacebuilding, and development programs for refugees, IDPs, and host communities across the Uganda-South Sudan border, using mobile SMS rumor-verification, audio media, VR storytelling, and field-based operations funded by institutional grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development & Humanitarian Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD)

Keywords

• Community development programs
• Peacebuilding services
• Humanitarian assistance
• Misinformation management
• Refugee support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Juba

HQ country

South Sudan

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Grants and Donor Funding: CDC operates primarily as a grant-funded organization, receiving project-based funding from institutional donors and development agencies to implement humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding programs. Revenue is project-based and tied to specific initiatives.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual and organizational donations supporting community development programs, volunteer initiatives, and general organizational operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Community Development Centre (CDC) is a nonprofit Community Concern NGO that designs and implements community-centered development, peacebuilding, and humanitarian programs for refugees, internally displaced persons, and conflict-affected populations in South Sudan and Uganda. Its core offerings include misinformation management (Hagiga Wahid), community-centered audio media (Soot Semee, Hope Village, RadioSchool), VR peacebuilding (VR for Peace), HDP Triple Nexus peacebuilding and natural resource management (PAMANA, SPEED), community economic development (RABITA), and environmental initiatives (Plastic Waste to Bricks). Programs are delivered free of charge through direct field implementation, consortium partnerships, and trained community ambassadors and listener groups.

Product overview

Community Development Centre (CDC) operates as a non-profit community concern NGO implementing multiple development programs rather than a unified software platform. The portfolio includes: Hagiga Wahid (mobile-based misinformation management), Soot Semee (community audio media), VR for Peace (virtual reality storytelling), PAMANA and SPEED (natural resource management and peacebuilding across Uganda-South Sudan border), Hope Village (community media in South Sudan), RABITA (community economic development), Plastic Waste to Bricks (environmental initiative), RadioSchool (audio education), and Jangala connectivity partnerships. These programs are independently operated with distinct funding sources and consortium partners, not sold as a commercial software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hagiga Wahid: A peace-building misinformation management technology project (SMS-based) aimed at countering harmful rumors in Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement, Northern Uganda. 'Hagiga Wahid' is Juba Arabic for 'One Truth.'
• Soot Semee
• VR4Peace
• PAMANA
• SPEED
• RABITA
• Hope Village
• RadioSchool

Products and services

• Hagiga Wahid Peace-building misinformation management technology project using a mobile-based SMS system to counter harmful rumors contributing to tensions and conflict in Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement, Northern Uganda. Community members report rumors via SMS, voice calls, or community ambassadors; the project team investigates and disseminates verified facts.
• Soot Semee Community-centered media project supporting psychosocial healing, positive behavior change, and peacebuilding among South Sudanese refugees and Ugandan host communities in Northern Uganda. Trains refugees and service providers to create audio content distributed via speaker boxes to listener groups.
• VR for Peace Virtual reality peacebuilding project creating immersive VR storytelling experiences that enable refugees to express themselves, find healing from trauma, and engage in dialogue with conflict groups, promoting peace, reconciliation, and behavioral change.
• SPEED (Sustainable Peace, Environment, and Economic Development) 24-month HDP Triple Nexus project (November 2025 - October 2027) implemented in Yei and Lainya Counties (South Sudan) and Koboko and Yumbe Districts (Uganda) strengthening community resilience, promoting sustainable livelihoods, and fostering peaceful coexistence through food security, natural resource management, and peacebuilding.
• Hope Village Project Community-centered media project in Lainya County, Central Equatoria State, South Sudan, providing listener groups with MP3 speaker boxes and SD cards containing audio content. Bridges gaps between community and service providers, combats GBV, promotes peace, and enhances access to information.
• RABITA (Community Together) Locally initiated community economic and social development approach where communities map pressing concerns, draw solutions, and improve quality of life through family-to-family visitation, community meetings, and collective savings schemes in Yei River County, South Sudan.
• Plastic Waste to Bricks Initiative Environmental initiative transforming non-recyclable plastic waste into durable, sustainable bricks through collection, sorting, shredding, and heating processes. Creates economic opportunities for youth, contributes to peacebuilding through community engagement, and minimizes environmental damage.
• RadioSchool Project Audio learning program implemented by AllVox for refugee children in Imvepi Refugee Settlement, Uganda, transforming classroom lessons into 35-minute audio lessons covering early childhood development categories including oral literacy, mathematical concepts, and outdoor activities.
• PAMANA (Building Peace Through Sustainable Access to and Management of Natural Resources) 3-year cross-border HDP Triple Nexus project (December 2021 - November 2024) in West Nile, Uganda and Central Equatoria, South Sudan, implemented with consortium partners Caritas Switzerland, AFARD, and OFAO. Addresses conflict over natural resources through capacity building, sustainable livelihoods, and peacebuilding with focus on women.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• JangalacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2023Jangala is a UK-based charity dedicated to enabling internet access for people in need of humanitarian aid or development assistance. Their partnership with CDC involves deploying Jangala Big Box devices to transform internet connectivity into Wi-Fi for community centers in Rhino Refugee Camp (Uganda) and Yei River County (South Sudan). The lightweight, briefcase-sized devices are managed by CDC teams on the ground to provide connectivity for education, communication, and information access.
• The Sentinel Project for Genocide PreventioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBased in Toronto, Canada, The Sentinel Project is a partner in the Hagiga Wahid misinformation management project. The project aims to counter harmful rumors contributing to tensions and conflict in Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement. Funded by International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Australian government, and New Zealand government, the partnership involves joint implementation of the WikiRumours-based information verification system.
• Health Communication Resources (HCR UK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCR UK supports the Soot Semee project, a community-centered media initiative in Northern Uganda. The project trains refugees and service providers to create audio content promoting peace, health, and development, distributed through speaker boxes to refugee communities.
• Caritas SwitzerlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaritas Switzerland serves as the lead agency in the PAMANA and SPEED consortium projects. The 3-year PAMANA project (Building Peace Through Sustainable Access to and Management of Natural Resources) and 24-month SPEED project focus on peacebuilding and natural resource management in West Nile (Uganda) and Central Equatoria (South Sudan). Total project budgets exceed 1.9 million EUR, funded by Austrian Development Agency.
• Agency for Accelerated Regional Development (AFARD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFARD is a local implementing partner in the PAMANA and SPEED projects, working alongside CDC in West Nile region, Uganda (Koboko and Yumbe districts).
• Organic Farming Advisory Organization (OFAO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOFAO is a local implementing partner in the PAMANA and SPEED projects, working alongside CDC in Central Equatoria State, South Sudan (Yei and Lainya Counties).
• Swiss PeacemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss Peace provides technical advice and expertise in peacebuilding and conflict transformation for the PAMANA and SPEED consortium projects.
• The BOMA ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe BOMA Project provides technical advisory support for the PAMANA project focusing on livelihood and resilience programming.
• Amplifying Voices UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmplifying Voices UK partners with CDC on the Hope Village Project in Lainya County, South Sudan. The project aims to restore hope through community-centered media, providing audio content and community dialogue platforms for conflict-affected populations.
• World University Service of Canada (WUSC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWUSC's IGNITE volunteer program, supported by Global Affairs Canada, places international volunteers with CDC. Aggrey Jackson Etwop served as Resource Mobilization Adviser for two years under this program. The initiative addresses youth unemployment and supports refugee and host community development.
• AllVoxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAllVox is a refugee youth-led nonprofit operating in Imvepi Refugee Settlement, Uganda. CDC Uganda supports the Radio School project implemented by AllVox, which repurposes classroom lessons into audio learning programs for refugee children facing education barriers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Search for Common Ground: Global peacebuilding organisation that uses media, dialogue, and community engagement to prevent violence — closely comparable to CDC's Hagiga Wahid, Soot Semee, VR4Peace, and Hope Village approaches for conflict-affected communities.
• Swiss Peace: Swiss-based peacebuilding think-and-do tank that provides technical advisory to CDC on PAMANA and SPEED. Highly comparable for its focus on conflict transformation, community-based peacebuilding methodologies, and HDP Nexus integration.
• Caritas Switzerland: Lead consortium partner on CDC's flagship PAMANA and SPEED projects. Caritas Switzerland is a faith-based international development NGO implementing HDP Nexus programming across East Africa and globally, making it the most directly comparable peer by both mission and operational geography.
• International Alert: A leading peacebuilding NGO working on conflict prevention, community-led peace work, and HDP-Nexus programming across fragile states including Uganda and South Sudan. Directly comparable to CDC's peacebuilding, social cohesion, and natural-resource-conflict work.
• Jangala: UK-based charity deploying portable connectivity devices in humanitarian settings; active partner of CDC deploying Big Box Wi-Fi in Rhino Camp and Yei. Closely comparable as a tech-for-humanitarian-content-and-connectivity actor working in low-connectivity refugee contexts.
• The Sentinel Project for Genocide Prevention: Canada-based partner of CDC on the Hagiga Wahid misinformation management project, focused on early warning and atrocity prevention through information verification. Directly comparable on technology-enabled conflict-prevention methodology.

Broad incumbents

• International Rescue Committee (IRC): Large humanitarian organisation delivering refugee-focused programming across East Africa, including in Rhino Camp and South Sudan. Directly comparable mission (refugee protection, livelihoods, peacebuilding) at much larger institutional scale.
• Concern Worldwide: International humanitarian organisation with operations across fragile states including South Sudan and Uganda, focused on livelihoods, health, and HDP-Nexus programming. Comparable mission and geographic footprint at larger institutional scale.
• Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC): Leading refugee-focused humanitarian NGO with significant operations in South Sudan and Uganda. Comparable for refugee protection, information access, and community-based programming targeting displaced populations.
• Mercy Corps: Major humanitarian and development organisation with deep operations in South Sudan and Uganda, including peacebuilding, livelihoods, and HDP-Nexus programming. Comparable as a broader incumbent operating in CDC's exact geographies and thematic areas, though at materially larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GoCDC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/gocdc/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/gocdc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/communitydevelopmentcentre-cdc
• Instagraminstagram.com/gocdc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Community Development Centre - CDC