Centre of Youth and Development and Adult Education


CELA is a non-governmental organization that is based in the Lugufu refugee camp in Tanzania. CELA’s current director, Atuu Waonaje, is a refugee himself who founded the organization formerly known as “Love Your Neighbour Centre” in 1997 to provide Congolese refugees with more educational opportunities. Waonaje, who won the “Women’s Commission for Refugee Woman and Children’s Voices of Courage” award in May 2007, believes that education is especially important because it can potentially strengthen regional stability. He asserts that by stimulating innovative thought, education can lead to political, social, cultural, demographic, economic and developmental progress. It can also assists in peace making, conflict resolution, human rights protection and reconciliation, all of which are major issues affecting developing countries.
CELA’s main goals behind providing broad-based education are to combat ignorance and raise employment. Its staff of twenty-four volunteers trains local women, youth, orphans, street children, mentally and physically disabled persons and refugees in a number of different areas. Its programs include: