Written by Kiran Morjaria
Kiran Morjaria's Review of TASAAGA Micro-Finance Project, Uganda, 2010
Which project did you participate in?
The Tasaaga Microfinance project (G.R.O.W.)
When did you go and for how long?
I left for Uganda on 28th June and flew back on the 23rd July.
Was the project well-run?
Prior to arriving in Uganda, I was in contact with the project organiser, Bruhan. This was smooth and timely. I had asked to participate jointly in the programme with a colleague and this was not a problem for Tasaaga (although, it was assumed the other volunteer and I were together as a couple, when we were not, which altered the living arrangements when we arrived at the compound). Bruhan was very good with email communication.
Upon arriving in Uganda, we were met at the airport, which was great.
After settling in for a day or so, it became apparent we had been mixed up with another set of volunteers that was due to arrive and were due to work on another project. It was then clear that Tasaaga was not prepared for us. This was slightly frustrating, since my colleague and I were eager to get going with the project. However, after a brief meeting a few days after our arrival, we set up a plan to continue the work that Bruhan had started on the project before our arrival.
It was quite a haphazard affair. The organisation prior to our arrival was poor. It appeared that the loans that had been given out to women were not properly administered or monitored. Furthermore, it seemed that the organisation provided little support for the women other than in financial terms.
To some degree, this was welcome for us, since from a selfish perspective, it allowed us to really dig deep into the organisation of the project and almost set up something from scratch.
However, many aspects were well thought out, such as the loan amounts, payment re-period, default arrangements etc. However, on-going support for the loan recipients was not there; neither was on-going documentation of their progress or the project operations.
Certainly, it would appear though, that the project was having a positive impact. However, it was very much in its initial stages but, with continued upkeep, the project could certainly be a long-term success.
In regards to the maintenance of the volunteers, I would have to say that the organisation was as equally haphazard as the initial stages of the project itself. There were times when we were waiting long periods for Bruhan in order to get going on the project, or just to find out what we would be doing for the day. Unfortunately, this was a waste of time since, we had wanted to be fully involved with the project as much as possible and these periods detracted from this. It appears that Bruhan could have delegated the support and organisation of the volunteers to someone else since, Tasaaga now appears to have a number of projects running simultaneously with Bruhan overseeing them all.
Were you able to participate in all the activities you signed up for?
As previously mentioned, I was able to participate in the programme I has wanted to, though there was a delay in doing so.
Did you encounter any problems?
I did not encounter any problems of significance during my stay.
What was the best part of your experience there?
Without a doubt, it was staying in the village. Everyone was very welcoming, the kids were great. It was fulfilling. Camping was excellent. Certainly this was the best part.
Would you recommend it to others?
Honestly, I would have to say, yes and no. I suppose in that case I am undecided, meaning, right now, I would probably not.
Undoubtedly, Bruhan is a man of vision and has a social conscious and desire to help others around him and improve their situation. However, it was difficult at times to see how the money donated or paid out as volunteering fees was spent. I believe more transparency would allow volunteers to donate freely in the safe knowledge that their funds are being put to good use.
In terms of organisation, I believe there is much improvement that can be made. Yet Tasaaga is clearly willing and able to adapt to the needs of volunteers which helps in the process.
How did you find out about them?
was informed about them through my colleague.
Blog posted by Victoria Page
Review of Tasaaga – Micro-Finance Project, Uganda 2010 by Victoria Page
In July 2010 I went to Uganda and volunteered with Tasaaga on their micro-finance project for six weeks. The Project charged $100 per week to cover food and accommodation. I think I found this organisation through searching the internet or in the wse ‘volunteer for development’ brochure (link below). On finding the project I emailed Tasaaga and Bruhan the organisation director to apply to volunteer.
Accommodation and Food
On arriving at Entebbe airport I and another volunteer were taken to the Tasaaga headquarters/volunteer house. This was a gated house on the outskirts of Kampala. The accommodation was comfortable, we had access to the internet, indoor bathroom, shared bedrooms (which were a little squashed), and a good size garden. We generally stayed here on the weekends and went and stayed in a village where our project was based during the week. In the village the accommodation was very different. I and three other volunteers slept in tents in the garden of one ladies home. There was no shower, well, there was a bit of plastic sheeting wrapped around some wooden poles where you could take a bucket of water to rinse off – I could not get my feet free of the red village earth the whole time in the village, no matter how much I washed! Baby wipes were my best friend in the village – handy for a quick and easy freshening up. There were two pit latrine toilets; a pit latrine is basically a hole in the ground that you squat over. In both Kampala and the village we were fed three meals a day, mainly of posho, rice, beans, sweet potatoes, eggs, eggs and a few more eggs (I am vegetarian and this wasn’t a problem at all).
At times staying in the tent was a little difficult and took some getting used to. I had a frightful morning or two waking up to see a large spider next to me. And having been told before going to the village about the ‘night dancers’ (Cannibals that go and dig up dead bodies to eat whilst dancing to drums, apparently) that lived in the village I was more than a little spooked after the first evening to be woken up at five in the morning by loud drums and singing. It may seem a little extreme to have thought that the night dancers were actually coming to eat us volunteers, but being in a tent in a village without means of quick escape, can make your mind jump to bizarre conclusions. As it happened, this turned out to be a weekly early morning church meeting. The following week I was woken at the same time but by another volunteer who had thought the same thing as I had the week before.
The Project
The basic concept behind micro-finance is that given the access to credit, people will better their own lives through small scale businesses which are more sustainable than giving material or food handouts and can lead to “empowerment” of those involved. In the case of Tasaaga the recipients were all women and the idea was to combine micro-finance with other social goals – such as education on health and sanitation.
It was obvious that Bruhan had put a lot of research into the microfinance project. The design of the project appeared to be well thought out and Bruhan had good ideas about how he wanted it to run. I say this in relation to the loan repayment period, the amount of interest to be paid on loans, how the profit from the interest was proposed to be spent, what was to happen if recipients defaulted on their loans and initial training for the loan recipients and so on.
Other aspects of the loans had been planned but suffered from a sever lack of manpower in their implementation. The project had been up and running for just over a year when I was there. At this point there had been no evaluation of the project done (this was mine and another volunteer’s primary task). The desired goal of using micro-finance to achieve broader social goals had not been fully developed. The weekly meetings where information regarding health, predominantly HIV, malaria and sanitation was to be relayed to the women, as well as being a source of support for the women in their businesses, had not been taking place. I along with another volunteer began to hold these meetings during our time there and I am unaware of their development since leaving.
Overall I would say the project was well thought out. It was very much in its infancy when I was there and constantly being developed and adapted. But the ideas and passion Bruhan showed for the project and the desired outcomes (social development, increasing the community’s education, health and access to resources) make me believe that with continued attention the project will grow in a positive way. As this project was specifically targeting women, there is a strong attempt to achieve women’s “empowerment”, my recommendations would be for Tasaaga and any future volunteers to encourage male participation in the project in some form or another. Men are intrinsic to the process of changing women’s statuses in society – and without this there is the risk of continuing or worsening women’s subordination and experiences. The example that I think best fits this is that some of the women I interviewed had increased their incomes by huge amounts (in cases from UGS 0, to UGS 30,000) however in some cases a good amount of this went to their husbands who spent it on alcohol at the local village bar (also a project set up from a micro-finance loan).
The project allowed me to gain great experience. I and the other volunteer on the project designed questionnaires to assess the impact the loans had on the initial recipients. We had to write weekly reports and write ups about the project. We also met with all of the loan recipients, evaluated what could be done to improve the project, held meetings and met with prospective loan recipients and discussed the project with them.
I think this project is very much suitable to someone wanting to gain experience with project design, implementation and evaluation. Volunteers on this project also have the opportunity to contribute to the development of the project as it is in its infancy.
Tasaaga website: www.tasaaga.org
Wse ‘volunteer for development’ brochure: http://www.wse.org.uk/guides/vol.htm
Email: victoriamariepage@hotmail.com
Review of Alliance Nepal by Andrew Jack
It’s a joy for me to be able to work as a volunteer in Nepal. The experience I have gained will always be remembered and cherish.
Firstly, I have no reservation in recommending Alliance Nepal to family and friends. The staff is friendly and efficient. They are trustworthy and reliable. Every 2 or 3 days one of the staff from Alliance Neapl would come and visit or call to check on me and another volunteer, David from Germany. In short, this is what I called “Personalised Service” which I received from Alliance Nepal.
It was wonderful that Alliance Nepal had arranged for me to stay with a very nice host family. Throughout my stay with my host family, I was able to observe their local cultures and traditions as well as I enjoyed eating Nepal’s national food, daal-baaht.
I was placed to do my volunteer service at “Annapurna Child Home” with 22 children. My first impression of “Child Home” was shocking. I regret to say it has very poor facilities yet it has given me a better insight and a valid reason that I could do something to help the local volunteers and children there.
David and I were honor to be their first batch of foreign volunteers at “Child Home”. To be honest, although both of us are inexperienced in volunteering and caring the children, we did our best to teach and play with the children. I should mention here that communication with the children is a HUGE problem as most of them are young and do not know how to speak English. Nevertheless, when there’s a will, there’s a way.
One of our biggest project or achievement in “Home” was to brighten up the gloomy girls’ and boys’ room. We had a wonderful time in painting some cute cartoons in each room, including the kitchen. The end result was beyond words to describe. We also discovered some kids are talented in drawing and crafting. I truly hope these kids will be given an opportunity to explore whatever talent they have been blessed into a skill which will come in handy when they grow up.
Although I’m back in Singapore now, I never stopped thinking of the children and people I met in Nepal. May all sentient beings in this world are blessed with loving, kindness and compassion.
Andrew
Email : andrewsmith.jack@gmail.com
