Kiran Morjaria's Review of TASAAGA Micro-Finance Project, Uganda, 2010

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 28^th June and flew back on the 23^rd 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.

Review of Tasaaga – Micro-Finance Project, Uganda 2010 by Victoria Page

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

Volunteer opportunities with Fulkharka Prosperity Society Nepal

Posted by Ripu Mardan Adhikari

Fulkharka Prosperity Society - Nepal

We, the Fulkharka Prosperity Society, are a group of twenty individuals who have come from the Fulkharka region to the Kathmandu valley for career opportunities, mainly in tourism and trekking. Two years ago, we decided to create the aforementioned society as a way to give something back to our community and to further develop our village in a socially responsible way.

Thus, we believe positive development can be brought about through education. A major aspect of our plan to achieve our objectives of community wide education is by inviting volunteer teachers and social workers to Fulkharka. We are eager to partner with the many talents and resources that volunteers have to offer. We will be relying on flexibility and communication between you, the volunteer, and our club members as this program is in its infancy. We truly hope you will be willing to share any suggestions as to how we can make this program as beneficial as possible for all involved.

Volunteer Opportunities

Education –There are several schools in the local vicinity, ranging from primary to higher secondary. The greatest need lies in recruiting experienced teachers for a wide range of topics, but mostly focusing on the English language in secondary school. 

These schools are government run but poorly equipped. In most cases you will have around eighty students in a classroom designed to seat thirty. Most of the time there is no electricity and the students have no textbooks. 

The volunteer will need to be creative, innovative, and flexible in order to accommodate such circumstances. Any volunteer that is accepted will have time to work with the regular classroom teacher/s to create a curriculum that is both transitionally coherent as well as keeping with the requirements of the government curriculum.

After much discussion with faculty members of the school, school administration, and other experts in the field of education, it has been determined that the minimum duration for any volunteer to be effective is one month in the primary school and two months in the secondary school.

Health Care –There are several health care facilities located in the region. Any individual with a background and certificate in the field of health care is welcome to come with the opportunity to contribute in many ways. The volunteer would be able to work in the local clinics assisting doctors as well as possibly teaching classes on topics such as hygiene, safe water, disease prevention, and first-aid.

The volunteer will have a choice of accommodation while in the village. The first option is to stay with one of the local families. This opportunity gives the volunteer first-hand experience of what true village life is like. The volunteer will have his/her own room and eat all meals with the family. This is an excellent option for a volunteer who desires a high degree of socializing as there is often little privacy outside of bedtime. 

The village is rather remote so any volunteer must also be prepared to do without many of the comforts of a city. Small family owned stores can provide basic supplies such as noodles, water, soap and so forth.

We do ask a small fee for these accommodations. However, it is considerably less than most other organizations. The money goes directly to compensate the host family for meals provided and any additional money goes back into the society’s fund. The amount of the fee is not set and is negotiable depending on the length of stay and other considerations. It will never exceed $100 U.S. dollars per month.

For more information please contact visit the website http://www.helpvillagenepal.com/ or email

info@helpvillagenepal.com 

Alliance Nepal - Volunteer Placements in Nepal

Posted by Krishna Timilisina - Director of Alliance Nepal

Volunteering your time abroad to help others is a fantastic experience that will give you the opportunity to work and live side by side with local people. You will undoubtedly learn new skills through having to adjust to new situations and challenge yourself by volunteering in a developing country.

Alliance Nepal is an initiative set up by an enthusiastic team of locals within the Pokhara area. The main objective of Alliance Nepal is to be a catalyst towards social change through enhancing educational opportunities, health care, environmental awareness and cultural exchange. Established in 2007 Alliance Nepal has the benefit of being run by a team of staff with years of previous experience running successful volunteer projects.

The main focus of Alliance Nepal’s work is to raise educational awareness and enhance the lives of villagers through improving education development within the community. A key aspect of this is through working towards setting up a Learning Center from the volunteer and cultural program fees. The Learning Center will provide villagers with the opportunity to learn computer skills, dress making and other income generating activities whilst acting as an information resource center.

Over the last 4 years Alliance Nepal has been successfully working towards its goal of education enhancement within the village. Alliance Nepal will continue working as a catalyst of social and economic change in a number of surrounding villages in the Pokhara area.

Through Alliance Nepal we offer a number of volunteer programs which include teaching at a local school, raising awareness on issues such as the environment, sanitation, health care and gender equality. We believe in providing volunteers with the opportunity to experience and learn about Nepali culture first hand through language classes and home stays.

Volunteer opportunities include - Volunteer in an Orphanage, Volunteer teaching English, Volunteer on the Oral Health Program, Volunteer in construction, Volunteer with agriculture, Homestay and cultural exchange and Teaching Buddhist Monks.

Why choose to volunteer with Alliance Nepal?

• 100% of your program fee is kept within Nepal with no money being spent on admin costs abroad; therefore your contribution is helping Nepalese people and the development of the Nepalese economy.
• We are a grassroots and ethical organization working towards community development and income generation through volunteer and cultural exchange programs.
• As a volunteer or as part of the cultural exchange program you will receive language classes to enhance your integration into the local community.

Where does your money go?

• 25% of your program fee goes directly towards community development.
• 25% of your program fee goes to the host family to cover the cost of your food and accommodation.
• 50% of your program fee is spent on airport pickup, one night accommodation in Katmandu, travel costs from Katmandu to Pokhara and back, language classes, sightseeing and travel expenses in Pokhara and towards admin costs.

Your orientation will include

• 3 days of sightseeing
• 2 language lessons
• 1 cultural lesson

Dates and Duration

• The program starts on the first and sixteenth of each month.
• You can volunteer from 2 weeks to a maximum of 5 months in a calendar year.

Accommodation

Your accommodation will be very basic as Nepal is a poor country that is developing slowly. If taking part in a home stay you will have a room within the family home; depending on the number of volunteers this may be shared. Some houses many not have electricity and they will either use solar power or candles. Houses will generally have an outside toilet, with no shower, so you will have to shower outside. If staying in a hotel for the duration of your volunteer placement then you will be in a comfortable room with a shared toilet and shower room.

Food

During your orientation in Pokhara there will be a wide range of restaurants to choose from; including choice of Nepali, Indian, Chinese, Italian and many more. During the length of your placement you will be provided with traditional Nepali food; Daal (lentil soup) Bhat (rice) with vegetable and occasionally eggs or meat if you are not vegetarian. If the family has buffalos or cows then you may also get non-pasteurized milk. Daal Bhat is eaten twice a day; in the morning at 8.30pm and in the evening around 7.30pm. In the afternoon you will be provided with a snack such as puffed corn, beaten rice, noodles or other.

For any more information on Alliance Nepal please contact Krishna Timilisina at Krishnatimi@gmail.com

Website: www.volunteerworkinnepal.org

Or visit the organisation's Blog http://alliancenepal.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Alliance-Nepal-Volunteer-work-in-Nepal/133034180088695

Welcome to the International Voluntary and Development Work Blogspot

Hello!

Welcome to my blogspot. If you answer yes to any of the following questions then I hope that this blogspot will be of use to you.

Are you a student or recent graduate wanting to work in international development? Are you a professional working in international development? Have you or are you wanting to volunteer abroad? Are you an organisation offering voluntary placements or intern-ships?

I am second year student in Development Studies, and it is becoming apparent to me that there are many challenges to entering the development sector. High competition over jobs - the lack of paid work in relation to the amount of individuals looking to work in development, and the rising levels of experience required to be considered for particular positions make it difficult for graduates to find entry-level positions. For these reasons, I like most people wanting to work in the development sector increasingly understand the need to gain valuable voluntary experience. By volunteering you can overcome the catch-22 situation of needing experience to gain a job and needing a job to gain experience.

From my experience, once you have decided to gain voluntary experience, there are many other issues to consider. How will you finance your voluntary work? Do you want to volunteer at home or abroad? Should you pay to volunteer abroad? What organisation should you volunteer with? How do you know whether they are reputable? There are also many questions around what area of development you would like to work in and what type of experience you will need. What are the jobs working in development like day-to-day? Do you want to live at home or work abroad? What area of work will you be most suitable for? What skills do you need to work in this area and how can you gain them?

This blog has been set up in an attempt to answer these questions. The idea is that this can become a space for student-to-professional, peer-to-peer and organisational information exchange, networking and can act as a resource for all.

I encourage all to forward their experiences, thoughts, opinions, advice and useful information about international volunteering and development work to my email address (with a photo if desired) which I will then post. Organisations offering volunteer placements, internships and paid work are likewise encouraged to contact me to advertise here. For those that have already volunteered with an organisation you can also forward to me your review of the organisation and your experience with them which will help others decide whether to volunteer, where and with whom.

victoriamariepage@hotmail.com