Revolving Funds Intern

Transcription

1 Revolving Funds Intern Organization Overview: The Pangea Network is an international non-profit dedicated to empowering motivated individuals in Kenya and the U.S. with the knowledge, skills and an ongoing network of support in order to achieve their dreams and make positive, life-changing contribution in the communities where they live. Pangea has an office in Nairobi with 7 full time equivalent staff and cooperatives led by local women located throughout Kenya, including in rural and remote areas near Kisumu (Western Kenya) and Mombasa (Eastern Coast). The mission of the Kenyan Women s Network is to empower Kenyan women with the skills, tools and support needed to become vital members of their community. Pangea s Work, Approach, and Impact OUR WORK We partner with women s groups throughout Kenya by providing them with the knowledge and resources to enable their members to become successful entrepreneurs and community leaders. OUR APPROACH Looking at development through the lens of sustainability, we work with individuals over a longer period of time than typical program cycles, ensuring growth of the entire woman personally, financially and professionally. OUR IMPACT Over the past twelve years, more than 1,000 Kenyan women were trained through our programs, 563 small enterprises were created, average weekly income for participants rose by 31% from 2015 to 2016 and 62% of women reported to be their family's main source of income.

2 Program Objectives of the Pangea Network Objectives Increase basic livelihood Improve overall health and knowledge and skills nutrition levels through through trainings in: trainings in: a. Basic Business Skills a. Personal Hygiene b. Bookkeeping b. Basic Nutrition c. Reproductive Health Increase basic knowledge of criticallife skills through trainings in: a. Human Rights b. Leadership c. Personal Development Improve income levels and overall living standards by disbursing two rounds of 18-month revolving funds to the group for small business growth Program Timeline Pre- Engagement Year 1 Years 2-4 Post- Engagement Before engaging a group, we perform an assessment using Grameen's Progress out of Poverty Index (PPI) and a Pangea survey to establish baseline income, household decisionmaking power, etc. During the first twelve months, we aim to complete the first three primary objectives Years 2-4, we conduct quarterly trainings, monthly monitoring of the group, assess progress via annual surveys and PPIs Revolving funds are repaid and second round funding begins Following year 4, the group takes on alumni status and has the tools and knowledge to mentor new groups

3 Kenyan Women s Network Cycle STEP 1. Women from the same community come together to form a group STEP 2. They hear about The Pangea Network STEP 3. They attend 6 months of life and business skills training STEP 4. They receive an 18 month revolving fund to grow a business STEP 5. Their income increases and are able to feed their families and send their children to school STEP 6. They receive another 18 month round of revolving funds to expand their business even further Intern Project Description: As an intern, you will research and assist in the design, budgeting and planning for implementation of a new Training of Trainers program for the Kenyan Women s Network program growth. The central issue is to assist in the expansion and scaling up of the program, enabling the organization to impact more women every year while maintaining program quality, consistency and oversight.

4 You will spend 9 weeks with The Pangea Network. 1 week will be spent in the U.S. with Nicole Minor, the Founder and Executive Director of The Pangea Network, to learn about the history and growth of Pangea and the revolving funds of the Kenyan Women s Network. You will spend the remaining 8 weeks in Kenya working under the direction of The Pangea Network s Country Director, Dorothy Ombajo. You will work in the Pangea office in Nairobi and meet all the staff members. Initially, you will learn about the Kenyan Women s Network from Pangea staff and meet local women. Then, you will travel to Western Kenya and/or the coast to visit some of the cooperatives and trainings. Social Issue Description: When women are not educated or empowered to be entrepreneurs or business owners, they are unable to lift themselves out of poverty and their children are unable to go to school. In Kenya, many women live below the poverty line, have limited access to formal education, and have no access to skills training. When one woman is educated, empowered, and trained to be a business owner, she will pass this on to her children and community, and a positive ripple effect happens and a whole community can be transformed. Pangea works with local women across Kenya and solves the root causes of poverty by educating women on human rights, financial literacy, hygiene and nutrition, reproductive health and leadership. Through revolving funds, Pangea enables them to have their own businesses so they can be financially independent. Pangea s Impact: The women that are a part of Pangea s network are empowered, confident and have growing businesses which enable them to be financially independent. For most women, Pangea is the reason they can provide for their families and send their children to school. Without Pangea, these women would not know about their rights and opportunities and they would have not been educated on bookkeeping and financial literacy. Pangea engages directly with the groups of women cooperatives for 4 years Over 1,000 women have been trained and over 500 businesses created over the past 10+ years 25 currently active cooperatives Project Description: Pangea is seeking the ability to scale our program to reach more women in Kenya. We work with on average 100 new women a year. To increase that number to 600+ a year, we ve created a Training of Trainers program. The creation and design of this program would allow Pangea to empower local women from the communities we serve, Nairobi, coastal and western Kenya counties, to become trainers themselves and effectively and efficiently share this knowledge with many more women.

5 As an organization, our primary goal is to maintain quality of the trainings so that the impact is consistent. We will not forsake quality for quantity. Things that we would be asking the researcher to consider are the following: - What other successful Training of Trainers programs are out there and how do they work? - What is the necessary length and depth of training program? - How do we qualify trainers? - What is the necessary organizational infrastructure needed to support and monitor these trainers? - Should we continue to include revolving funds as a part of our program, or are there potential partners out there that can take over that portion of the program, allowing Pangea to focus on our core competency? - What does the budget for this look like? While working on this project, you will interview Pangea staff and interview the Pangea Network women who are in the Kenyan Women s Network program in different locations to understand the relevant issues. You will also connect with local organizations to understand best practices and visit relevant clinics and hospitals to understand availability of services. Desired Student Qualifications: Students from different areas of study are drawn to work in the field of international and sustainable development. English will be the main language and is spoken by all Pangea staff in Kenya. Pangea staff will serve as translators during any training, meeting, or interview if necessary. Pangea is looking for someone who is comfortable in a diverse setting, culturally sensitive, and committed to working in the developing world with vulnerable populations. We definitely need someone who is comfortable in a foreign environment and can adapt and be flexible and respectable in navigating through a new country, new people, and a new culture. The student can be a Global Studies major or someone from the Jones School of Business or interested in the area of Global Health who is curious, passionate, and committed to finding innovative solutions to alleviating vulnerable populations from poverty. The women in Kenya that are part of The Pangea Network are smart, fast-learners, and want to be educated and grow personally as well as grow their businesses in a sustainable way if this sounds like the kind of work you want to contribute to we welcome you to The Pangea Network!