Assessing the Social Impact of Indego Africa's Programs

Indego Africa is pleased to today announce the release of our 2009-2010 Social Impact Report (the “SIR”). The SIR highlights findings from our third annual social impact assessment, which was conducted in March 2010.

Beginning in 2008, Indego Africa’s field team has conducted a comprehensive survey each March to compile a range of developmental information for each artisan partner: from quantitative metrics like demographics, income, education levels, and food security, to qualitative indicators like in-depth self perceptions and interviews. This data then forms the basis for benchmarking how effectively our programming is achieving its intended objectives.

Key areas of year-on-year improvement during the period from March 2009 to March 2010 included:

• Increased Income - 111% increase in the number of women earning $1 a day or more
• Greater Food Security - 517% increase in the number of families eating at least 3 meals per day
• Higher Child Education Rate - 800% increase in the number of women reporting that most of the children they care for attend school on a regular basis
• Better Access to Running Water - 330% increase in the number of households with running water
• More Women Using a Household Budget - 158% increase in the number of women setting and following a household budget
• Adequacy of Income Improvement - 760% increase in the number of women who described their income as adequate with respect to their basic needs
  

For a full version of the 2009-2010 Social Impact Report, click HERE.

Beyond embodying Indego Africa’s commitment to rigorously measuring social impact, our social impact assessments also serve a critical prescriptive function, namely, identifying areas in which we could improve our programming to even better meet developmental performance targets.

If you are looking for reason for further optimism, look no farther than the fact that the SIR does not even reflect social impact during the period since March 2010, a period of substantial across-the-organization growth and which includes for example over half of the aggregate income generated by our artisan partners to date. Never content to rest on our laurels, even at this early date we at Indego Africa are already eagerly awaiting compilation and publication of the results of our fourth annual social impact assessment.

-Conor French and Kristen Waeber

(Photos: at top, the cover of the SIR and, at bottom, charts depicting year-on-year developmental progress in areas related to managing personal finances and food security)

Five Artisan Partners Apply to 10,000 Women Program

We just received an email from Valens Rutazihana, Indego Africa's long-time Generation Rwanda trainer and new full-time employee. Following up on Emelienne's successful graduation from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Program this January, Valens has helped FIVE more of Indego Africa's artisan partners apply to the next scheduled 10,000 Women cohort. Below are Valens' summaries of each of these excited applicants.

Therese Mutekereze (aka Mama Style), Covanya

Therese was born in Republic Democratic of Congo (RDC) in 1954. She has 4 sisters and 5 brothers. She is 6th child in her family. Her husband died 1983 when they were on their way in Burundi from RDC to Rwanda. She came back to Rwanda after the Genocide in 1994. Currently she stays with her family in the Eastern province, Bugesera district, Nyamata sector. She lives with her mother and other 7 relatives. She has two children. She is one of co founders of Covanya. Before founding the cooperative it was a problem for her to pay everything because she did not have other income. But now she pays some expenses at home and the support from her brothers and sisters is still helpful to her. She thanks Indego Africa for its support given to the cooperative from its establishment.

Daphrose Mukamugema, Covanya

Daphrose Mukamugema was born in the Southern province, Ruhango district. She divorced her husband in 2001. She lost many of her relatives in the genocide. She has only one kid. She lives in Nyamata because she has found a family which has accepted to host her because she does not have her own home that is why she moved from Ruhango to Nyamata. Currently she looks after two orphans. In Ruhango it was so difficult for her to find out any income, but there in Nyamata she has a chance because she joined Covanya. She played an important role to found it. This cooperative is helping her because it is her most important source. She does not have her own home. This is the most challenge she faces, it will be a great achievement for her when she got it.

Therese Ilibagiza, Cocoki

Therese was born in the Southern province, Ruhango district in 1976. She is married, she has 3 children. She moved from Southern province to Kigali to look for money, because in the country side it is not easy to make money. Ilibagiza has discovered that in the country side, it requires a lot of efforts to get profit from business activities. But here in Kigali when you are courageous you find out various opportunities to be exploited that is why she decided to stay here in Kigali. Making cooperative was a government tool to fight poverty in Rwanda. In Ruhango it is not easy to meet other tailors like her to make a cooperative. She has joined cooperative because it is easy to get grants, accessing market, getting grants from financial institutions and exploiting other advantages.

Marie Josée Numukobwa, Twiyubake

Marie Josée is one of the co founders of Twiyubake Family Cooperative. She was born in 1970 in Kayonza district, Eastern province. She is married and she has 6 children. Her husband does not have a permanent job, he does temporary job there in Kayonza. She decided to join the cooperative for supporting her husband to develop their standard of living. She is paying the school fees for their children and she contributes a lot in her family because she sells the products through the cooperative. As the treasurer of the cooperative, she is learning many things about leadership how to combine many things at the same time.

Marie Odette Murekatete, Twiyubake

Murekatete Marie Odette is one of the co founders of Twiyubake Family Cooperative. She was born in 1980 at Kayonza district Eastern province. She is still single. She has two brothers but they do not stay at the same place. She stays only with her mother at home. She did not complete secondary studies because she did not get government sponsorship and her family was not able to pay the fees in the private schools. She contributed a lot to found that women cooperative (Twiyubake Family) and she is so proud of that activity because this cooperative is helping her family to deliver themselves out of poverty. Her mother also is a cooperative member. Before working in the cooperative they did not have permanent income, but now the cooperative is their first source, because they know how to make various products.

Now that the applications have been submitted, Valens (photo below) is conducting "interview training" for the women so they are fully prepared for the next step of the process. Here are his "12 Interview Tips" that he intends to teach:

1. Be punctual. I will recommend them to be at the interview location 20 minutes before.
2. Prepare for the interview. I will explain to the trainees about Goldman Sachs’ services, and make sure they know its correct name. I will also tell them to reread their application forms and come up with the background of their cooperatives, challenges and what they plan for the future
3. Dress professionally and be polite, dressing is also important.
4. Smile, be friendly and make eye contact. During the interview they have to avoid being shy.
5. Use a firm handshake and direct eye contact. A limp handshake or lack of eye contact can make them appear ill-at-ease and possibly less than honest.
6. Actively listen, they have to listen to the interviewers in order to give the relevant answers
7. Give examples of skills and experience in answers.
8. Bring copies of their applications. May be interviewers won’t have them at place.
9. Ask questions. Make sure they have prepared a few questions (at least two questions) about that opportunity ahead of time.
10. Bring a planner or a small notebook and a pen. This way, they can take notes or even write down anything after the interview.
11. Not answering their mobile phones during the interview, they must be switched off or be in silence
12. Thank the interviewer for the interview and their time.

Great job, Valens! Good luck, ladies!

- Ben