Self Reliance

Rotary Club of Hove

Founded 1933 RI No 3630 RIBI No 393

Self Reliance

For previous years click on http://www.hoverotaryclub.name/2009.10 http://www.hoverotaryclub.name/2008.9 http://www.hoverotaryclub.name/2007 or http://www.hoverotaryclub.name/2006/7 or http://www.hoverotaryclub.name/2006/ or http://www.hoverotaryclub.name/2005

Tools for Self Reliance Quarterly Report 21/11/09

Contents:

Activities Pertinent to section five of MoU. p. 2

Activities Pertinent to section seven of MoU p.3

Additional Progress p. 3 - 5

Appendices p.5 - 7

Activities Pertinent to section five of MoU. p. 2

As of this report, all forty students have completed the business education course compiled by SIFE Sussex, and the first cohort of twenty has begun vocational training with the materials and monies supplied by TFSR. The training occurs over four afternoons per week, with the training of the first cohort to continue until March 2010, when the vocational training of the second cohort will begin.

As per our original funding request to TFSR, a working shelter has been built in addition to the teaching and storage space.

In terms of the creation of the artisan co-operative involving the OVC’s, we have made progress in the financial planning process. We have recruited an accounting and management student to assist in the building of financial models. The most up-to-date of these will be forthcoming before the next quarterly report. We have also acquired the services of experienced businessperson, and regional development officer, Sally Atkinson, as well as agrifinance specialist Heshan Peirez in a consultancy capacity in the financial planning process. Specific changes include adjustment of projected sales and breakeven values, downsizing of the product range (at least in the short term) and the development of a possible cash injection programme to enable the co-operative to grow consistently and securely.

Toward our minimum funding target of £1500, to date we have raised £1000. We are currently in the process of negotiating several SIFE grants and other funding avenues.

Activities pertinent to Section Seven of MoU.

SIFE Sussex has received data pertinent to the project’s impact measures, specifically those regarding the student surveys taken by five students per cohort before and after the business skills course. There have been some reporting issues in that the subjective scoring by students has been evaluated by the teachers employed for the course. Our intended measure was the subjective scores made by the students, and according to our recent contact with Samalani, this data is recorded in hardcopy. The data we have received to date is the teacher evaluation of the scoring. The full impact measure will be forthcoming. However, we feel the data we have received via email is informative, see appendices.

3. Additional progress.

In recognition that our volunteer base and work is growing beyond the remit of SIFE Sussex, or indeed of a university society, we have decided to rename the group ‘Community Opportunity’. This is intended to give us the scope to develop beyond the current project, but in no way affects our commitment to the conditions of agreements made under the name ‘Project Malawi’. Our new logo and other materials will be made available as the re-branding process continues.

Since the last report we have presented to Hove and East Grinstead Rotary Clubs. We had favoured responses from both clubs. In particular, Hove Rotary have expressed an interest in a possible partnership with Lilongwe City Rotary to support Samalani’s activities, in particular those relating to this project. TFSR will be informed of any developments in this regard.

During the initial meetings with Teveta, they recommended a volunteer who could be beneficial to Samalani’s activities. The volunteer has begun their involvement, and we have received promising initial reports.

Samalani requested additional funds to purchase a weaving machine. It emerged in consultation with Samalani’s executive body that this machine was a priority over certain product groups. Thus, we agreed to this transfer of our own funds on the understanding that this will form a consideration in future funding agreements.

We are in the process of developing sponsorship packages to find sponsors to help fund secondary school fees for some of the children at the centre who are currently unable to attend due to financial reasons, as well as materials for the business and vocational courses.

We now have a website www.communityopportunity.co.uk, which gives details on the Samalani centre, our project and fundraising events. It gives visitors the opportunity to find out more about our organisation, contact us and contribute money. Our principle partners, including TFSR, are linked. We would appreciate it if the website was mentioned in any materials pertaining to the project.

We are in the process of creating an informational film to present to interested persons at events and on our website. We are currently waiting for the second edit, and will make the completed film available to all partners.

We have been pursuing an aggressive recruitment strategy to ensure the long-term sustainability of the project. We have met with success in this, gaining a number of student and off-campus volunteers at all levels of the organisation.

Appendix.1