VSLA

YOUTH EMPLOYABILITY IN THE INFORMAL SECTOR (YEIS) PROJECT: End of Project Evaluation Report

This report presents the findings of the End of Project (EOP) Evaluation of the YEIS Project. The purpose of the EOP Evaluation was to ascertain the extent to which the project achieved its objectives and results. The Evaluation focused on the following aspects: (i) relevance, (ii) effectiveness (iii) impact (iv) efficiency (v) innovation, (vi) scalability and reliability, (vii) sustainability, (viii) project lessons learned and best practices, (ix) sensitivity to gender, women’s rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities, (x) project’s implementation architecture.

The overall objective of the YEIS project was to contribute to the elimination of poverty of youth between (16-30 years) dependent on the informal sector in Rwanda with a specific geographical coverage of seven districts namely; Nyarugenge, Kicukiro in Kigali City, Rulindo, Gakenke in the Northern Province, Nyabihu, Rubavu and Ngororero in the Western Province. The project was implemented by AJPRODHO in partnership with YWCA and CARE with funding from the European Union and Austrian Development Agency for a period of four years running from February 2015 to January 2019. Read More...

ENHANCING THE FOOD SECURITY AND LIVELIHOODS COPING MECHANISMS FOR CONFLICT AFFECTED COMMUNITIES IN IMOTONG STATE

CARE South Sudan has been operating in the former Eastern Equatoria State (now Imotong State) since 2015. Since fiscal year to 2017 to 2018, CARE South Sudan, received funds from SDC to support improve the resilience capacity of food insecure and conflict affected communities of Torit County and Pageri Administrative Area of Imotong State, South Sudan. The project was aimed to improve the food security, livelihoods, gender relations at household level and peaceful coexistence among 2,900 households (approximately 17,400 individuals). The target Bomas of the project Fodofodo, Ifuanyak, Nyong and Ilangi in Nyong Payam; Moti/Enyif in Ifwotu Payam in Torit County. Abila, Anzara and Rei in Nimule Payam and Avumadria, Masindi, Bilinya and Gandzi in Mugali Payam of Pageri County. Read More...

VSLAs as Economic Drivers: Exploring Linkages Between Capital Available within Women’s Savings Groups and Economic Contribution to the Tanzanian Economy

Savings-led microfinance innovation aims to improve access to financial services in remote areas, especially among women. In the past decade, more and more researchers and practitioners have recognized and taken advantage of this informal financial service to help improve lives of the poor. A leading innovator in the field, CARE International, has spawned extensive household- and community-level benefits from its Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) programmes. With about 700,000 members in 28,000 groups in Tanzania, CARE is seeking to measure the potential contribution of VSLAs on the growth of the Tanzanian national economy.
This literature review shows some important insights and establishes a foundation for future research on the topic. Read More...

DEVELOPPEMENT ECONOMIQUE ET SOCIAL DES FEMMES A TRAVERS LES ENERGIES RENOUVELABLES AU SAHEL (SENEGAL, MALI ET NIGER) – DESFERS »

Ce rapport final de l’étude de base et cartographie des activités génératrices de revenue (AGR) dans le cadre du Projet «DEVELOPPEMENT ECONOMIQUE ET SOCIAL DES FEMMES A TRAVERS LES ENERGIES RENOUVELABLES AU SAHEL (SENEGAL, MALI ET NIGER) – DESFERS» reflète les informations recueillies et analysées au Mali, au Sénégal et au Niger. Il établit les éléments de base qui permettront de réaliser de manière adéquate le suivi du projet au niveau des résultats et objectifs.
Le répertoire et l’analyse financière des AGR féminines permet de déterminer le type d’AGR pouvant bénéficier d’un accès à l’énergie renouvelable dans le but d’améliorer leur production, productivité, efficacité de leur processus de transformation, systèmes de vente de leurs produits.
Les deux parties (répertoire et analyse) aident à identifier les AGR ayant des activités liées ou potentiellement liées à court et moyen terme, à l’utilisation et à la commercialisation des produits liés et/ou issus de l’énergie renouvelable.
Les informations recueillies mettent à jour également aussi bien les AGR qui utilisent ou peuvent utiliser l’énergie renouvelable ainsi que des actions préalables dont ont pu bénéficier les AGR et les membres des groupes d’épargne et crédit mutuel (EPC), comme les formations techniques, cours d’alphabétisation, développement de plan d’affaire, etc.). Read More...

Mawe Tatu Rapport Etude de Base

Cette étude évalue un programme de développement néerlandaise nommé "Mawe Tatu" (M3), qui vise à l’amélioration de la gestion économique des ménages; à la réduction de la violence basée sur le genre à travers des relations plus égales entre femmes et hommes ; et à la réalisation de comportements de santé sexuelle et reproductive plus sains dans huit territoires dans les provinces du Sud et du Nord Kivu de la RDC. Le programme Mawe Tatu combine pour la première fois une approche de micro finance pour accroître la participation des femmes dans l'économie des ménage avec des interventions favorisant l'égalité entre les sexes à travers la
réduction de la violence basée sur le genre et l'amélioration des droits de santé sexuelle et reproductive des femmes. L’étude examinera les changements dans la participation économique des femmes, la prévalence de la violence basée sur le genre, et la prise de conscience des droits sexuels et reproductifs Read More...

Mawe Tatu English Summary of Endline Evaluation

This summary presents key findings of the endline study contucted to evaluate the effectiveness of the "Mawe Tatu" (M3) program in North and South Kivu Provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The M3 project was implemented to improve the household economy of vulnerable groups, to reduce gender-based violence through improving equity in gender relations; and to improve sexual and reproductive health among women, men, and youth.
Guiding questions included:
1. Did the household economy, and the socio-economic situation of women improve as a result of the introduction of VSLAs?
2. Did men get successfully engaged to support women’s economic autonomy, to reduce gender-based violence, and to support women in their decisions about their sexual and reproductive health?
3. Were young women and men empowered to take healthy decisions for their sexual and reproductive life?

Full evaluation (in French) here: http://www.careevaluations.org/evaluation/mawe-tatu-evaluation-finale-phase-i-et-etude-de-base-partielle-phase-ii/ Read More...

MAWE TATU Évaluation Finale Phase I et Étude de base partielle phase II

Ce rapport est le livrable final de l’évaluation finale phase I du projet Mawe Tatu et l’étude de base phase II du projet.
Pour rappel, Mawe Tatu est un projet financé par le gouvernement néerlandais (de Décembre 2015 à Mai 2019) et mis en oeuvre dans les provinces du Nord-Kivu et du Sud-Kivu. L’objectif général du programme est que, d’ici 2019, les femmes, les hommes et les jeunes (hommes et femmes) des cinq territoires concernés du Nord-Kivu et du Sud-Kivu deviennent des acteurs clés dans la promotion de relations plus égales entre hommes et femmes qui empêchent les VBG(Violences basées sur le genre), favorisent une meilleure gestion économique des ménages et des comportements plus sains en matière de santé sexuelle et reproductive (tels que la planification familiale, dans une perspective trans-générationnelle).
Trois résultats contribuent à atteindre cet objectif :
• 23 900 femmes, organisées en associations villageoises d'épargne et de crédit (AVEC) et en réseaux AVEC (RAVEC), améliorent leur statut social et économique et influencent la promotion et l'application de leurs droits,
• 10 000 hommes adoptent des attitudes et des comportements qui contribuent à améliorer les relations de pouvoir et à réduire la violence sexiste,
• 24 655 filles et garçons développent des relations saines et travaillent ensemble pour promouvoir l'égalité des sexes.
Les responsabilités des organisations sont liées aux trois résultats du projet et sont définies comme suit :
• CARE Nederland était responsable de la gestion des contrats et du contrôle de la qualité
• ADJ était responsable du résultat 1 relatif à l’autonomisation des femmes,
• COMEN était responsable du résultat 2 et de la partie du résultat 3, centrée sur les hommes et les garçons s'engageant dans une masculinité positive et luttant contre la violence sexiste.
• CARE RDC était responsable de la partie du résultat 3, axée sur l’éducation sexuelle complète (CSE), et
• Swiss TPH en charge du suivi et de l'évaluation ainsi que de la recherche opérationnelle Read More...

Pilote d’Apprentissage sur la réplication des AVEC (VSLA multiplier Learning Pilot)

Pour mieux comprendre l’effet multiplicateur des modèles de réplication de FaFa Wa, une proposition pilote d’apprentissage a été soumis au fond flexible des départements Programs et Operations Internationales (IPO) et Programme pour le Partenariat et l’Apprentissage (Program Partnerships and Learning : PPL) et a obtenu un avis favorable.

Ce pilote d’apprentissage a pour but de comprendre :
1. L ‘ampleur (%) de l’effet multiplicateur des FaFa Wa sur la composition des groupes et les résultats découlant de la participation des VSLA après la fin des projets ;
2. La performance de groupements après la fin des projets (positive ou négative) ;
3. L’effet multiplicateur du modèle de réplication de l’initiative ‘’Bombe des Catalyseurs’’ sur la composition des groupes, et les résultats découlant de la participation des FaFa Wa.
Read More...

Women’s economic empowerment in emergency contexts: Niger case study

While discussion of the ‘Humanitarian, Development and Peace Nexus’ continues within the sector, there remains debate as to whether women’s economic empowerment is a luxury, or even feasible in humanitarian contexts where the priority is to keep people alive. Increasingly, however, humanitarians are seeing interventions aimed at women’s economic empowerment in emergency contexts as a key tool to increase protection and support people in crises to live in dignity. CARE set out to analyse whether financial inclusion strategies like community-led savings groups may in fact represent a way to not only respond to crises, but also to build resilience against them, even in highly fluid contexts.

In June 2018, CARE teams conducted fieldwork in two areas where it is implementing ongoing humanitarian interventions. CARE organised focus groups and interviews with communities and individuals in Diffa and Konni where it has delivered humanitarian assistance. The interventions combined blanket cash distributions, and the establishment of savings and credit groups which also provided women with life skills and business training to set up small businesses.

Within a crisis setting, combining a savings group structure including income generation support with humanitarian assistance such as food and non-food items (NFIs) helped women not only to meet basic needs in a more sustainable way, but also improved their independent access to and control over money.

During emergencies, providing women with humanitarian cash to cover basic needs allowed women in savings groups to continue saving and to invest in income generating activities (IGA), rather than using up capital on food.

If crises continue to hit, the positive impact of savings groups set up in emergencies can become strained. In this case, further cash interventions can preserve small businesses.

Membership of savings groups and receipt of IGAs and life skills training increased women’s income and confidence. Membership of a savings group provides psychosocial benefits to women who are suffering anxiety, depression or trauma by providing a social network that meets and talks regularly. Read More...

Kore Lavi Safety Net Beneficiary Resilience Assessment

As part of its mandate, the Kore Lavi program has developed and established a food voucher-based social safety net model for the poorest households in conjunction with the Haitian Government – through the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MAST). This Resilience Assessment contributes to a stronger understanding of the current food security and resilience situations of the most vulnerable program beneficiaries.

Based upon the data collected, the social safety net members – which is considered as the study sampling universe – are mainly affected by Illness, death and drought, respectively. The experiences shared by the respondents also revealed that they often face several types of shocks and stressors simultaneously.

The food voucher had a very positive impact and helped a lot during each key moment: before the shock or stressor affected the respondent, immediately after, sometime after and now. In the different stories that were shared, a certain number of respondents mentioned that they have no other means to ensure their food security - other than the Kore Lavi food vouchers. With regard to the food vouchers indirect contribution, it is important to highlight that 59% of
respondents used the money they saved to pay school fees and 28% to pay medical fees. 36% save it in their Village Saving and Loans Association (VSLA). Yet, there is also an emerging group that used the money to invest in agricultural endeavors and start-up income generating activities.

When comparing the three main types of assets (personal, social and physical-financial resources), it could be observed that especially vulnerable respondents tended to rely on social resources. Generally, the respondents used more negative coping mechanisms that compromise their food security like eating less or less preferred meals per day (58%), reducing expenditures related to household needs (32%), producing charcoal (33%), reducing agriculture production area (20%) and livestock (19%) or selling assets.

The study identified that 22% of VSLA members followed resilient pathways versus 16% of non VSLA respondents. In almost all the signifier questions, there were found small differences between both groups, but not as much as it was initially expected by the Kore Lavi team. Read More...

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