Mary Dosunmu, Ph.D., is a Nigerian scientific manager at Pharmacyclics, an AbbVie company where she has worked for three years. Before Pharmacyclics, she was a clinical data specialist at Stryker Neurovascular. Mary founded a diaspora organization called Northern California Nigerians in the Bay area to foster a social and community network. She is also the vice president of the Board for the Cheza Nami Foundation, an organization geared toward promoting diversity and social education within the community. Mary obtained her Bachelor’s degree (BSc) in Pharmacology and Physiology from University College London and her Ph. D. in Neuroscience from Georgetown University. Mary plans to leverage her background in research and scientific communication as part of the Village Enterprise board. She currently lives in the Bay Area with her husband and two boys. 

Lisa Guerra, Ph.D., brings technical leadership experience from her prior work as co-founder and vice president of engineering at several software startups. Her current focus is on advising and supporting social impact leaders in creating a better world through education, entrepreneurship, improving economic opportunity, and protecting our environment. We are excited about Lisa’s focus because it aligns perfectly with our mission to end poverty by creating entrepreneurship opportunities in East Africa. Lisa is especially interested in how technology can scale social impact, which is timely as we embark on the journey to digitize our business training program. Lisa also serves on the Board of Silicon Valley Social Venture Partners and is a UC Berkeley Foundation Board Trustee. Lisa has a Ph.D. in engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Engineering from Stanford University. Lisa lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two boys.

To see a full list of all of our fantastic Board Members, please check out the website here. 

The post Introducing Two New Board Members appeared first on Village Enterprise.

After the webinar concluded, we received a handful of great questions submitted by viewers. We have gone through each one and provided answers, which can be found below. Additionally, if you would like to watch a recording of the webinar you can do so here. We have also provided minute by minute timestamps of the various topics covered during the webinar which can also be found below. 

COVID-19 has upended the world, but Village Enterprise is committed to adapting and overcoming challenges we are faced with head-on.

Webinar Breakdown

• 4:04 – Welcome from CEO and moderator, Dianne Calvi
• 4:50 – “On the Front Line” video
• 6:37 – Dianne: The economic forecast for the extreme poor in Africa and some highlights of Village Enterprise’s efforts so far to aid our business owners and protect our staff.
• 9:06 – Introduction of senior field leadership, Winnie Auma, Uganda Country Director, Taddeo Muriuki, VP of Africa Operations, and Zach Hoins, COO
• 9:46 – Winnie: The current COVID-19 situation in rural Uganda, and the outlook for the future.
• 13:50 – Taddeo: The current COVID-19 situation in Kenya, how it differs from Uganda, and the outlook for the future.
• 16:45 – Winnie: COVID-19’s impact on Village Enterprise’s small business owners, the challenges they face, and the opportunities they seize.
• 22:00 – Taddeo: Effect of Kenya advancements in technology and infrastructure The effect on the implementation of Village Enterprise’s program adaptations due to the COVID-19 crisis.
• 29:25 – Winnie: Village Enterprise’s response to the crisis and to help our business owners overcome their challenges.
• 34:35 – Taddeo: New methods of building capacity and supporting Village Enterprise field staff
• 40:15 – Zach: Village Enterprise’s plans to ensure our organization’s resilience through the crisis.
• 46:50 – Winnie: The specific effect on women from the pandemic.
• 50:30 – Taddeo: The immediate and long-term economic consequences.
• 54:10 – Zach: COVID-19’s impact on business savings groups.
• 56:50 – Winnie: How businesses are adapting to bridge new gaps.
• 59:30 – Taddeo: More of Village Enterprise’s methods to support business owners in crisis, and the introduction of stimulus grants.

Viewer Questions and Answers

Is it likely that restrictions will be lifted more quickly in rural areas since people are more outside there and the virus does not spread so easily outside and the prevalence is mostly in the bigger urban areas, as you said?

Most of the COVID-19 cases in Kenya are domiciled within the major urban areas and border points. Initially, the government decided to take extra precautions and impose countrywide travel restrictions and curfew hours. We have started to see the gradual easing of restrictions in areas with low COVID-19 prevalence, but travel embargoes are still in place for Nairobi/Mombasa and border towns with Uganda.

I did not really understand the importance of mobile fund disbursement. Could you explain that again, please?

There are many reasons mobile fund disbursements are important. The most significant benefit is that it reduces overall risk. Typically disbursements involve staff members withdrawing money from the bank, counting it, packaging it into envelopes and bags, carrying the bag in a vehicle to the field, and then disbursing the money to our entrepreneurs. By adopting mobile cash transfers, we can increase accountability, traceability, and scalability of the cash transfer process. At the same time, we are able to safeguard our staff. Mobile disbursements are also much faster, which saves time and energy for everyone involved. However, there are still challenges that we are trying to address, poor network, registering and confirming new SIM cards and lines, and getting liquid cash to the last mile through a network company. The ability to do mobile cash disbursement has never been more critical as gatherings have been banned and in-person disbursements have not been feasible due to COVID-19.

Are Village Enterprise field staff able to continue the training of new business owners and start new businesses at the same rate as before the COVID crisis?

We have currently suspended our in-person operations since large gatherings are banned and transportation is very limited. Additionally, we are not starting any new businesses, but instead providing remote mentoring to existing business owners to help them adapt during the lockdown. However, our goal is to begin training new business owners in July — pending countries are reopening in mid-June as expected.

Tell us more about this ‘design challenge’. What problem are you trying to address? How does the Design Challenge work? 

Over the past month, the Impact Creation team has collaborated with Village Enterprise staff to launch a Digitization Design Challenge. This Design Challenge team is led by Meshack Mbinda, director of technology solutions, and includes seven field staff members. Celeste Brubaker, vice president of impact, serves as the Impact Creation point of contact responsible for the facilitation of the process. The team is currently involved in 120 different research tasks, from business mentor interviews, analyzing Nike ads, and speaking with representatives at One Acre Fund. They are currently in the inspiration phase of the Human-Centered Design process and will move to ideation (including lean testing) and implementation phases in the months to come. The goal of the Digitization Design Challenge is to identify how we might significantly scale our reach through digitally programming while maintaining impact. The other goal is to include as many voices as possible in this process, from business mentors to country directors.

One of the main problems we are trying to address is how to effectively communicate with our business owners during a time when we can’t go to the field. We are working on implementing a text message system that will send our business owners valuable information about health and safety, tips regarding agriculture, and other helpful advice.

The team is also currently in the ideation phase and is carrying out three lean tests, including a micro-pilot aimed at testing whether a stimulus grant is likely to be productively invested by Business Groups in the current economic environment. The goal of the Pandemic Capital Design Challenge is to identify how we might ensure our business owners have the necessary capital to effectively run their businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the US there is an increase in domestic violence, has Village Enterprise seen this in their business owners’ situations?

Although Uganda is reporting a rise in cases of domestic violence, we have not received any specific case reports from our business owners. We have a component of family support integrated into our program. Although there is one member representing a household at the business group or program, the whole household is educated on the role they play in helping the representing business owner succeed in the business. The whole household knows what the benefit is. The business benefits when everyone is living in harmony and it’s in their best interest for the business to succeed. Since the beginning of COVID, we have stayed connected with our business owners and have provided both emotional and business support which we believe is going a long way to help families stay united.

Are you worried about a larger (than usual) number of businesses going out of business? Are you considering making additional grants to existing businesses to help them weather a downturn rather than focusing on the formation of new business groups? 

In early May, Village Enterprise’s monitoring and evaluation team conducted phone interviews with over 1,000 small business owners in order to learn the most significant issues they are facing right now. The results show that the countrywide shutdowns of transportation and markets in Kenya and Uganda have severely affected our business owners, with many of them unable to sell their goods without a market. 71% of business owners in Uganda and 84% of business owners in Kenya report that their revenues have decreased either significantly or somewhat. Many businesses may not be able to overcome this crisis.

In order to mitigate this risk, the team is currently in the ideation phase and is carrying out three lean tests, including a micro-pilot aimed at testing whether a stimulus grant is likely to be productively invested by business groups in the current economic environment. The goal of the Pandemic Capital Design Challenge is to identify how we might ensure our business owners have the necessary capital to effectively run their businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A related challenge at this time in East Africa: how is the locust problem impacting our business owners? 

This is a great question. John Francis Omusolo, our business and savings lead based in Soroti, Uganda, wrote a great blog post about this matter which you can read here.

Village Enterprise has done a good job educating business owners about environmental sustainability when choosing/running their businesses. How will this crisis affect this focus?

It’s a known fact that most vulnerable communities when hit by shocks ultimately turn to the environment, especially forest resources, to supplement their incomes. COVID-19 has basically curtailed and disrupted most demand and supply chains. Uganda imposed a nationwide lockdown for over a month and during this time the business owners were engaged in garden work which was not disruptive to the environment. The biggest threat to the environment in the areas we work is charcoal burning. During this period, however, the demand for charcoal fell due to lack of transport leaving some space for the environment to rejuvenate.

Although the COVID-19 disruptions are happening, it has also presented an opportunity for Village Enterprise to speed up the pivot towards digitizing most processes including training. We will continue to test and refine a number of innovations tailored towards making sure that environmental sustainability is preserved. Such innovations will include testing new types of businesses that are not heavily reliant on the environment like poultry and pig rearing, encouraging the production of value chains that enhance soil productivity. This is and will be done through linkages with key private sector players within our areas of operation.

Does Village Enterprise see only micro-enterprise continuing to run a solution to the crisis we are facing? Are you thinking about providing anything else (masks, soap, etc)? 

Although we believe micro-enterprise will be an integral part of resilience for our business owners, it certainly won’t be the only area where intervention is necessary for success.  It is the primary area though where expertise can be integral. With that being said, we will continue to go above and beyond the health guidelines given by country governments and public health officials in our areas of operation to ensure people have masks and access to handwashing facilities.  As we see gaps, whether it be a lack of supplies or adoption of protocols, we will seek ways to close them through our program as well as linking with partners who have expertise.

The post On the Front Line: A conversation with our field leadership on Village Enterprise’s response to COVID-19 appeared first on Village Enterprise.

Before the coronavirus, Lamwaka Lillian used to arrive home after selling tomatoes and onions in the market and hug her two-year-old daughter. Now, this routine can’t happen, because Lamwaka’s afraid of catching the coronavirus while serving customers in the market and spreading it to her daughter. She has no idea where her customers come from or who they’ve interacted with, so she is especially cautious when she comes home by removing the exposed clothing and washing her skin diligently before hugging her child. This is Lamwaka’s new reality; a reality that is seen and felt all around the world during this global pandemic.

When Lamwaka is selling tomatoes and onions to her customers she often thinks, “what if they have the virus?” In an effort to keep her community safe, she now carries water and soap to her stall and asks her customers to wash their hands before tending to their orders.

Lamwaka’s caution, in fact, fact prompted a business opportunity. After they noticed Lamwaka had soap at her stall, customers began asking if they could buy it from her. Due to a lockdown in Uganda that has been in effect since late March, transportation has been prohibited. The lockdown has allowed health officials to contain and monitor the virus within the country, however, it has led to difficulties for people who reside outside of major towns. People in Lamwaka’s trading center used to sell soap and other goods purchased from nearby Gulu, but since they are prohibited from moving, this market was disbanded. But people still need soap.

Lamwaka knew what she needed to do. She went home, collected the necessary ingredients, and began to make soap. She mixed chemicals and added scents and coloring until she concocted a liquid soap that would end up being purchased by many of her customers in Paicho.

Lamwaka now makes and sells soap regularly in addition to her regular wares.

At Village Enterprise, we help our business owners understand the importance of diversification and market research. Before starting a business, we encourage our business owners to see what is needed in their village. Maybe it’s onions or fish, or maybe it’s used clothing. We also encourage them not to put all of their eggs into one basket, because remaining flexible and expanding a business to other products is always a great way to get more revenue. Lamwaka did just that, during a pandemic no less!

The post Village Enterprise COVID-19 Tales: Produce Seller Becomes Soap Maker during Pandemic appeared first on Village Enterprise.

When Village Enterprise Business Mentor, Dan Kezengwa, logged onto Facebook and saw a post by a Village Enterprise partner, Days for Girl International, talking about their #Masks4Millions campaign, he got an idea. What if he advised his tailoring business owners to switch their operation to producing masks and selling them within their community? It would ensure that people in western Kenya could protect themselves from COVID-19 and keep the business owners employed. He visited his business owners from a safe distance and proposed the idea. They liked it.

“I told them to venture into that and use the materials they have and start selling at a lower price than the price other masks are sold at,” Dan explained.

Three days later, after discussing the idea with the three business owners, Karakacha Eunice Nabwile, Mwima Gladys Nafula, and Okumu Centrine Nabwile, Dan found a studio that once made school uniforms and dresses for events transformed into a business that makes masks for community members. The three business owners conducted a market survey within their village and learned that most people prefer white masks because they resemble the ones found on doctors and television, though some motorbike drivers found the colorful option appealing too.

The business owners started their mask business in the first week of April. By the end of the first week, they completed an order of fifty masks for our Kenyan Village Enterprise staff, as well as many other orders they’ve received from community members. They are selling the masks at .50 cents apiece and find themselves energized by the number of orders they’re receiving.

The post Village Enterprise COVID-19 Tales: Dressmakers become Mask Makers appeared first on Village Enterprise.

Paicho, Uganda, is a small town located thirty minutes outside of Gulu. It’s a simple place containing a few small shops that supply food items, gardening tools, and gasoline, and a rolex (an egg omelet and veggies wrapped in chapati) stand on the side of the road. It’s also home to Norbert Otim, a Village Enterprise business mentor. Norbert has lived here ever since we expanded our operations to the Gulu sub-region last year.

I called Norbert earlier this week to check-in on him and see how Paicho is handling the news of the global pandemic. The virus has not yet reached his town, but the uncertainty of when it will arrive hangs in the air. “People come to me for COVID-19 information,” Norbert explains, “including the community leaders.”

I hear some noise in the background, and Norbert explains, “Oh the LC1 has just dropped by.” In Uganda, villages usually consist of 50 to 70 households and may contain between 250 and 1,000 people, and each village is run by a local council — Local Council 1 (LC1). “Do you want to talk to him?” Norbert asks. “Sure, put him on,” I respond.

I introduce myself to Okello Patrick, the LC1 of Paicho, and ask him how he’s guiding the community at this time. “I’m telling people that they should keep calm and practice what the Ministry of Health is advising: stay home, wash your hands, and avoid social gatherings.”

I ask to know which questions and concerns he’s hearing from community members. “Within the village, people are fearful that the virus is hitting the countries where donations come from. They fear that they don’t know what will come after this. If God could allow the medics to easily come up with something that could sort this out, that would be good. People in Paicho fear the virus, and some act as if they are helpless.”

Norbert Otim is a leader in the community, a person people look up to for guidance and advice. This is no surprise since Village Enterprise business mentors are teachers in their villages and sources of information. “Okello asks me every day for news. It’s difficult to find authentic information, so I’m trying to help with that.” In Uganda, there’s a lot of fake news circulating about COVID-19. “People get this fake news because it is human nature to spread rumors,” Norbert tells me. “They don’t have time to ask questions and gather information. There aren’t reliable sources of information. A few days ago people were saying that if you drink a lot of alcohol, it will sort this virus and cure Corona.”

At this time, Village Enterprise staff are working across Uganda and Kenya to call all of our business owners and Business Savings Groups to determine how people are faring. When checking on his business owners over the phone, Nobert is addressing the lack of genuine and authentic information. “There are people just doing things out of fear. Sometimes we need to fear because it is a deadly virus. But we shouldn’t just fear to fear. There are people who are fearing what they don’t know and don’t know why they are fearing.” At this time, clear information is valuable, especially in remote villages where information typically doesn’t come from a reliable source.

Norbert misses the daily action of visiting his business owners and feels strange sitting in one place all day. “I wake up in the morning just sitting there. Sometimes I feel something just burning me up. You’re not sick, but you can’t go anywhere. I’m worried about my business savings groups and business owners and how the crisis will affect them. I fear that they won’t be working well once this is all over. But fortunately, in rural villages, our business owners are opening land and gardening. Within trading centers, people are just seated; there is no land to plow.

The post Village Enterprise COVID-19 Tales: Norbert Otim appeared first on Village Enterprise.

On Tuesday, Anthony Enabu, a Village Enterprise Field Associate based in Dokolo, Uganda, posted a photo of himself on WhatsApp wearing a face mask and a white helmet with a plastic shield that covered his entire face. He captioned the photo: “That’s how I showed up in the main market in a bid to stock fuudu (food)…” 

Anthony is currently staying at his family home in Soroti, Uganda with his children. When he put on the face mask and helmet with the protective shield, his son said “Daddy you killed it today.” “I have to protect myself in order to protect you,” Anthony told him. 

When asked why he felt compelled to wear the mask to the market, Anthony explained “It’s one of my precautions due to the spread of Covid. This virus is like wildfire. Especially in an open market where people come to buy food. You have to protect yourself and others. You can’t ascertain whether you have it or even if another person has it.” 

One of the biggest challenges Anthony faces during this time are numerous requests from family members. Anthony, along with all Village Enterprise staff, will remain employed during the duration of this global pandemic and people in his circle are looking to him for support. “It’s getting harder every day. The little savings that you have, people are looking up to you. You have to buy food and stock for everyone. You literally are left barehanded. We try to work with the little resources that we have.” At this time, Uganda is on day three of a country-wide lockdown. People are not allowed to use vehicles or motorbikes, most stores are closed, and in some places, markets have shut completely. 

During this uncertain time, Village Enterprise is developing a system that will enable our field team to continue checking in with our current business owners. “The backbone of the economy is agriculture,” Anthony explained. “So we’re telling our business owners to take care of their garden and not to crowd in big groups. Then, after planting, they will have three months to wait for the crops to grow. They will have that time to prepare for the future.”Although we have suspended our operations to follow governmental social distancing orders, our business mentors and field associates all across Uganda and Kenya are keeping up with their communities, providing support, and answering any questions. 

“The biggest thing we can do right now,” Anthony added, “is stick together, be keen, and fight this as a team. It’s not one man’s battle, but together we can overcome it.”  

The post Village Enterprise COVID-19 Tales: Anthony Enabu appeared first on Village Enterprise.

The post Village Enterprise’s Response to Covid-19 appeared first on Village Enterprise.

I follow Santa through tall grasses, past banana plants that are slightly bent as if in a mid-bow after a tremendous ballet, and by sorghum and maize fields. She pushes her hands ahead and breaks any branches or plants that are blocking the path. We reach a sea of white cotton buds and enter the thick bush to find her fellow business owner busy harvesting. They share a greeting, and then Santa also begins plucking the fluffy crop from its beige cocoon. Santa began this cotton business a few months ago through the Village Enterprise market linkage pilot program in partnership with The Gulu Agricultural Development Company (GADCO). The business has given Santa hope. It has given her the ability to see that there are more possibilities in this world, which is something she hasn’t always been able to realize.

Life has been difficult for Santa. She spent more than five years in a refugee camp during the Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency in northern Uganda when she and thousands of families were exiled from their homes. The camp was only a few kilometers from her family home and it was there that she gave birth to a child that only lived a few months. Then her husband was killed by the LRA. Santa was destroyed. She did not know how to carry on with life.

Eventually, she married her current husband and together they planted beans and sorghum during their first year of marriage. But the LRA burned everything to the ground. Then, they bought an ox and plow, but the ox died. Things felt pretty dire for Santa. It was one thing after the other. She carried on for a few years without a source of income and struggled to put food on the table.

Mirriam Aguti, a Village Enterprise business mentor, is the person who put an end to Santa’s difficult situation. She invited her to join the Village Enterprise program and learn how to start a business of her own. She rigorously applied herself to the lessons presented by Mirriam and became energized by the independence she gained from knowing how to earn and spend her own money. She was so inspired that she has since recruited many people to join the Village Enterprise program to start businesses of their own. She is an inspiration in her community due to her hard work and commitment to her cotton growing business.

Santa’s energetic joy cascades around her being and it is contagious: she was elected the Chairwoman of her business savings group, which is composed of ten three-person businesses or 30 individuals, because of her determined spirit. People are drawn to her because of her charisma and wisdom. She has an exceptional ability to bring people together and make them feel confident and strong.

Santa learned from Village Enterprise business trainings the importance of caring for her community: she goes and advises people in order to help people in her community feel cared for and to resolve conflicts.

“You are stronger and do better in a group than alone. Someone may be in a poor situation, Village Enterprise can uplift that person by helping him/her start a three-person business. When three people are given $150, together they come with different ideas and different skill sets, and they think through the smartest ways they can use that money to build a successful and profitable business.”

Santa dreams to build her own concrete house for herself and to build a strong, caring and united community. She is a leader determined to continue to uplift her village and to be an inspiration to those who haven’t been empowered yet.

This #GivingTuesday we want to fund two entire villages in northern Uganda so more people like Santa can realize their potential. Join our campaign: donate.villageenterprise.org/givingtuesday2019

The post Santa the Chairwoman from Paicho appeared first on Village Enterprise.

Three business owners in Paicho, a sub-region of Gulu, Uganda, lead Village Enterprise team members through thick grasses, along long, winding, dirt paths, to a large field where small, light green plants have recently appeared from beneath the soil. In three months, these small cotton plants will be large and tall, ready to be harvested. 

During the first half of 2019, Village Enterprise linked 274 business groups to the cotton value chain. This pilot focused on the Northern Uganda region (both due to the availability of worthy private sector actors, proximity to innovations leads, and potential of success and impact due to the prevalence of fertile land and business owners with agricultural experience). The pilot was implemented in all three districts of Northern Uganda operations (Paicho, Nwoya, and Kitgum) and the implementation varied slightly depending on the district. 

At first, some communities were hesitant to grow cotton. Village Enterprise has also never encouraged cotton production because the seeds take a long time to mature, which meant business owners were only harvesting once per year; growing cotton was a bad business practice and wasn’t profitable. But due to improved seeds, the cotton can be harvested after only four months. We decided to use cotton production for our market linkages pilot in northern Uganda. 

What’s the history of cotton in Uganda?

Under colonialism, the British colonial government split Uganda into several regions of agricultural production. Each region focused on producing a specific cash crop: sugar and tea were grown in the central region, the Eastern Region produced sugar, the West produced tea, and the Northern Regions produced cotton and tobacco. After independence, the production of these crops for export prevailed in their given regions, and for many years they were regulated by marketing boards at the national level. During the era of structural adjustment (1980’s) the marketing boards were dismantled as the agriculture market was privatized. However, the cotton value chain remains highly regulated by the Ugandan government. The cotton industry (everything from farming to ginning to exporting) is overseen by the Cotton Development Organization (CDO), which falls under the Ministry of Agriculture. CDO is the only organization allowed to train cotton farmers (or issue certifications or approvals to train) and also approves designated areas for organic cotton production. CDO has formed a very close relationship with our private sector partner, Gulu Agricultural Development Company, and has approved them to train and certify organic cotton farmers in Nwoya and Gulu districts. However, Kitgum remains approved for conventional cotton only.

The Innovations Team spent a few months researching and vetting potential private sector actors to engage in our market linkage pilot. We decided to work with Gulu Agricultural Development Company and the Cotton Development Organization (GADC/CDO). GADC has demonstrated experience and reach. They are extremely well respected in both the agriculture and development sectors within Uganda. They have 10+ years of experience in engaging small-holder farmers and are the leading producers of cotton and organic sesame for export. They also have an outstanding field network system; GADC staff is among the best partner teams we’ve ever encountered. They have an extensive presence in the community —  from their office staff to their field team. And the most important component is their dedication to improving the lives of farmers. 

So how does it work?

 GADC provides training, business owners use their grant money from Village Enterprise to purchase improved seeds, the plants grow and mature, and then GADC buys the cotton directly from the business owners. GADC checks-in with our business owners to ensure that their crops are growing well and provides and assistance that may be necessary. It’s a completely community-based operation because GADC has field teams based in the villages where our business owners are located. Village Enterprise business owners are aware of GADC and know exactly where their cotton will be taken once it’s been harvested. There is no middle-man scamming them or using faulty scales. GADC also takes care of all transportation costs, which eliminates another typical burden farmers face. GADC also offers our business owners the option to take out a loan from them to hire ox and plows, which allows for more productive farming.  

GADC is also a completely sustainable business. Once our farmers have sold their cotton, the crop is taken to a factory in Gulu where the cotton is separated from the seeds. The seeds are milled and turned into soap, animal feeds, and fertilizers. There is no waste in this operation. 

At this point in the pilot, it is clear that this project is providing business owners with a sense of comfort because they know there is a guaranteed market for their crop. The elimination of this worry encourages them to care for their crops and it also provides time for them to invest their energy into starting other businesses on the side for additional income. Because they know their cotton will be sold, they can take a chance and diversify. 

We will have an update for this project in a few months once our business owners have harvested their cotton. 

The post Linking to the Cotton Market appeared first on Village Enterprise.

Over the past year our staff from different functional teams (finance, programs, etc.) of both country offices, began the process of redesigning our disbursements to ensure the safety of our staff and business owners and maintain the integrity of our disbursement process. Using insights gained from field observation and focus group discussions, the team used Human Centered Design to synthesize learnings from the field as well as from other organizations (lessons learned from the BOMA Project, GiveDirectly, etc.) to design a solution for disbursements using mobile money.

As we approach our first destination, tension builds. Aneno has been in extensive conversation with MTN Mobipay, the mobile company assisting us with this process. Mobipay is a technology solutions company that provides customizable bulk payment systems. They were able to develop a custom system tailored to our financial reporting and operational needs in less than three weeks. The system is easy to use, low cost, and can be further developed and customized to accommodate our systems as needed (e.g. work with Taroworks and new accounting software,  NetSuite). The biggest concern we have with this new process is whether or not our business owners will be able to access cell service. The first group we meet moved a few kilometers from their usual meeting point in order to connect to a strong network. Without that network, the business owners will not be able to receive their grant money through our mobile payment.

How do mobile money disbursements work?

All business groups have to register a new line to ensure group ownership. Lines are registered in the names of one business owner (who has a national ID) and all members need to know the pins. SIM cards are left in the savings box and checked out when needed. When confirming registration with mobile carriers, Village Enterprise uses in-country partners (Safaricom and Mobipay in Kenya and Uganda respectively) and confirms that the list of new phone lines are registered to the correct names and have enrolled in mobile money. Any inconsistencies are addressed. When sending money to approved lines on the day of disbursements, the list of lines is approved again and then the money is disbursed (two-level approval process in line with the approval matrix). Any groups unprepared to receive their money are removed from the list for disbursement at a later date. Once business owners receive an SMS confirming the money has been deposited in their accounts, they sign the hard copy receipts. At disbursements, business owners can withdraw their cash through a mobile money agent, who is present with cash. Groups can withdraw what they need to start the business at the disbursement location.

The first group is gathered under the shade of a large, protective tree. Aneno, Zita, and business mentor Otim Norbert stand in front of our business owners. Aneno begins explaining the process of our mobile money grant disbursements. We soon learn that there are some problems. Some of the business owner’s pins aren’t working, which means they won’t be able to receive the money. We scramble to fix the issue. We’re on the phone with our team in the Gulu office. Someone’s contacting MTN. Another is manually resetting pin numbers. We need this experiment to work.

After two hours, we are ready and we tell Cissy, our Finance and Administration associate in the Gulu office, to initiate the disbursements. We are all waiting in great anticipation. Cissy logs into her account and selects the business owners she needs to grant money to, and then submits the request. A few moments later, we hear the welcome sound of phones ringing. We all begin cheering and singing and dancing. It worked!

This moment was monumental for Village Enterprise. With this new process, we will be able to disburse grant money in a safer, more efficient fashion. We are excited to see how this process will continue to develop and scale in the coming months.

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