This is Timothy. He’s three.
He’s also rather happy.
One of the reasons he’s so happy is that his mom, Patience — that’s her, just behind him — is happy, and she’s happy because she’s one step closer to becoming one of our Mama Nguvu partners. She was one of 60 women who came out to our first information meeting for the Mama Nguvu Project (MNP) at Kiwuliriza Primary School April 30th. Her application came out as one of the top ten and so on May 7 we returned to speak with her and the other nine candidates. All the women impressed us with their goals and work ethics but the top ten were the applications that seemed most sustainable, practical and actionable.
We’re in the process of compiling the applications now for board review and hopefully there will be more up on this site soon. We also hope to have a special video section where we can post some introductory videos taken with my crummy little camera (any professional videographers out there who want to help? Email us!).
I’m very happy with the results of our first two MNP sessions. Including the potential candidates we spoke with on May 7, we have identified 20 candidates whose business ideas seem to fit under the ISEE umbrella. I am excited by the possibility that we can effect so much change in people’s lives in such a direct and powerful way.
The Mama Nguvu Project is really awesome. It is a grassroots, community-based initiative that empowers women, increases childhood education and benefits whole groups of people. The items we purchase are identified by the partners themselves, so there’s no implicit paternalism. Finally, there’s no percentage for amorphous administrative costs or processing fees; all the money you donate goes directly to the project, and anything leftover because of shrew bargaining on our part (well, on Andrew’s part, let’s be honest) goes to paying delivery and fuel costs. We don’t take a single penny shilling in benefit.
Timothy’s happy because his mom is happy, and she’s happy because the Mama Nguvu Project may just be a way for her to break the cycle of poverty and make a better life for her son.
And really… isn’t that what it’s all about?
