Hi everyone

I am working with a community in Siaya district, some of the things we do for them is to construct a shelter. Some of the materials that can be provided by local community are; Timber/poles, labour and water for construction to some extent meals is provided (mixture of maize and beans). That is some of the suppport have seen in Siaya.

Thank you

Kobong

Hi

Just checking on members, i don't know how far is the kabondo project. I joined towards the end of last month, have posted one input but not sure of how far is the project. i would prefer a quick update

Kobong

Hello Kabong,

Thank you for your questions. I am the new facilitator (as of last week) and am just catching up on things. We will be going over the goals of the project and be making some changes/adjustments shortly and providing more updates, so please bare with us!

Barb

Hi Barbs

Thanks alot for ur quick response i wasn't able to respond immediately because in Siaya where i am, at times internet link is very poor. Hope to hear from you soon.

regards

Kobong

Hello Everyone,

The project plan is now posted in the resource section. A budget is there but may need a quick review.

Thanks,

Barb

Barb has asked me to take a look at the pro[posed budget for startup year 1 and continuation 2. She will post what I've done so far with the summary in the main proposal.

Thanks,

Jr

Kabondo Budget Proposal.xls

Dear Barb and others

Thanks Barb for inviting me to contribute. I am looking in on many of the Featured Villages as a member of the monitoring group (as is Barb) and also having assembled the Nabuur strategic review in August.

I appreciate that much work has been done on this project but I am concerned to ask some practical questions.

I have been involved with Nabuur projects since 2004. It is important to be aware that Nabuur is in trouble now because of failure to achieve many successes. One of the reasons for this failure is a pattern of production of large budget proposals, with complex business plans... which are not successful.

There are several issues here.

First, that there is an absolute need, with any significant project, for there to be capacity and commitment to implement it in the community. Eric, I can see that you are very very committed, but this kind of project, with its large scale and complexity, would surely like be a space ship arriving. Am I mistaken, is there a depth of skills in the community?

Second, where is the funding to come from? If you go back to the basic Nabuur vision as set out by the founder and present CEO Siegfried Woldhek in 2005
http://www.aplaceof.info/nabuur/0502siegfriedidyll01.htm
organisations agendas are FULL. I do not know how it is imagined funds will be obtained.... and there is no record of Nabuur finding such funds, nor is it possible to see major international organisations turning their programs around to support this.

Realistically, if one wanted this scale of intervention, you would be wise to seek out the organisation first.

But I need to ask, what is the basic objective? Is it not possible to start with basic items? Barb has started discussion of some such things...

The budget concept looks to me very old fashioned, or at least seems to be based on the idea of a mature project with settled purpose, income, etc. It would seem important to begin to break this down, into achievable fragments. It is very very hard to get even small donations, and I suggest small donations should be allocated to immediate start-up costs and capital items. If funds are sought for operating costs they will just vanish.

It seems to me absolutely essential to try to bring to the front things that the community really want to do, believe they can do. And see how they can be made to work. Rather than design a program on the basis of what might seem from the outside ideal.

I would welcome any comment. I am definitely speaking against this budget as unachievable. I am not wanting to crush. I am full of hope that projects based on empowering the local people - giving capacity to them rather than an external expensive program and program officers - may succeed.

best wishes

Dennis

Hello Dennis,

First, welcome! Thank you for your contributions. To address some of your points:

Community involvement: I am sure Eric can comment on this further but, here is a quote from the project plan (more about available human resources):

"Currently we have a small volunteer project staff with the Local Representative as the overall head, one project officer, and four field assistants. We also have a large resource base of volunteers, which include nuns, priests and lay persons"

It is my understanding that the community is involved actively and supports the efforts of Eric and the Kabondo Poverty Alleviation Organization.

Regarding objective- The main objective is to uplift the general welfare of HIV/AIDS orphans and their guardians. This is a complex issue that by its nature, requires a longer term commitment. Unlike skills training or setting up a vocational centre (which do address some underlying issues as well), children require care and support for a great number of years. They need more than food and shelter. This is why a multi-faceted approach was decided upon by the community. Self-reliance and sufficiency are paramount, and as such, the long-term goal is to assist the guardians - who then in turn take care of the children.

But, in the meantime, the immediate needs of the children were chosen to focus on. This is why we broke the tasks down into small, practical concrete tasks. But at the same time, unless this is to be a situation of ongoing support by outside well-wishers, the work towards self-sufficiency for the guardians is necessary.

The project outlines 5 activities

1. Formal Education
2. Small-Scale business towards self-reliance
3. Nutrition and Food
4. Medical Care
5. Counseling for Guardians and Children

In a nutshell - this can be broken down into 5 smaller projects.

I agree as well that small funds should be allocated to start-up first. This is one of the reasons we placed the task of finding administrative items (or as the tasks say, find the funds for these items).

I think we are on the same page Dennis. Start small and work up from there. The project plan provides, in a sense, the outline for where the community wants to go. We have to focus on getting there one step at a time.

Barb

For some reason on some Nabuur pages I can edit what I previously wrote, on others I cannot. I wanted to remove the last two post and replace with something clearer. But I can't perhaps Barb can - you may.

Barb points out that the spread sheet with dollar signs on it should have had Kenyan Shillings.

As of right now:

4,683,250.00 KES = 69,898.84 USD for one year.

It remains a large sum, and difficult to raise.

The key points I wanted to make before are these:

[1] when I read the budget I cannot see in it a process for deciding what you do if you get $70 or $700 or $7000 instead of $70000. (I have had the experience elsewhere of making a small donation for urgent need and months later asking what had been done... and being told it was waiting in the account for the other $12000.) You need a budget approach within the overall headings, to enable decisions on smaller package basis. I have suggested 'zero-base budgeting' elsewhere, where you list items on pieces of paper (one goat for 10 families; school supplies for 10 children; farm startup for 5 families; etc) and you can then have a big meeting and people put all the pieces of paper in order. Then when money comes in small packages, you can allocate it on the basis of agreed order, very easily AND you can review the order of these things.

[2] If you would like people to be really well, you will involve them to the maximum extent possible in decisions like this. And if you would like people on the outside to be really drawn in to your project, you will make it as clear as possible to them that everyone is involved. NOT just that they support the decisions of others. Where I was speaking of 'killed by kindness' I mean that it seems most desirable that people take control of their lives and decisions about their lives. The difference in value between 'hand-out' and 'hand-up'.

I hope this clarifies my message.

I am sorry if I was in a hurry earlier. And also that I seem to be committed in many places and cannot stay with you and help develop all this on a daily basis.

best wishes

Dennis

Hi Everyone,

Eric and I had a chat on Monday and we will be putting forward some issues for discussion, based on the comments raised by neighbours. A number of clarifications to the project plan and existing budget will be made, as well as some new possibilities for discussion. He will be meeting with the community this weekend and will provide and report of the meeting for us, as well.

Barb

Hello Everyone,

I am going to close down this task and start a new discussion. A link to this info will be provided.

Barb

This is a draft budget completed in excel.

Kabondo Budget Proposal.xls

After meeting with community, they made some revisions to the budget.

kABONDO Budget.doc