2020 Change the Game Cohorts Share Learnings
“Learning never exhausts the mind”. This is true for Organisations that want to be self-reliant and sustainable. On 24th May 2021, UNNGOF hosted a return session with the 2020 cohorts of the Change the Game Academy. The cohorts were trained and received certificates on Local Fundraising and mobilizing support in 2020. The purpose of this session was to check if the cohorts had been able to apply the skills learnt in their organisations. In addition to this, the cohorts shared the challenges faced and lessons learnt as they begun the journey of locally fundraising and mobilizing community support to carry out program activities.
Many of the participants had testimonies to share. One example of learning was from the KACCO representative; they were able to provide a water source at OTUBOI Town View Primary school. This was done through fundraising to a tune of 10m shillings from Parents and school administration. They learnt that local leaders were key in convincing parents and the community to come on board.
Another is that “Change is the end result of all true learning.” Masanafu child and family support today charge a reasonable fee for the community services it renders. This has facilitated community ownership of services rendered and community funding. Furthermore, KADOLHA was able to bring light to the Batwa community. This was through organizing a health immunization camp and providing food to the Batwa through partnering with the district health officers and fundraising locally from the Lions rotary club.
The norm of Corporate social responsibility was introduced. This was what Mazima Community Development was able to tap into to locally fundraise for its projects. Hope of nation reechoed this through their initiative to partner with their service providers. The organization decided to inform their service providers about their work in the community. On hearing their story, the hard ware provider was able to give them 30 bags of cement to carry out their construction project and also Centenary Bank promised to support them.
In all this, through sharing experiences we learn and create buy in, through learning we become the best versions of ourselves and for the community.
