startup

GIVING HOPE

Project Location
Country: 
Rwanda
City: 
RWANDA (MUHANGA CITY / SOUTHERN PROVINCE)
Organization
Organization Name: 
YOUNG WOMEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF RWANDA (YWCA RWANDA)
Organization Type: 
Association
Website
http://www.ywcaofrwanda.org
Project Type
Education up to 10 years
Project Description
Description Frase (max. 500 characters): 
TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF AND TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN HEADING HOUSEHOLDS SO THAT THEY MAY BE EMPOWERED TO MANAGE THEIR OWN WELLBEING AND THE STABILITY OF THEIR FAMILIES, TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR COMMUNITIES AND TO LIVE IN THE SHELTER OF HOPE
Project Summary (max. 2000 characters): 
GIVING HOPE IN RWANDA STARTED IN THE AFTERMATH OF RWANDA 1994 GENOCIDE PERPETRATED AGAINST THE TUTSI WHICH LEFT THE COUNTRY WITH A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PEOPLE INFECTED WITH HIV AIDS AND HUGE NUMBER OF VULNERABLE CHILDREN AND ORPHANS. WITHIN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GIVING HOPE, YWCA IS OPERATING IN ELEVEN DISTRICTS OF FOUR PROVINCES IN RWANDA. IN 2004 YOUNG WOMEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION TOGETHER WITH CHURCH WORLD SERVICE (CWS) INITIATED GIVING HOPE PROGRAM IN RWANDA. THE TARGETED BENEFICIARIES OF GIVING HOPE PROGRAM ARE ORPHANS OF HIV/AIDS AND OTHER CAUSES, YOUTH CAREGIVERS (YCG) OF HOUSEHOLDS UNDER 25 YEARS OLD, ORPHANS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS AND CHILDREN LIVING WITH ELDERLY CAREGIVERS. THE GIVING HOPE PROGRAM PROVIDES AN INNOVATIVE MODEL TO ADDRESS RWANDA’S ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN (OVC). GIVING HOPE USES AN EMPOWERMENT METHODOLOGY THAT GOES BEYOND MONETARY SUPPORT, FOCUSING ON THE INDEPENDENT DEVELOPMENT OF “YOUTH CAREGIVERS.” THIS TERM REFERS TO MINORS WHO, THROUGH TRAGEDY, HAVE BECOME THE HEADS OF THEIR HOUSEHOLDS. THE FIRST STEP IN GIVING HOPE IS TO ORGANIZE “PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT WORKING GROUPS,” NETWORKS OF PARTICIPANTS BASED ON PROXIMITY. EACH GROUP CHOOSES THEIR MENTOR, A TRUSTED LOCAL ADULT. THE GROUP BECOMES A SURROGATE FAMILY, SHARING ADVICE AND INITIATING SAVINGS AND INTERNAL LOANS. ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN (OVC) ARE THEN ENCOURAGED TO CREATE A PLAN FOR THE REALIZATION OF THEIR GOALS, CALLED “DRAWING A DREAM.” THE HOUSEHOLDS ILLUSTRATE CONCRETE GOALS TOWARDS WHICH THE CHILDREN CAN DIRECT THEIR AMBITIONS. FINALLY, SPECIFIC VOCATIONAL TRAININGS AND INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES BEGIN ACCORDING TO THE DREAMS IDENTIFIED BY GROUP MEMBERS. IN ADDITION, OVC ARE EDUCATED ABOUT THEIR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC RIGHTS. GIVING HOPE GIVES STARTUP CAPITAL TO YOUTH GROUPS AND THE MEMBERS CAN ININTIATE COMMON INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES AND INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLD CAN HAVE LOAN FROM THE FUND OF THE GROUP TO REALIZE THEIR DREAMS AND PAY BACK THE LOAN WITH SOME INTEREST TO BE SAVED ON THE ACOUNT OF THE GROUP. THE MEMBERS GATHER WEEKLY TO DISCUSS IMMINENT NEEDS, AND ULTIMATELY, THE BENEFICIARIES “GRADUATE.”
How long has your project been running?
03/2004
Objectives and Innovative Aspects
What are the specific objectives of the project and what are the instruments used to achieve them?: 
RWANDA HAS A GREAT NUMBER OF ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN. MANY OF THESE CHILDREN ARE HAVING TO SUPPORT YOUNGER SIBLINGS AND FAMILY MEMBERS. THEY HAVE NO EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AND LITTLE MATERIAL SUPPORT. EDUCATION IS NON-EXISTENT AS THEY HAVE TO SPEND THEIR TIME STRUGGLING TO FIND MONEY OR FOOD TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILY. FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS YOUNG WOMEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF RWANDA (YWCA RWANDA) AND CHURCH WORLD SERVICE HAVE BEEN HELPING THESE CHILDREN TO ACCESS EDUCATION AND TEACHING THEM LIFE SKILLS. THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES ARE TO INCREASE LOCAL ATTENTION TO THE GROWING NUMBER AND NEEDS OF ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN, TO INCREASE SUPPORT FOR SELF-EMPOWERMENT OF VULNERABLE CHILDREN. REDUCE HIV/AIDS TRANSMISSION AND PROMOTE CHILD PROTECTION THROUGH YOUTH CLUBS AND TO ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIAN FAITH AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH OF OVC. AS FOR INSTRUMENTS, YWCA USES TRAININGS, YOUTH CLUBS AND YOUTH FORUMS AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL LEADERS AND MENTORSHIP. BY TRAINING THE YCG IN VOCATIONAL SKILLS AND IN THE SKILLS TO RUN THEIR OWN BUSINESS AND BY ENSURING THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO FUNDING WE ARE ENABLING THEM TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES WITHOUT SUPPORT FROM YWCA OR CWS. IN ADDITION, BY TRAINING THEM TO BECOME TRAINERS THEY CAN TRAIN THE NEW GROUPS OF YCG IN VOCATIONAL SKILLS TO ENSURE THAT THIS TRAINING IS SUSTAINABLE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF YWCA. YWCA RWANDA HAVE TRIALED THIS MODEL AND IT HAS PROVED SUCCESSFUL. IF WE CAN ENSURE THAT THE HIV/AIDS YOUTH CLUBS AND THE YOUTH FORUMS ARE SET UP TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE AND RUN THEMSELVES THEN YWCA CAN WITHDRAW AND THE CLUBS AND FORUMS CAN CONTINUE. IN ADDITION, BY ENSURING THAT THE COMMUNITY, THE LOCAL LEADERS AND AUTHORITIES, AND GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS ARE INVOLVED WE CAN INTEGRATE THE STRUCTURES INTO SOCIETY SO THEY BECOME COMMUNITY OWNED PROJECTS ALLOWING THEM TO GO FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH. THE SAME APPLIES TO THE MENTOR SCHEME, IF WE CAN GET IT INTEGRATED INTO EXISTING COMMUNITY STRUCTURES IT WILL BE ABLE TO BE SELF SUSTAINABLE. IN ADDITION, IF WE CAN TRAIN MENTORS AND LINK THEM TOGETHER FOR SUPPORT, YWCA RWANDA WILL BE ABLE TO WITHDRAW AND THE MENTORS WILL BE ABLE TO CARRY THE PROJECT ON WITHOUT YWCA OR CWS.
Results
Describe the results achieved by your project How do you measure (parameters) these. (max. 2000 characters): 
GIVING HOPE HAS REACHED 16,027 ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN WITH 5,479 HOUSEHOLDS, 409 WORKING GROUPS. THEY HAVE RECEIVED THE EMOTIONAL, MATERIAL AND EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT TO ENSURE THEY GROW UP TO BE WELL-ROUNDED, HEALTHY AND KNOWLEDGEABLE INDIVIDUALS. MANY OF THESE BENEFICIARIES ARE NOW AT A STAGE WHERE THEY ARE READY TO EMBARK ON CAREERS AND FAMILIES OF THEIR OWN. HOWEVER, YWCA RWANDA HAS FOUND, FROM EXPERIENCE, EVALUATIONS, AND BENEFICIARY INPUT, THAT THE SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES ARE NOT IN PLACE OR ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO ENSURE THAT THESE BENEFICIARIES CAN EMBARK ON THEIR LIVES SUCCESSFULLY WITHOUT DEPENDENCY ON YWCA RWANDA. IT IS NOT SUSTAINABLE FOR YWCA RWANDA TO SUPPORT THE YOUTH CARE GIVERS (YCG) INTO THEIR ADULT LIVES, NOR IS IT BENEFICIAL FOR THEM AS ADULTS TO BE DEPENDENT ON AN ORGANIZATION. WE NEED TO STRENGTHEN THE CURRENT MECHANISMS OF THE GIVING HOPE METHODOLOGY TO ENABLE THEM TO OPERATE AUTONOMOUSLY OR WITHIN LOCAL AUTHORITY REMITS. DURING THE MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF GIVING HOPE, YWCA RWANDA MET WITH THE MENTORS, YCG AND COMMUNITY LEADERS TO DISCUSS THE PROGRESS OF THE PROJECT. THE MENTORS, YCG AND COMMUNITY LEADERS SHARED ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT THAT HAD WORKED WELL AND HIGHLIGHTED AREAS WHICH COULD BE IMPROVED. WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE FUTURE OF THE PROJECT AND ITS SUSTAINABILITY.
How many users interact with your project monthly and what are the preferred forms of interaction? (max. 500 characters): 
YWCA RWANDA INTERACTS WITH AT LEAST 2000 BENEFICIARIES AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES MONTHLY. IN ADDITION TO DAILY CONTACTS THE SOCIAL WORKERS HAVE REGULAR FIELD VISITS TO MEET WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE GROUPS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE AREAS. THE MENTORS OF YOUTH GROUPS MOSTLY INTERACT WITH THE BENEFICIARIES AS PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY CLOSE TO THEM. THE PREFFERRED FORM OF INTERACTION IS ON “DREAM DRAWING”
Sustainability
What is the full duration of your project (from beginning to end)?: 
More than 6 years
What is the approximate total budget for your project (in Euro)?: 
More than 500.000 Euro
Is your project economically self sufficient now?: 
No
Since when?: 
07/2012
Transferability
Has your project been replicated/adapted elsewhere?: 
Yes
Where? By whom?: 
GIVING HOPE PROJECT IS ADAPTED IN UGANDA; IT IS IMPLEMENTED BY THE CHURCH OF UGANDA; IN BURUNDI, IN ETHIOPIA AND IN TANZANIA, BY YWCAs OF THOSE COUNTRIES AND IN KENYA.
What lessons can others learn from your project? (max. 1500 characters): 
SOME GROUPS SUPPORTED BY THE PROJECT HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS AND THE MEMBERS THEMSELVES OPTED FOR CREATING THE OTHER GROUPS OF VULNERABLE CHILDREN WHICH THEY THEMSELVES SUPPORT AND SUCH GROUPS ARE CALLED BABY GIVING HOPE THAT IS THE LESSON THAT OTHERS CAN LEARN FROM OUR PROJECT.
Are you available to help others to start or work on similar projects?: 
Yes
Background Information
Barriers and Solutions (max. 1000 characters): 
THE MAIN CHALLENGES WHICH WE FACED WERE FINDING SUFFICIENT FUNDS IN ORDER TO RESPOND TO A GREAT NUMBER OF VULNERABLE CHILDREN. ANOTHER CHALLENGE HAS BEEN THE INSTABILITY OF MEMBERS OF THE GROUPS BECAUSE OF CHANGING HOME AND MARRIAGE. THE SOLUTIONS TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM ARE THE PROMOTION OF BABY GIVING HOPE AMONG THE GROUPS ALREADY SUPPORTED AND CAPACITY BUILDING OF MENTORS TO STRENGTHEN TEAM WORK OF GROUPS MEMBERS.
Future plans and wish list (max. 750 characters): 
AS FAR AS FUTURE PLANS ARE CONCERNED, YWCA RWANDA IS PLANNING TO DEVELOP THE SPIRIT OF WORKING TOGETHER AMONG THE YOUTH GROUPS BY CREATING THE YOUTH FORUMS WITH AN INTENTION OF BROADENING THEIR VISION TO INDUCE THE MEMBERS OF THE FORUMS TO WORK LIKE COOPERATIVES IN ORDER NOT ONLY TO GET SUPPORTED BY YWCA RWANDA BUT ALSO TO BENEFIT FROM OTHER OPPORTUNITIES SUCH AS BANK CREDITS, FUNDS AVAILED FOR YOUTH SUCH AS FUND FROM NATIONAL YOUTH COUNCIL AND OTHERS. THE VISION IS ALSO TO BUILD THE YOUTH CAPACITY SO THAT THEY CAN BE ABLE TO DEVELOP BUSINESS PLANS BY THEMSELVES AND SUBMIT TO VARIOUS DONORS. AS THE NUMBER OF VULNERABLE CHILDREN IS STILL ENORMOUS IN RWANDA BASED ON NEW CASES FOUND DURING FIELD VISITS, YWCA RWANDA THINKS OF IDENTIFICATION OF NEW OVC AND TRY TO DO ADVOCACY FOR THEM AND FIND HOW THEY CAN BE SUPPORTED.

entxerparty

Project Location
Country: 
Spain
City: 
Madrid and Azua - Dominican Republic
Organization
Organization Name: 
entxerparty
Organization Type: 
Company
Website
www.entxerparty.com
Project Type
Helping youth step in the job market
Project Description
Description Frase (max. 500 characters): 
social network that shares profits with its users by means of financing for young venture ideas and innovation social.
Project Summary (max. 2000 characters): 
The idea stems from the imposibildiades that when we want to make a venture and we find the factor need financing to start my ideas and banks almost never help us, for a time I had developed several Internet business ideas and at one time thought to assemble the web in a unique social network and generating profits that I share with other young people who have a need empredimeinto ideas that I can give you financing activities are focused purchasing group collectively, cents auction, store, music store, ticket sales, ads and other social app ... the results so far are physical events lan party in Dominican Republic and Spain and funding of small projects of 35 young people in these events and support tech project in Guatemala to build the first university for young areas of conflicts of Maras... next time event in Guatemala, Honduras, Dominican Republic and Spain moretime...
How long has your project been running?
10/2011
Objectives and Innovative Aspects
What are the specific objectives of the project and what are the instruments used to achieve them?: 
the opportunity for young people in search of financing of their business ideas, a place to share what I offer the benefit of my social network to support the ideas of other young social innovators. and as instruments for achieve for social media, lan party, competition social innovation with young and recomendation of user referent.
Results
Describe the results achieved by your project How do you measure (parameters) these. (max. 2000 characters): 
the results so far are physical events lan party in Dominican Republic and Spain and funding of small projects of 35 young people in these events and support tech project in Guatemala to build the first university for young areas of conflicts of Maras... next time event in Guatemala, Honduras, Dominican Republic and Spain moretime... and other event and fuding cooming soon.
How many users interact with your project monthly and what are the preferred forms of interaction? (max. 500 characters): 
internet, summit, lan party and challenges international, users monthly: 10000
Sustainability
What is the full duration of your project (from beginning to end)?: 
From 1 to 3 years
What is the approximate total budget for your project (in Euro)?: 
From 30.001 to 75.000 Euro
Specify: 
ads, commision and fee.
Is your project economically self sufficient now?: 
Yes
Since when?: 
03/2012
Transferability
Has your project been replicated/adapted elsewhere?: 
Yes
Where? By whom?: 
part of the model fits the empredimeinto in each region of the world where we are coming to establish understanding among all markets
What lessons can others learn from your project? (max. 1500 characters): 
if you want you can the longest journey begins with the first step. we stop to think about making what we want and let's start for it.
Are you available to help others to start or work on similar projects?: 
Yes
Background Information
Barriers and Solutions (max. 1000 characters): 
Barriers because we see no barriers as some points to be learned very quickly and find solution to advance internationalization to work with some obstacles in every place and adapt the solution we have defined our model merge with practias of each place we organized event.
Future plans and wish list (max. 750 characters): 
our future is simple, be the first worldwide social network that will continue sharing their revenue with their users through financing without bank intermediation and developing projects to help young people with social exclusion, projects access to clean water, education and health for the equality of peoples.