1,000 Microloans for Rural Women in East Africa

·         75% of Borrowers transitioning to independent loans report they are earning at least $3,600/year; 40% are generating very large annual incomes of over $6,000/year; and, a startling 10% are earning over $8,000/year.

·         75% of Borrowers have acquired additional farm animals;

·         99% of Borrowers have improved their household meals;

·         85% of Borrowers have improved their business skills;

·         20% of borrowers have begun to hire employees to help with their businesses;

·         97% of borrowers indicate the loan program is having a positive impact on their family.  

Loan Program Expansion: During 2011, WMI expanded the loan program dramatically.  By the end of the last loan quarter of the year, WMI had funded its 4,000th loan.  A total of over $550,000 has been lent since WMI launched in 2008. A complete table of WMI's lending history is available on the web site at: http://www.wmionline.org/Borrower-Loan-Summary-October-2011.pdf.

Loan hubs were added in Konokoya and Gulu, Uganda as well as Shikokho, Kenya.  Additionally, all preliminary site work was completed on the ground to launch a new hub in Tanzania in January 2012.  WMI's Local Director, Olive Wolimbwa, and a dedicated team of experienced trainers from Buyobo, Uganda visit all new loan hubs, train the first borrowers,and orient the Head Co-coordinators.  Sometimes this means an arduous two day journey using erratic public transportation; but, the peer-to peer transfer of knowledge is crucial to the success of the loan program.  As the staff in these new loan hubs becomes more experienced, they in turn will be able to go out to mentor loan hubs added in the future.

 Local Capacity Building: WMI is not just about loans.  The program builds human capacity in the villages where it operates:

·         Twenty new trainers went through the World Bank developed "Training-to-Train" program, increasing WMI's capacity to effectively train new borrowers;

·         Advanced business planning training for experienced borrowers was arranged throughCarmelo Cocuzza at FinAfrica in Kampala;

·         Three new classrooms were constructed at Buyobo Primary School with volunteer donations, villager support and intern labor;

·   A Bun and Tea Program for the teachers at Buyobo Primary School entered its second year;

·   Vestergaard Fransden donated 100 treated mosquito nets to WMI;

·        Reading and math books for 60 students, grades 1 - 6, were delivered to Buyobo Primary from a Williamson, NY school district;

·         Fifty-eight boxes of children's books donated by WMI supporters were shipped for free and arrived in Kenya for use by village children in WMI's Siaya loan hub;

·         Thousands of eyeglasses were donated to the larger Buyobo community through intern collection efforts;

Bank Partners: PostBank Uganda has proven to be an excellent banking partner for the transition to independence program.  It has worked closely with WMI's Local Director and loan hub team to streamline operations and make certain that the ladies transitioning to bank loans understand the banking process.  WMI is now working with Co-Operative Bank in Kenya to put a transition program in place for the ladies graduating to bank loans in the Kenya loan hubs starting in 2012.

Loan Program Accountability/Inpact/Validation:  Though small, WMI has run a very structured program since its inception.  In 2011, we continued to survey borrowers on a regular basis and analyze that data so that we remain accountable for program operations and so that we can measure loan program impact.  This year we expanded the fact book analysis and supplemented it with a presentation on the transition to independent banking program and a 3-year comparison of borrower baseline data. http://www.wmionline.org/dataanalysis/profile/profile.html

Financial Support: WMI continued to expand support from foundations, corporations, giving circles and other non-profits.  This year WMI was very gratified to receive a pledge of support from The Greater Contribution, a non-profit located in northern California.  WMI works closely with TGC's president, Karon Wright, who has organized a 2012 trip to Uganda for herself and other TGC supporters so that they can witness the WMI loan program in action.  In 2011, TGC generously contributed $50,000 to WMI.

The IMF Civic Fund, Towards Sustainability Foundation, Boeing Company and Global Giving all issued major follow up grants to WMI.  Additionally, the US Ambassador's Fund issued a major grant to install solar power in the WMI building in Buyobo.  In the fall of 2011, Greenlight Appareljoined the WMI team, pledging 12.5% of its profits to WMI (see separate article).  In 2011, WMI became eligible for the Federal Combined Giving Campaign and participated in presentations and charity fairs at a number of federal agencies.  Individuals distinguish themselves year after year as the mainstay of WMI's financial support.  This year two people made extremely generous donations to WMI of $15,000 or more.

 Honored with an annual cocktail party (a highlight of the WMI fundraising season), the WMI 500 - a group of women pledging $250 a year to WMI for at least 2 years - expanded its membership role in 2011 resulting in contributions of over $15,000 to WMI. (If you'd like to join just email:staudaher@verizon.net). Other giving circles were formed as well.  Donna Boxer of Chevy Chase, MD and her colleagues formed a giving circle that has pledged $3,500 a year to WMI for 3 years and a contribution of $2,200 for a fourth year.  Amy Berger marshaled a $750 donation from her book club in Vermont. Sally Kelly organized successful "friendraisers" at her home. (To find out how to host one, email: salkelly@earthlink.net)

Beth Tomasello, Alison Ewing, Kathy Staudaher, Lisa Mitnick and Vicki Dorman represented WMI at local gift fairs and community events to raise over $2,500.  The WMI Holiday Tribute Card was also a big hit this year, raising not only funds for WMI but raising general awareness of our mission. Individuals honored are listed on the web site on the WMI Tribute List.http://www.wmionline.org/WMI-Holiday-Tribute-List.pdf

WMI's strategy in 2011 was to seek partners to affiliate with particular loan hubs so that there would be multiple avenues of support for funding loans and developing administrative capacity in the hubs.  This has worked extremely well as WMI counted as partners: Arlington Academy of Hope,Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church, BIDE, Barbara Wybar and the Budduda Vocational Centre,Judy Lane and the Maasi Sustainability Initiative, Mpambarra-Cox Foundation, East Africa Center for Progressive Development, Child Development Organization (Uganda), and Laikepia Community Empowerment Centre.

These divergent streams of support converged into a mighty river in 2011: WMI has raised $190,000this year. This is $20,000 more than in 2010!  These funds were truly a godsend for the women and families WMI serves:   $190,000 goes a long way in the developing world.  It was put to work effectively and efficiently by WMI's volunteer board and the dedicated local staff in the loan hubs (You can read about the local staff online at:http://www.wmionline.org/who/coordinators/local_coordinators.html)

Internships/Volunteers: WMI's unique economic model and collaborative structure drew increasing numbers of interns and volunteers who generously donated their time, effort and talents to improve loan program operations both in Buyobo and here in Bethesda.

Outstanding contributions were made by the eight Walt Whitman High School interns who traveled to Buyobo, Uganda this past summer.  The trip so inspired them that five of these committed young adults are returning to Buyobo again in the summer of 2012 with a new group of Whitman students chaperoned by teacher Bob Mathis. 

A dynamic group of college interns and recent graduates played an important role in strengthening WMI's infrastructure in Buyobo in 2011.  Eva Stevenson, Jacklyn Vouthouris, Erin Kelly and Ida Stuve each spent over a month in the village working on projects as disparate as sketching the wall murals for the new school rooms, revamping the loan hub budget and expense reporting system, and shooting top quality video biographies of WMI borrowers.  John Finch volunteered in Buyobo to interview villagers and prepare a booklet about Buyobo and the impact of the loan program (see separate article).  Local capacity for the loan program was increased enormously by the dedicated work of WMI's Project Directors Montana Stevenson and Ainsley Morris, who rounded out 9 months of service in the field in July 2011.  Their efforts resulted in the publication of a WMI Banking Manual, which is proving to be a valuable resource for the loan program.http://www.wmionline.org/Banking_Manual_FINAL.pdf

Not to be outdone, 10 high school and college students interned with WMI in Bethesda during the summer of 2011.  They entered and analyzed data and produced the annual Fact Books on the loan program's impact. http://www.wmionline.org/dataanalysis/profile/profile.html.  Additionally,Elizabeth Robbins, a senior at American University interned with WMI during the fall of this year.

On all fronts, 2011 was a marvelous year of loan program growth, internal development and increased financial support for WMI.