My Volunteer Journey - Geoffrey Kibet Rotich

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My Volunteer JourneyA reflection

2011

Geoffrey Kibet Rotich

VSO

2/8/2011


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What is written here are my own views and NOT of VSO or SEPDAGeoffrey Kibet Rotich-VSO.

Blue Nile falls Ethiopia.

I came to Ethiopia in September 2009 for a two year volunteering placement with Volunteer Service

Overseas. I was assigned as a Monitoring and Evaluation

Advisor in South Ethiopia Development Association/SEPDA

a local NGO. The interesting job role which I like talking

about is the contribution I made in Resource

Mobilization. Writing proposals initially never occurred to

me as a profession in itself thanks for the volunteering

placement. The following section describes the successful

proposals that I secured.

European Commission Ref:

EuropeAid/129220/L/ACT/ET Civil Society

Fund in Ethiopia. This Fund was meant to build

capacities of non-state state actors in areas of

partnerships, networking and participation. The

call for proposals from the EC usually comes

with Guidelines which requires, according to my

personal opinion, a lot of reading and attention

to detail.

The CfPs can either be 1) Restricted i.e.

requiring concept notes first or 2) Open i.e.

requiring both concept notes and full proposals

to be submitted. Under the Civil Society Fund I

wrote two open calls and secured 100,000

Euros for SEPDA and 150,000 Euros for

Resource Center for Civil Groups another local

NGO. I also registered the organizations in

PADOR- a requirement of EC Financing. Working


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in collaboration with the coordination office of

CSF in Addis Ababa especially in development of

log-frames and budgets gave me more

knowledge and skills in EC procedures. Similarly

I submitted a concept to European Commission

in Belgium in response to a restricted CfP for

Eradication of Child Labor. Though I didnt

achieved the minimum score required so as to

proceed to writing the full proposal I realized

how strict the EC evaluation committee in

enforcing the proposal guidelines. The EC CfPs

were an eye opener in my resource

mobilization/ proposal development efforts. I

got motivated and I started searching for other

CfPs on newsprints and the internet as well as

from verbal inquiries. I became like this bird

here waiting for fish in Lake Hawassa- Ethiopia

where I used to spend most of my weekends

along its banks and seeing sun sets. The waiting

didnt last longer. USAID principal contractors

started floating their CfPs.

Save the Children-USA.

This major donor initiated a highly feasible

program entitled TransACTION Program that

design and implements prevention, care and

support interventions on HIV & AIDS along

major transport corridors in Ethiopia.

I seized this opportunity to prove how SEPDA

can be subcontracted to carry out the

implementation along a corridor covering 7

towns. I developed the proposal including

budget and log frames and when it was

submitted, SC-USA approved and granted

SEPDA 1.3 million USD for a period of 4 years.

There is no denying that this amount along with

the efforts channeled into it gave me enough

reason to smile and to show how volunteerism

can be utilized. Because of this project SEPDA

had to establish another office complete with

staff and equipments. The challenge in this SC-

USA call was drafting a logical budget from its

first to the fourth year. I had to make several

inquiries to other organizations and the private

sector on costs of services and products. Take

for example cost estimation for palliative care

services!

Population Services International

USAID through PSI implements THPP-Targeted

HIV/AIDS Prevention Program across Ethiopia. I

wrote a proposal to PSI and SEPDA was

subcontracted to implement the program inthree towns Konso, Tercha and Halaba in south

Ethiopia. This noble project involves distribution

of male condoms, training on their application

and referrals. The number of condoms to be

distributed and budget are 800,000 and 60,000

USD respectively.


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The condom distribution I think will face some

difficulties especially on the side of recipients.

The young adults especially the trendy type

mostly residing in towns are choosy when it

comes to condoms.they want quality and

appealing products. I have to appreciate Trust

and Sensation condom makers because they

have factored the above factors. But for the

condoms that PSI tries to give recipients free of

chargethe sort which comes in strips of four

with pattern of American jeans trouser

hahahaha it will take a great deal of time to

convince a dot com youth to use them.

Condoms need lots of value-additionagain

Sensation has various types depending on sex

typewhether oral or other sex. I am not

against the PSI Project but only raising a

concern that I mentioned during proposal

development.

Ministry of Health/ Global Fund

The MOH here in Ethiopia just like in other

countries is a Principle Recipient of GF. The

sector in the MOH dealing with GF is HAPCO-

HIV &AIDS Prevention and Control office. Iwrote a proposal to Regional HAPCO in Hawassa

and it funded two youth entertainment centers

in two towns in South Ethiopia. The amount of

35,250 USD was approved.

Other Efforts

I have not been as jealous in my roles in SEPDA

as I have always extended my assistance in

helping other organizations especially partners

and members of SEPDA in this fellowship of

seeking external resources. Notably is Resource

Center for Civil Society groups which actually

won 150,000 Euros from EC. Similarly I have

been giving technical support to Missale an

HIV&AIDS association of government

employees in south Ethiopia. I have linked them

to Global Fund for Women.

SHAFON www.shafon.org is another

organization I have carried out similar efforts

through VSO Volunteers who were placed

there.

I also involved the Peace Corps volunteers in

Hawassa on the condom promotion among

Hawassa University students. I gave 12,000

condoms to Chris from USA who works in the

university as a PC volunteer.

Involving Stakeholders

The success of proposal development process

cannot wholly be attributed to the author.

Various stakeholders contribute to this

development albeit at different stages and at

varying level of efforts.

The notable stakeholders that I have been

consulting are the government bureaus; Bureau

of Finance and Economic Development, Bureau

of Health, Bureau of Capacity Building as well as

that of Women and Children. They have been

giving latest statistics as well as writingrecommendation letters.

Other stakeholders are the past and existing

development partners.


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Blue Nile Bridge

What Next

I have been thinking of sourcing financial

support from philanthropists, embassies and

foundations in addition to other conventional

ways. The remaining time I still have in Ethiopia

I hope will be enough to approach at least one

of the above. I also wish to assist other small

organizations here in fundraising efforts. There

are many small organizations in Ethiopia who

have good development ideas but cannot

access funding sources partly because of limited

knowledge of fund availability or lack of means

as internet access, qualified staff, and lack of

competitive edge.

Wabe shebele monkeys are amazing lot. i

Geoffrey Kibet Rotich, M & E Advisor, E-mail :

[email protected]

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My Volunteer Journey - Geoffrey Kibet Rotich