Onevillage Partners

SEE SCHEDULE O.WORKING IN SIERRA LEONE, ONEVILLAGE PARTNERS' MISSION IS TO ENHANCE COLLECTIVE WELLBEING ACROSS SIERRA LEONE BY INVESTING IN PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS. WE ENVISION A FUTURE WHERE SIERRA LEONEANS AMPLIFY THEIR COLLECTIVE POWER TO LEAD TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. WE PARTNER WITH RURAL COMMUNITIES TO DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS TO THEIR MOST PRESSING SELF-IDENTIFIED CHALLENGES. OUR PROGRAMS EMPOWER VOLUNTEER-LEADERS TO EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES AND CREATE NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN'S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT. USING A PARTICIPATORY MODEL AND PICTURE-BASED TOOLS, WE TRAIN VOLUNTEER-LEADERS TO ACT AS CHANGE AGENTS, MOBILIZING THEIR COMMUNITIES TO COLLECTIVELY IDENTIFY LONG-TERM GOALS AND COLLABORATE TO ACHIEVE THEM. WE ACCOMPLISH THIS WORK THROUGH PROGRAMS THAT BUILD CAPACITY, WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP, WOMEN AND GENDER EQUITY, SOCIAL COHESION, AND LONG-TERM RESILIENCY.

COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAMTHE COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM GUIDES COMMUNITIES TO ASSESS AND PRIORITIZE THEIR CHALLENGES AND DEFINE AND ACHIEVE A SHARED VISION FOR DEVELOPMENT. A GROUP OF WOMEN AND MEN VOLUNTEER-LEADERS ARE TRAINED TO DESIGN, IMPLEMENT, AND MONITOR PROJECTS THAT PROMOTE THE SELF-DEFINED VISION FOR THEIR COMMUNITY. VOLUNTEER-LEADERS ATTEND TRAINING WORKSHOPS LED BY ONEVILLAGE PARTNERS, WHICH USE INTERACTIVE TOOLS, SO LEARNING IS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS REGARDLESS OF THEIR LEVEL OF LITERACY. COMMUNITY MEMBERS IMPLEMENT UP TO THREE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, WHICH IMPROVE THE COLLECTIVE WELLBEING OF THE COMMUNITY. SEE SCHEDULE O FOR REMAINING PROGRAM LANGUAGE.IN 2022, ONEVILLAGE PARTNERS EXPANDED OUR REACH TO ACTIVELY WORK IN 32 COMMUNITIES, IMPACTING OVER 38,000 LIVES THROUGH A VARIETY OF COMMUNITY-DESIGNED INITIATIVES. ALL FOUR OF OUR NEWEST COMMUNITY PARTNERS CHOSE THEIR FIRST DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS TO ADDRESS THEIR NEED FOR ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER AND IMPROVED SANITATION FACILITIES. FORLU AND NGIEHUN DESIGNED PROJECTS TO CONSTRUCT NEW WATER WELLS AND TO REFURBISH EXISTING ONES TO INCREASE ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR NEIGHBORS. MANDOTAWAHUN AND NYEAMA CONSTRUCTED NEW LATRINES TO INCREASE ACCESS TO CLEAN SANITATION FACILITIES AND REDUCE OPEN DEFECATION. BEFORE THE PROJECTS, 52% OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCED DIARRHEA. AFTER THE PROJECTS, THEY INDICATED A 73% REDUCTION IN DIARRHEA.

NURTURING OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN (NOW) PROGRAMTHE NURTURING OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN (NOW) PROGRAM IS AN ACCESSIBLE THREE-PHASE PROGRAM THAT STRENGTHENS HOUSEHOLD FINANCIAL SKILLS AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SKILLS. NOW: STRENGTHENING HOUSEHOLD FINANCES IS AN ENTIRELY PICTURE-BASED TRAINING PROGRAM THAT EMPOWERS PARTICIPANTS WITH FINANCIAL PLANNING, DECISION-MAKING, AND PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS. PARTICIPANTS ARE TRAINED ON BASIC FINANCIAL PRINCIPLES, TOOLS FOR SAVING AND TRACKING THEIR RESOURCES, AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS TO ACHIEVE PERSONAL FINANCIAL GOALS. THE CURRICULUM IS ENTIRELY PICTURE-BASED, SO LEARNING IS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL, REGARDLESS OF THEIR LEVEL OF LITERACY.SEE SCHEDULE O FOR REMAINING PROGRAM LANGUAGE. AT KEY POINTS IN THE PROGRAM FINANCIAL DECISION-MAKING IS DISCUSSED WITH HUSBANDS AND MALE FAMILY MEMBERS, WITH THE AIM OF SHIFTING BELIEFS ABOUT GENDER ROLES IN THE HOME AND THE COMMUNITY. IN 2022, THERE WERE 323 PARTICIPANTS IN THE NOW PROGRAM. FOLLOWING GRADUATION, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED A COMBINED ESTIMATED SAVINGS OF $8,500, AND 98% OF THE PARTICIPANTS SHARED THE LEARNING MATERIALS WITH SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE PROGRAM. NOW: IMPROVING INCOME THROUGH BUSINESS SKILLS WAS FORMED BASED ON COMMUNITY REQUEST AND PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK. BUILDING ON SKILLS LEARNED IN NOW: STRENGTHENING HOUSEHOLD FINANCES, WOMEN ARE TRAINED TO SUCCESSFULLY RUN A PROFITABLE BUSINESS. PARTICIPANTS ACTIVELY PROBLEM SOLVE AND LEARN THE TOOLS NECESSARY TO DEVELOP A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS, HOW TO EFFECTIVELY INCREASE PROFIT, AND HOW TO CONFIDENTLY COMMUNICATE THEIR BUSINESS IDEAS. PARTICIPANTS USE PICTURE-BASED WORKBOOKS, WHICH PROVIDE THE FRAMEWORK FOR THE PARTICIPANTS TO RECORD AND TRACK INCOME AND EXPENSES, ASSESS RISK, AND CALCULATE PROFIT. IN 2022, 98% OF WOMEN AND THEIR HUSBANDS REPORT JOINTLY SAVING FOR HOUSEHOLD FINANCES, WHICH WAS AN INCREASE OF 113%.REQUESTED AND DEVELOPED BY THE NOW GRADUATES, NOW: AGRIBUSINESS IS THE NEWEST AND THIRD PHASE OF THE NOW PROGRAM. EAGER TO TAKE THEIR TRAINING TO THE NEXT LEVEL, NOW: AGRIBUSINESS APPLIES THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM NOW: HOUSEHOLD FINANCES AND NOW: BUSINESS SKILLS TO AGRICULTURE AND FARMING. IN THIS PHASE OF THE NOW PROGRAM, WOMEN ARE TRAINED IN AGRICULTURAL CONCEPTS AND TECHNIQUES TO REDUCE FOOD INSECURITY AND INCREASE INCOME. PARTICIPANTS ARE PROVIDED WITH RICE SEEDS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM AND USE THEIR PRIOR AND NEW KNOWLEDGE OF AGRICULTURE TO IMPROVE WELLBEING FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR COMMUNITY. IN 2022, 140 WOMEN FROM SIX DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM, AND 100% OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTED AN INCREASE IN INCOME.

LEAD: LEADERSHIP, ENGAGEMENT, AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMIN RESPONSE TO COMMUNITY AND PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK, LEAD WAS CREATED FOR COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE COMPLETED AT LEAST TWO CYCLES OF PROJECTS DURING COMMUNITY ACTION. IN THE PROGRAM, A GROUP OF WOMEN AND MEN VOLUNTEER-LEADERS ENHANCE THEIR LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND ARE TRAINED IN PROJECT DESIGN, MANAGEMENT, AND PROPOSAL WRITING. THIS COHORT USES THEIR TRAINING TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE COMMUNITY TO IDENTIFY A DEVELOPMENT PROJECT AND WRITE A PROPOSAL IN A COMPETITIVE BID FOR FUNDING, AWARDED BY ONEVILLAGE PARTNERS. AFTER A RIGOROUS SELECTION PROCESS, CHOSEN PROPOSALS ARE FUNDED, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS IMPLEMENT THESE PROJECTS IN COLLABORATION WITH EXPERTS AND LOCAL INSTITUTIONS. SEE SCHEDULE O FOR REMAINING PROGRAM LANGUAGE.THE PROGRAM CREATES CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PLATFORMS FOR REGIONAL COLLABORATION AND RESULTS IN SUSTAINABLE, EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT. IN 2022, 48 VOLUNTEER-LEADERS FROM 11 COMMUNITIES SUBMITTED PROJECT PROPOSALS TO A SELECTION COMMITTEE. THE COMMITTEE CHOSE FOUR PROJECTS TO FUND THROUGH THE LEAD PROGRAM. THESE FOUR PROJECTS WILL BE COMPLETED IN 2023 AND WILL ADDRESS REGIONAL CHALLENGES IN HEALTH, ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE, WATER AND SANITATION, AND FOOD SECURITY.