TRAINING REPORT

“Business Idea Development, Planning and Management Training for Beneficiaries of the Project; ‘Humanitarian

Support in and around Sudan and South Sudan’

VENUE OFUA 6, OFUA 5 and OFUA 3 IN RHINO CAMP

FIGURE 1. Moses Akuma Odims (The Trainer) explaining the importance of Generating Business ideas and how engaging in

Income generating activities could guarantee Social and Economic self-reliance - during one of the sessions in Ofua 6 on 23rd

May 2017

PREPARED BY: MOSES AKUMA ODIMS, ALBERT OGWIRI & AMVIKO GLORIA

Skills Development Training Facilitators

SUBMISSION DATE: 29th MAY 2017

Awindiri Packwachi Road P.O. Box 328 Arua 0773887704/0771016390 Email: wynet2015@gmail.com Web: www.westnileyouthnetwork.org

Facebook: westnileyouthnetwork

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1. INTRODUCTION DRC Uganda organized a three days Business Skills Training from 23rd – 25th May,

2017 for 225 household members identified in Ofua zone settlement villages and

nearby host communities. The training targeted 102 out of 125 Farmer Field School

group members and 92 out of 100 small business group members (IGAs - Income

Generating Activity Groups). The group formation, enterprise selection, Training

needs and participants’ identification processes were conducted by the DRC project

Staff while the trainings were facilitated by external facilitators from West Nile Youth

Network based in Arua District.

Given the diversity, distance and impact considerations, the 230 Participants were

split into 03 venues of Ofua 6 with 60 participants, Ofua 5 with 90 participants and

Ofua 3 with 75 participants for effective management of the trainings. This strategy of

splitting the participants necessitated contracting 03 external facilitators who worked

in collaboration with project staff to deliver the trainings in these points.

The trainings were made possible with Financial Support from DANIDA under the

project entitled ‘Humanitarian Support in and around Sudan and South Sudan’ which

is aimed at improving the protective environment, food security and access to

humanitarian assistance for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), refugees and host

communities affected by the crisis in South Sudan.

2. OBJECTIVES OF THE TRAINING General Objective

To equip project beneficiaries with basic business skills required for planning and

managing their group and individual businesses.

Specific training Objectives

1. To equip participants with basic business, enterprise idea generation and selection

skills;

2. To inspire self reliance and personal productivity mindset among participants in

order to go all-out for food and economic security;

3. To equip participants with marketing, record keeping and resource mobilization skills

for successful launch of the respective enterprises;

3. TRAINING METHODOLOGY The trainings were preceded by a pre-test interview to gauge participants’ level of

understanding of what “business planning & Management involves”. Average

interview results proved that less than 10% of respondents had an idea about the

subject matter. A post training interview was later done after the training and the

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result indicated that an average score of 70% respondents acknowledged

understanding business planning and Management.

In delivering the training, we used sharing of personal life stories and experiences to

connect with the participants in a gender and conflict sensitive way. We also used

Question and answer moments, group work/discussions and presentations, some

role plays as a way of involving the participants and motivating them to demonstrate

what they have learned.

We used flip chart based imagery and writing form of presentations in order to

encourage self-analysis, and experiential learning moments for the participants. We

also used energizers or play time activities aimed at making the training enjoyable

and fun for the participants.

We employed interpreters and at some instances we could code switch Arabic,

Kakwa, Lugbara in basic areas in order to break prejudices and barriers that would

have disadvantaged some participants from learning and opening up to share.

4. TRAINING OUTPUTS 4.1 Output Indicators

Indicator Target Achieved

Number of participants trained 225 194

Number training Sessions 9 sessions 9 sessions

4.2 Participants Summary

4.3 Groups per Village:

OFUA 3 village OFUA 5 village OFUA 6 village

HaiMuhaba Ofua 111 Victoria Group Iyete Group

Moribongo Group Loketa Group Toreteli group

AwadifoMunguni Abulometa Group Loketa Group

United Cooperative Society Galakimogo Group Moribongo group

Ofua Super Meat Supply Ofua 4 Trading Group

Loketa Group

Category Female Male Total

Refugees 88 56 144

Nationals 33 17 50

Total 121 73 194

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5. PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS Participants Expectations

Get farming tips to improve on food security

Make friends among ourselves and with facilitators

Get knowledge and skills on how to run a business

Skills on how to form more groups to attract donor support to refugees

Get handouts

Get allowance for participation

Get certificates

Get Capital for starting business

Topics presented

1. Defining Basics of a business, entrepreneurship and the Winners Mindset in a

business.

1. Knowing Yourself –Self awareness (The power of an entrepreneurial attitude and

mindset).

2. Knowing your group assets and potential Liabilities (Group SWOT Analysis).

3. The business Idea, why it matters and how do you generate a business Idea.

4. Community scanning for assets, needs and business opportunities.

5. Enterprise Identification, Analysis, Selection and Startup Costing

6. Basics of Resource Mobilization (Financial, Human and Material).

7. Basics in Marketing and Business Networking

8. Writing up My Business Plan

9. Basics in Record Keeping and Customer Care.

6. CHALLENGES Challenge: There were wide diversities and disparities in level of awareness and

Education, demography and varied attention spans thus creating challenges, some

participants were slow learners and others were fast learners, for some of the

participants the concepts seemed complex at their level of awareness.

Solution: We had to simplify the explanations and use illustrative examples to

enable them understand the concepts and ideals at their level. In Some instances we

made the facilitation peer led within groups and would ask some of the participants to

share what they understood in local languages for others to understand with help of

the translators.

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Challenge: There were coordination gaps which made the transition/handover from

DRC project staff to external facilitators in the area of group formation processes and

enterprise selection very challenging.

Solution: We kept focused and committed to the task of understanding the context

and emergencies with flexibility while ensuring that participants benefit from the

intervention.

Challenge: Some of the participants were inclined to a strong dependency syndrome

of expecting DRC declare what financial support it is extending to the groups first

thus some would ask questions or make diversionary statements.

Solution: We encouraged open feedback from DRC project staff and experience

sharing the leverages that accrue through joining groups and personal productivity.

1. RECOMMENDATIONS

1. The Staff or extension workers need to be trained as Group facilitators to continue

supporting the groups and offer mentoring to group members for self reliance and

group sustainability.

2. Deliberate Group linkages and synergies need to be encouraged for performance

and competitive purposes.

3. RWCs and relevant structures of influence within the villages should be involved

in mobilization and supporting the groups for ownership and effectiveness.

8. EVALUATION OF THE TRAINING

We used a flipchart based evaluation Questions for all the participants where they

used maker pens to tick against the following questions and we counted the number

of ticks to determine their views.

1. Was the training helpful to you?

2. Was the information shared and topics presented easily understood by you?

3. Was the welfare and organization good?

In response 95% of the participants approved of the training being useful and topics

very relevant for them.

WHAT THE PARTICIPANTS AND DRC OFFICIALS SAY ABOUT THE TRAINING.

“This is a good training and I can see the commitment among participants to practice

what they have learned here in group work” (The Refugee Welfare Council 1 Ofua

6 in closing remarks)

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” I have judged from the interest and attention the participants have yielded to the

training and I feel they have been empowered to do business” (The DRC project

staff in closing remarks)

“I am happy that I have learned skills for doing business which I may not have leaned

back home” (One of the participants Ofua 4)

9. APPENDICES/ANNEXES

A BUSINESS PLAN FOR VICTORIA Retail Business

Business Idea: Grocery/Retail Business

Address: Ofua 4 village

STRENGTH OPPORTUNITIES

Honesty among members “Seed capital “funding from Danish

Refugee Council (DRC)

Effective communication

Working together

WEAKNESSES TREATHS

Misunderstandings among members Poor record keeping

Irregular meetings Backbiting& gossips

Limited cooperation Theft of group money

Market Analysis

Customers: Our customers will be Refugees and host community within Ofua 4

settlement

Suppliers: Our suppliers will be wholesalers in Arua, Koboko and Kampala as the

business grows

Competitors: Our competitors are existing retail business owners within Ofua 4

settlement

Marketing plan

Products: will be high quality assorted general merchandise

Price: will be the prevailing yet competitive market price per item

Promotion: shall be by word of mouth, display of a few goods outside in the veranda

and offering discounts on bulk purchases

Place: we shall be in a strategic location within Ofua 4

People: we shall only engage skilled and competent persons if the need arises

Required startup capital: Five million (5.000.000/= UGX)

Source of startup capital :( local contribution 450,000/= UGX) (other benefactors

4,500,000/= UGX)

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BUSINESS PLAN FOR OFUA IV GRINDING MILL

Name of business: Ofua IV TRADING

Business idea: Grinding Mill

Address: Amuru village, Ofua 4 (opposite tank 17)

STRENGTH OPPORTUNITIES

Membership registration fees DRC financial support

Weekly meetings Training in business planning by DRC

Record keeping Availability of food ratio (maize grains) to feed

the grinding mill

Cooperation among members Willingness of consumers to use grinding mills to

tradition grinding stones to make flour

WEAKNESSES THREATS

Delayed payment of registration

fees by some members

Poor communication skills

Unnecessary expenditures without

authority from members

Likelihood of stealing group money

Absenteeism from meeting Reduction in food ratio (from 12kg per person to

6kg)

Limited skills in maintenance of the grinding mill

Market analysis

Customers: Refugee and host communities in Ofua 4 zone

Competitors: Other grinding machine operators like (Mr. Sebbi & Mr.Bara)

Suppliers: Cassava and maize grain owners within Ofua 4 zone

Market plan

Product: grinding maize grain & cassava into flour

Price: prevailing market price i.e. (150/= per kilogram)

Promotion: honesty, reduction in pricing for bulk weight, mouth to mouth

Place: Ofua 4 trading center

Required startup capital: Eight million (8,000,000/=)

Sources of startup capital: (local contribution 1,000,000/=UGX) (Other benefactors

7,000,000/=UGX)

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A. ACTIVITY PHOTOS

FIGURE 2 Albert Ogwiri Facilitating a sessions on business Idea Generation in Ofua 5 Rhino Camp

Refugee Settlement on 24th May 2017.

Figure 3 Albert Ogwiri Guiding Galakimugo Famer Field School Members during a group discussion in Ofua 5

village Rhino Camp refugee settlement 24th May 2017.

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Figure 4 A group leader of IYETE Famer Field School capturing Ideas of group members during one of the

Discussions on the SWOT analysis of their enterprise on 24th May 2017 in Ofua 5.

FACILITATOR ENDORSEMENTS

NAME SIGNATURE

1. Moses Akuma Odims

2. Amviko Gloria

3. Albert Ogwiri