Project:NIKE GGI Learning Questions

Mfon-ido AkpanGrantmaking Intern 2012

The Grassroots Girls Initiative

Nike Foundation launched this program in 2006 to:• Support innovative grassroots organizations serving

adolescent girls • Assist them with capital and capacity building• invest in girls as powerful change agents in their communities• raise the visibility of adolescent girls and the issues they face

GFC is in its seventh partnership year with the Nike Foundation and has funded 17 grantees to date.

Learning Questions:

1. How does amplifying girls’ voices inspire action?

2. How do grassroots organizations network together to maximize impact?

Overview of Projects

1. Analyze and Summarize GGI Survey Responses– Befriend Survey Monkey– Read GGI grantee recommendations in dockets – Write summary of findings from the survey

Overview of Projects

2. Interview GGI Partners on Learning Questions Shortlist 9 out of 48 partners (with help of PO’s, based on

geographical diversity as a filter, issue cluster and potential for good stories)

Design questions Schedule and Conduct Interviews Write a report on my findings Write a summary of each partners interview

Takeaways from Survey• The girls served by our grantees are highly vulnerable :

- trafficked- unaccompanied refugees- victims of domestic abuse/forced early marriage- at risk of dropping out of school

• Our partners programs are resulting in positive change:- the girls are more confident and assertive- the girls are speaking up about their rights in their families, schools and communities- they are delaying marriage and advancing in school

Takeaways from Survey

• Our grantees are networking to maximize impact THINK (Liberia) was actively involved in negotiating for the passage of the Children’s Law in Liberia

• Their partnerships are productiveALEG’s (Romania) partnership with EU Youth in Action helped them strengthen their project implementation

The greatest challenge faced by our grantees was lack of financial resources often due to loss of some donors

Family re-sistance

Lack of com-munity support

Harassment in school

Harassment in the community

Government or policy

Lack of finan-cial resources

Lack of tech-nical skills or

resources

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Grantees are using multiple platforms to amplify girls voices

83%

100%

63%

33%

17%

30%

33%

43%

3%

One-on-one dialogue

Group discussion

Forums

Debate

Forming group coalitions

Traditional media

Social media

Multimedia

None of the above

Grantees are more involved with peer networks and less with local governments and private sector businesses

63%

60%

73%

40%

37%

10% 13%Donors

Networks

Other NGOs

Private sector/business

Government

Multilateral (UN, World Bank)

None of the above

Findings from Interviews

Most grantees prepare their girls to speak out against abuse and gender discriminatory cultural practicesAware Girls provides 7 – 10 days training on leadership and human rights and HIV/AIDS education after which the girls carry out one day workshops in their communities.

The girls amplify their voices via videos, awareness campaigns, performances, community service projects and use of the mediaThe girls served by Mahita have produced over 30 short videos on girl child discrimination, child labor, early marriage etc to sensitize their community members

Aware Girls’ Beneficiaries (Pakistan)

Mahita’s Beneficiaries (India)

Findings from Interviews The girls address government officials, policy makers, donors

and community membersKolkata Sanved’s beneficiaries use dance movement combined with monologue to speak against discriminatory practices. In January they participated in the Transforming Steps program and performed for an international audience in London and later at the US Consulate in India during Hillary Clinton’s visit.

Heshima Kenya’s beneficiaries performed a poem titled Rights of Children with disabilities at the World Refugee Day Commemoration on June 15 organized by the Kenyan Children’s Department

Every summer the girls served by Mariposa DR Foundation prepare and perform short monologues on pressing issues such as “My short Skirt does not mean I am a sex toy” to an audience including parents and community members

Kolkata Sanved’s Beneficiaries (India)

Heshima Kenya’s Beneficiaries – World Refugee Day Commemoration

Mariposa DR Foundation (Dominican Republic)

Findings from Interviews Their activism has inspired action such as new laws

Community Outreach Programme successfully persuaded Mumbai’s Government to pass two laws that require schools and offices to admit and employ a certain percentage of females.

Some of our partners deal with:- sensitive issues - problematic legal systems- biased traditional practices - political insecurity which conflict with their efforts to amplify girls voices (Atina, Serbia)

The Impact of our Grantees’ Networks • Through Akili Dada’s (Kenya) partnership with Zawadi Africa, a Kenya-based

organization four Akili Dada scholars received scholarships to top U.S. universities.

• Aware Girls’ (Pakistan) connection with Peace Direct (UK) has helped the organization to gain:- heightened visibility, - greater access to international media- and support from several women organizations.

• Kolkata Sanved’s (India) partnership with Living Lens (UK), Thou Art Yoga Foundation (Trinidad and Tobago), and Sadlers Wells (UK) enabled its beneficiaries to amplify their voices to an international audience at the ‘Transforming Steps’ program in London.

Community Outreach Programme (India)

The way forward• GFC can use its influence and position to further publicize its

GGI partners and their work. • GFC could facilitate collaboration between grantees working

on similar issues across regions. (Akili Dada, Kenya; Mahita, India)

• Since GFC does a lot of work with success stories, it is important that we remind our partners to update their repertoire of stories in order to avoid repeating the same accounts year after year. (KIND, 2007-2009)

Lessons Learned• Be thorough and persistent

• At department meetings, I learnt the importance of following best practices to ensure accountability.

• At vetting meetings, I observed as PO’s scrutinized potential grantees and raised flags tactfully.

• How to stay on top of your game without losing the team spirit. Every department has its mission and together every single person contributes to GFC’s effectiveness.

Highlights! Loved the flexible professionalism Full blown integration of interns Support network from project team, Grantmaking team and

entire staff especially Intern Committee. Color coordinating with frinterns Volunteering for CCABA and watching Step Afrika!

Thank You