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ANNUAL INTERIM REPORT

The purpose of the Annual Interim Report is to provide written documentation of the current status of your grant. This report gives you the opportunity to provide (i) an assessment and status report of how the program/project is progressing and (ii) identification for any proposed revisions in the project plan, timelines, outcomes/objectives or budget.

INSTRUCTIONS: Complete the gray shaded sections ONLY and forward the completed report electronically (MS Word document – Not a PDF), including required attachments, to Program Officer and [email protected] by xx/xx/xxxx. Do not change any data in sections that are not highlighted in gray. If any information is incorrect, please share that information in your email when submitting this report. Materials that add clarity may be submitted with the report.

DATE 09/31/2016 REPORT PERIOD: 08/02/2015-07/31/2016

ORGANIZATION INFORMATIONOrganization’s Legal Name Huairou Commission: Women, Homes and Communities

Contact Person for this ReportPrefix Ms. Full Name Katia Araujo

Title Director of Programs

Suffix (if applicable)Direct Phone Number (xxx-xxx-xxxx)(include extension if applicable) 178 388 8915

Email Address [email protected]

What major changes have occurred in your organization during this report period? Include changes in; leadership, key staff, financial status, legal status, strategic direction.

Huairou Commission has added a new member to its senior leadership team. This past June 2016, the organization hired a new Executive Director. Another small change we experienced within the past year was the reduction of the Program team due to departure of 2 staff members. Sadie-Evelyn Gilles, Program Associate, has left and this position remains vacant; we are in search of a new hire. Similarly, Africa Program staff, Regina Pritchett has left and Huairou has recently hired Ms. Jacqueline Kaari who is based in Nairobi and is serving as the African program staff.

Huairou has developed a plan to strengthen the functioning of the organization and has created an update on its organizational structure to enhance operations and to support the objectives of the transitional process. In a brief summary of the key elements of this process, you will find the progress made in the past several months (November 2015- September 2016).

Key elements of the plan:• implement an organizational transition to institutionalize grassroots led planning and governance mechanisms,• increase the level and authority of collaborative regional planning and decision making,• nurture and innovate responsible leadership to sustain grassroots movement building, with women at the center, worldwide, and• strengthen operations and organizational coherence in this context.

Activities undertaken to advance these aims: • Four grassroots leaders—members of GROOTS--were added to the Huairou Commission Coordinating Council (HCCC), joining 2 standing GROOTS members (one of whom is also grassroots). • As of February 2016: 5 of 14 members of the HCCC are grassroots leaders. • In the last half of 2015, Huairou Commission and GROOTS International each retained pro bono legal counsel from prestigious global firms to look at re-structuring options that could be pursued to change the governance structures of the organization (s) and merge the operations of the two not for profits over time. • In September 2015 a briefing with members of the HC Global Advisory Board, HCCC and Groots leaders was held to share these scenarios at one of the law firm’s Manhattan headquarters.• In late 2015-until June 2016 the focus has been on advancing the transition process itself.• In late January 2016 HC Secretariat held a meeting with 20 representatives from member organizations and affiliates facilitated by an organizational consultant, to establish a plan for finalizing the new planning and governance structures, including a 2017 Grassroots Assembly, updating operations per related objectives and hiring an Executive Director to oversee the transition.• Agreements and targets established at the meeting are being advanced and monitored by the HCCC with select staff support.• From February until May 2016, HCCC Executive Committee and General members, with the Strategic Director and organizational consultant, vetted candidates for the Transitional Executive Director position. Three strong candidates were shortlisted and further scrutinized in 3 rounds of interviews. Ms. Maureen Friar was selected and took up the position on June 20th 2016.

Huairou’s new 5-year grant from SIDA includes resources for the transition and we have told the agency we expect to have the new governance and operating structure finalized by Fall 2017. This requires actions to be taken at the national and regional level to prepare for and then hold a global Grassroots Assembly where strategic plans and governing leaders are finalized. The legal steps capturing and finalizing these decision-making processes will be undertaken at the end of this phase to align with final plans and objectives.

PROGRAM/PROJECT INFORMATION

PROGRAM/PROJECT TITLE Resourcing Grassroots Women’s Social Capital to Build Community Resilience

TOTAL GRANT AMOUNT (USD) 1.1 million

GRANT PERIOD 08/1/2015- 07/31/2016

PROGRAM AREA Relief and Resilience International

MACF Grant Funds Spent To Date $391.582.40

1. Program/Project Description: This 3-year program entitled “Resourcing Grassroots Women’s Social Capital to Build Community Resilience” focuses on supporting grassroots women’s groups in 6 developing countries to sustain and expand an integrated approach to resilient community development. Building on the gains and lessons learned from the first MACF grant, the program is designed to ensure that rural and urban grassroots groups, and the hundreds of women leaders in them, have heightened capacities and demonstrated successful practices that reduce local risks and conditions of vulnerability and thereby increase the likelihood communities can withstand future natural, climate related disasters. Developing a multi-regional cadre of community leaders and community organizations that have the skills and financial and technical capacities to apply and operationalize the Community Resilience Fund approach and guidelines is a central element of delivering these outcomes. By solidifying a base of strong organizations and leaders — a foundation to

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generate social capital — Huairou Commission’s global community resilience network will be able, over time, to replicate the Community Resilience Fund (CRF) as an innovative mechanism for fostering community-led resilience programs in twice the number of countries (and at local, regional and global levels).

2. Issue - addressing – If the issue has changed or evolved, please explain.

Proposed in Application: There is ample evidence that urgent action is needed to insure that women and men living in poor communities with the most to gain or lose from how underlying risk drivers are addressed in responding to disaster and climate threats must be provided with opportunities to partner in both development decision making and implementation processes. To model an alternative approach demonstrating grassroots women’s organizational capacity to reduce the potential impact of prevailing disaster and climate risks, our network established the Community Resilience Fund (CRF) in 2008. In late 2013, MACF supported our network to continue our capacity building and re-granting work with grassroots community groups in 8 countries and to consolidate successful resilience practices and procedures that formalize and help replicate this approach in different contexts. The CRF is a grassroots-run community fund focused on facilitating local leadership in reducing vulnerability to climate and disaster risks and losses in poor rural and urban communities subject to tropical storms, flooding, landslides, drought, seismic activity and the like. It supports grassroots leaders to organize and identify their risks and vulnerabilities, make plans and implement practices that address community needs and, importantly, teach other groups to do the same. In this manner community groups can demonstrate and build their expertise and make their communities more resilient. In addition to specific programmatic learnings from Phase 1, looking broadly, the next phase of HC’s Community Resilience work applying MACF funds will intentionally contribute to two areas of work that appear critical to future sustainability:. The first is the understanding that sustainability of local communities requires a holistic approach and affirmation of local realities where risk reduction and resilience building is integrated into development programs.[PS2] Phase 1 saw a wide range of actions and good practices that were not separated from local and even national development priorities. Organized women mobilized their communities to build resilience through risk mapping, sustainable agriculture, food security, soil conservation, waste management, natural resource management, disaster preparedness, relief and recovery, etc. They prioritized these actions and good practices to address systemic shocks (such as food price volatility), high-impact events (such as recurrent floods and hurricanes), and long-term stresses (such as drought and environmental degradation). Rather than viewing risk reduction as external and separate from their development priorities and practices, grassroots women are concerned with identifying ways to meaningfully integrate risk reduction and resilience building into the design and implementation of development programs in both urban and rural settings. Under this area of work, Phase 2 will emphasize scaling up groups identified actions and resilient practices and mainstream them into other approaches. This is the core element of how these groups see sustainability given their local realities. In this context, in Phase 2, these 6 organizations will be supported to model and press for this holistic resilient approach with existing strategies and/or newly emerging strategies in which risk reduction and resilience building are integrated into development programs (e.g. poverty eradication programs in rural development, urban housing and basic services among others). Furthermore, these groups will be supported to put risk identification in a broader context, tackling underlying risks (living conditions, sanitation issues, natural resource and environmental management). In turn, they will groups to adapt their own solutions and/or identified resilient practices accordingly. The overall aim of this process is to get these organizations recognized by a set of stakeholders including government ministries, sustainable development donors, among others with budgets and programs finance their work.

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The second aspect focuses on the need to contribute to the sustainability of grassroots women’s community organizing and effective leadership. This understanding affirms the core mission and mandate of the HC and plays a central role in all of our work. We believe that organized, informed communities-- with skilled core resilient enablers-- form the foundation upon which effective sustainable grassroots-led initiatives are built. Under this second aspect of the work in Phase 2, groups will focus to expand the skills of core community leaders and foster a multiplier effect through key activities, which includes training workshops and peer learning exchanges. This will enable all six organizations to continue build a cadre of leaders and community of practitioners to grow and improve effectiveness. In turn, these groups will be able to sustain their roles as public leaders in risk reduction and resilient development. Our integrated approach to community organizing is expressed in the “resilience diamond” which locates community’s capacity to advance development processes amidst grassroots organizing, horizontal networks and institutional partnerships. These networks and partnerships, which are basically forms of social capital, are also critical for facilitating effective community-led actions for resilience building. In Phase 1, and for Phase 2, the CRF serves as a catalyst to support the real development needs of poor women and men.Revised/Update:

3. Provide progress for each Outcome, Objective and Activity below. Below are the Foundation’s definitions for Outcomes, Objectives and Activities

- Outcomes = Impact - the ultimate goal of the program/project (may involve multiple parties)- Objectives (project) = What the program/project did to deliver that was a) time bound, b)

measurable- Activities = Key activities that accomplished the program/project objectives

(Do not change “Outcomes, Objectives and Activities” information)Outcome: Proposed Outcome 1. Support grassroots women to sustain and expand an integrated

approach to community resilience developmentResult: During this project period the Global Program held its Resilience Brainstrust IV meeting (October 2016) and its African Brainstrust Meeting (November 2016). Six implementing organizations came together to review the MACF program commitments, timeline, and milestones and reviewed individual organizations’ priorities aligned with their workplans.

Objective: 1.1 . Invest in grassroots women’s capacity to build resilient in 6 countriesResult: Six organizations worked closely with Program Staff to design individual work plans aligned with the approved global program logframe. Six work plans were agreed upon, which guided the development of 6 Memorandum of Agreements. Sub-grants were disbursed and in-country implementation started.

Activities: 1.1.1: Disbursement of CRF funds in 6 countries to support related on the ground activities.

ASIA

INDONESIA - Yakkum Emergency Unit (YEU)Since their engagement with the Community Resilience Program anchored by the Huairou Commission, YEU has been building the skills of grassroots women to assess and map risks, vulnerabilities and opportunities in order to develop and implement practices that enhance resilience to climate and disaster threats.

In this context, YEU and the Huairou Commission have agreed to work together in the implementation of the MACF funded program for 2015-2018, and signed an

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Memorandum of Understanding agreeing on a detailed work plan of objectives, expected results and activities, within a year by year timeline and associated budget.

The activities of the program are being carried out in three districts in Yogyakarta (Gunung Kidul, Kulon Progo and Sleman) and 2 municipalities in Central Java (Temanggung and Magelang), with an total outreach of 37 communities and approximately 1500 people.

Within these communities, YEU is focusing in strengthening the Community Resilience Fund operations and outreach, through extensive capacity and skills building and consolidating the and community organizing and resilience practices that have been proven successful in the communities that have already started implementing the CRF: waste management banks, rice banks, water harvesting for household use and crop irrigation, vegetable and aquaponic gardens in rural and urban areas, organic agriculture and trainings first aid and emergency response.

INDIA - Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP)

SSP is one of the founding members of the Community Resilience Campaign. SSP is a learning and development organization that provides technical support and empowers over 100,000 women as leaders and entrepreneurs in sustainable agriculture, nutrition and health services, and water and energy solutions in climate and disaster areas.

For the MACF 2015-2018 program, SSP and the Huairou Commission agreed on a three year work plan, that will be implemented in 5 states: Maharashtra (50 villages), Tamil Nadu (10 villages), Bihar (20 villages), Odisha (10 villages) and Assam (10 villages), with an outreach of 100 villages and 200 grassroots women’s groups.

SSP will work to continue their quest to systematize the CRF operations within the women’s groups implementing the fund, as well as scaling up the resilience practices derived supported by it. Achieving economic sustainability is the main goal of the 3 year program. In this manner, SSP is working to consolidate innovative practices in relation to:

- Sustainable livelihoods: poultry and goat farming- Clean energy and waste management- Water conservation: water efficiency in agriculture, drip irrigation, water

recharging methods. - Sustainable agriculture and food security: one acre model, use of local seeds,

hydroponic method

NEPAL - Lumanti Support Group for Shelter

Due to the multiple challenges posed by the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, Lumanti was only able to start the implementation of the Program Year 1 (2015-2016) in May 2016. That month, the Huairou Commission reached and signed an agreement with Lumanti to carry out a 2.5 year plan to consolidate and scale up the CRF implementation in with 7 women’s groups in 3 municipalities of the country: Chadragiri, Nagarjun and Kirtipur.

Lumanti is focusing on the reconstruction of grassroots women’s livelihoods after the earthquake using loans to ensuring the sustainability of the CRF over time. All livelihoods restored are framed within a women’s cooperative, which has drafted a contingency plan to enhance resilience to potential future disaster and climate threats.

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LATIN AMERICA

NICARAGUA - Unión de Cooperativas Las Brumas

Las Brumas is a network of 21 women farmers cooperatives, working in the northern departments of Nicaragua. The Union brings together more than 1200 women, that are developing and implementing practices focused on food security and sustainable agriculture to enhance the resilience of women, communities and their livelihoods to climate change and disasters threats.

For the implementation of the MACF 2015-2018 funded program, Huairou Commission and Unión de Cooperativas Las Brumas signed an agreement to work together in a 3 year plan. The activities are being implemented in three municipalities in the Jinotega Department: Wiwilí, San Sebastián de Yalí and El Cuá, working in 13 communities in total.

During the 3 years of implementation, Las Brumas is focusing in consolidating the CRF as a sustainable financial mechanism, working towards moving from grants to low interest loans for the women to implement resilient livelihoods, such as diversified plots, table gardens and fish ponds and practices such as drip irrigation, bio pesticides, disaster mitigation actions and terrace agriculture.

HONDURAS - Plataforma Comunitaria Comité y Redes de Honduras “Wagucha”

The Plataforma Comunitaria Comité y Redes de Honduras “Wagucha” is a network of Garifuna and rural grassroots women groups working in 21 communities in four departments of Honduras: Colón, Atlántida and Francisco Morazán. After receiving extensive training on community resilience, DRR and leadership, groups organized into associations to undertake community risk mapping, establishing priorities for resilience building. As part of this process, the associations have begun implementing resilient livelihoods that aim to increase women’s leadership and economic independence and to improve their capacities to cope with and recover from disaster and climate change threats.

Huairou Commission agreed on a 3 year workplan with Wagucha, that is being implemented in 17 communities in the 3 departments listed above, where 270 women will be directly engaged in the trainings and practice development of the CRF. Wagucha is focused in scaling up successful practices such as the seed banks, organic cacao nurseries and crops, native plant nurseries for crop diversification and reforestation, bio pesticides and fertilizers and supporting the yuca processing associations. This will go hand in hand with a systematization of the CRF operations, looking towards the sustainability of the fund at the association level and the central level.

AFRICA

KENYA - GROOTS Kenya

GROOTS Kenya is a national movement of over 2,500 community based groups organized around promoting good governance and sustainable development, that is led by grassroots communities and women in particular. GROOTS Kenya’s work is geographically diverse and thus their natural resource management concerns reflect

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this.

For the 3 year agreement signed with the Huairou Commission, GROOTS Kenya selected specific groups that were researching key natural resource management issues and that had the capacity to scale up their work. The work plan is being implemented in 11 sub-regions of 5 counties: Kiambu, Kakamega, Laikipia, Busia and Kilifi, where drought, floods and food insecurity are a major threat to communities wellbeing and survival.

GROOTS Kenya is working to consolidate the CRF and strengthen its sustainability by implementing revolving funds and resilience livelihood practices, that generate extra income to the grassroots women; this keeps the fund functioning and able to expand and scale-up operations. GROOTS Kenya is strengthening practices such as: tree nurseries for reforestation, alternative and clean energy generation (flexi biogas and fireless cookers), organic and indigenous poultry farming, water harvesting and erosion mitigation practices.

Activities: 1.1.2: Conduct peer learning, exchanges and training workshops to strengthen the capacity of a multi-regional cadre of grassroots leaders to identify key resilience needs

ASIA

INDONESIA - Yakkum Emergency Unit

Since their engagement with the Community Resilience Program anchored by the Huairou Commission, YEU has been building the skills of grassroots women to assess and map risks, vulnerabilities and opportunities in order to develop and implement practices that enhance resilience to climate and disaster threats.

As part of this process, the grassroots women groups, who are mostly farmers, identified their increased vulnerability to crop failure, especially rice -their main staple-, due to various reasons, including long periods of drought, pests and plant diseases. This has had a significant impact in the decrease on their income. In this context they have trained 8 women groups in of the Gunungkidul District of Yogayakarta in Rice Bank implementation and management, from that a key group of leaders that had implemented the practice in the previous two years. The 8 groups received grants to develop rice banks in their villages, who received the approval from the respective village authorities. In total 336 women were involved in the training and development of the practice:

The profit from the rice bank is being allocated for organizational and collective purposes always aiming towards sustainability: paying management fees, creating an emergency and social fund, cashing in the rice bank and investing social fund additional capital for rice bank for its continuing growth and consolidation in the village.

Aiming towards the same goal, YEU trained 120 women on aquaponics, fodder making and pest control, in order to enhance food security in communities vulnerable to food shortages caused by climate change impacts on agriculture and rising food prices. 3 trainings were held, and by the end participants were able to:

- perform aquaponic farming in their respective groups- understand the principles of aquaponic farming, including its challenges and

opportunities

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- document the process in developing and maintaining the aquaponics in their respective groups

- identify locally available materials for aquaponic farming

In some groups, the training was in conjunction with the training on alternative catfish pellets/alternative fodder. Of the total participants, 7 women became trainers on aquaponics and 3 in fodder making and pest control.

After the training 9 women’s groups from 4 villages implemented aquaponic farming. Some groups have already harvested the vegetables from the aquaponics gardens. The vegetables were either sold or consumed by the household. The focus now is on enhancing profit by increasing the number of women implementing aquaponics, so the profit can cover operational cost and make the practice sustainable in the long term.

In order to better equip the already successful aquaponic farming method, YEU initiated peer exchange learning with other groups groups who have successfully managed the CRF: 19 women from 3 groups in Yogyakarta visited Indmira (a prominent institution in aquaponics) and 11 women from 2 groups visited Magelang (Karang Rejo group).

In addition, YEU carried out trainings on production of alternative cattle and poultry food and catfish pellets in order to reduce women farmers’ expenses during dry season when there is an increasing lack of fodder from the grass. Additionally, the training introduced a way to use organic waste (which was widely available in the village) as fodder. Alternative catfish pellets also have significance on its economic value; to reduce the farmers’ operational expense. It is an easy production process with widely available ingredients in the community. In total 5 trainings were held were 90 women from Magelang district, Klaten district, Temanggung district and Yogyakarta participated.

In this manner, 6 women groups of Gunungkidul District with a total of 213 women, received grants to implement food security and sustainable agriculture practices on:

- cultivating short-term productive plant (red ginger) with minimum water input- catfish farming in a limited space- duck farming- goat farming- alternative cattle fodder and catfish pellets

Finally, In order to reduce the impacts of drought in food security and agricultural production, YEU carried out feasibility study workshop on the Implementation of Community Based Water Management in Muncar village, Temanggung (Central Java) with 30 women in attendance. The workshop was designed to understand the challenges and the context on water provision in each village from the women’s perspective and counted with the contributions of professional 3 advisors and consultants from partner institutions (such as the Agency of Public Works) to recommend solutions.

After the trainings, the participants decided on a work plan to initiate rainwater harvesting in 6 sub-villages of the Gunungkidul and Temanggung districts, benefiting around 1236 households. Currently the work has been started in the Ngoro-Oro sub-village in Giriasih village.

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In India, SSP has focused to continue the expansion and scaling up of the Community Resilience Fund. This has been achieved by facilitating peer-to-peer learning, where experienced leaders of the federation, train new women groups in different resilience practices according to risk mapping exercises and assessments carried out in each village. Apart from the peer learning methodology, SSP uses its partnership with KVK and different universities to leverage training to the grassroots women leaders.

In this context, 10 learning exchanges were conducted with women groups across Bihar and Maharashtra during this period. More than 200 women leaders participated and engaged in the peer learning process. Additionally, 150 women were trained on International Soil Day at KVK on soil testing, where local plants were given such as green chilli, brinjal and vegetables in 40 villages were 1000 women mobilized. Likewise, 23 villages 900 women mobilized to attend agriculture programmes conducted by Parbhani University, where they learned about various drought coping mechanisms, preservation of water, alternate business opportunities such as poultry and azolla farming.

As a result of the exchanges and multiple trainings, more than 25 women’s groups have learned from local innovations and have started to implement the CRF. For instance, communities in Maharashtra started addressing drought and water scarcity, as well as increasing food security and diversifying livelihoods in the villages through crop store management, mixed cropping, purchase of sprinkler sets, animal fodder management, native seeds cultivation, goat and poultry farming, starting collective businesses of flower and drumstick cultivation, among others. In Bihar women groups started cultivating Jute, vegetables for local consumption, using local seeds for their crops and producing organic pesticides and use vermin in compost.

Hydroponic trays were made available at an affordable rate to women members, and in total 300 farmers started hydroponic fodder cultivation. Also, more than 1000 farmers started Azolla cultivation the women continue training other farmers around their villages and sharing the knowledge & culture for hydroponic cultivation and Azolla preparation.

The women in SSP have also been trained and are implementing the “One Acre Model”, an initiative in which grassroots women lease or acquire ½ to 1 acre of land to test, experiment and innovate various methods of agriculture that are sustainable in drought conditions; for example, mixing or intercalating crops, using drip or sprinkle irrigation, piloting water efficiency crops, making organic fertilizers and pesticides, building seed banks, etc. Over 200 Krishi Sakhis or Agriculture Leaders have collectivized in organic farming through the One Acre Model. They use this land to independently do organic farming, vegetable cultivation and other agricultural innovations, accessed trainings with Krishi Vikas Kendras. These women are applying new know-how on organic farming with minimal irrigation and inputs. They have built value chains to reach distant city markets and acquire competitive rates for their produce.

As a result, SSP has partnered with the Agriculture Department to work in the area of organic farming in selected villages. SSP has good rapport with the banks and financial institutions in the area, and has been advocating for them to issue input or crop loans to women farmers.

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On the other hand, as mentioned before, SSP has worked to systematize the CRF operations throughout the women groups. One of the strategies utilized to ensure sustainability is to set up a rotating fund in motion. In this context, 60 women groups have received an average of $300 to implement the practices. This means that seed fund to implement most of the the activities mentioned above will be repaid for more women to engage in the CRF activities. Repayment happens every 3 months, and factors like how much they spend, how much they got profit, how many community they transfer the awareness and knowledge are considered at the time of the repayment.


Lumanti focused on conducting a collective assessment with 4 cooperatives on the type of livelihoods women could benefit from and that would be more resilient to disaster and climate threats. A series of workshops were held with each of the 4 cooperatives in the 3 municipalities and trainings were held in sustainable agriculture and cooperativism to start the livelihood restoration. In this context 20 easy loans were allocated and most of the women are implementing peri-urban gardening for household consumption and income generation, as well as associating to set up tea shops and other collective business.

LATIN AMERICA


Capacity building is the core of Las Brumas organizing efforts and the foundation for its successful development of food security and sustainable agriculture practices. All the capacity building processes in Las Brumas have two characteristics: i) they are training of trainers, meaning that all women that complete the training are committed to transfer the knowledge to new women and communities, and ii) they apply a “learning by doing” methodology, combining theory and practice in every step of the process.

In the first year of implementation, Las Brumas conducted several trainings in all three municipalities:

- In 6 communities (Santa Ana, El Tope, Las Colinas, El Chorizo, La Esperanza del Kilambe and El Volcán) Las Brumas initiated a training process in soil conservation, where 60 learned how to examine the quality of the soil, restore its nutrients and productivity and continue to implement farming practices that not only avoid harm but continue to increase its productivity over time.

- 30 grassroots women participated in a training for terrace farming in 6 communities (El Volcán, Corozal, La Chiripa. Santa María, El Jicote and Santa Ana). They have started to implement this practice, which takes into account the topography to avoid erosion and the loss of soil quality.

- 2 trainings on drip irrigation with 60 grassroots women from 6 communities located in dry areas. These communities are: San Pablo de Yali, Santa Ana, Trebol de Cua, El Corozal, El Chorizo, El Jicote, El Tope and La Chiripa.

- Peer learning exchanges with 6 communities to implement pisciculture activities. 30 women participated in the exchanges from El Volcán and Santa María (Yalí Municipality) and El Chorizo and Corozal (Wilili Municipality).

At the same time, Las Brumas continues to scale-up the practices that have been

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proven successful for women and community resilience to climate change threats that have a direct impact on food security and agricultural production. In this context, 30 new women have implemented table gardens and 30 new women have now diversified plots where they are growing coffee, vegetables, fruit trees, medicinal plants, corn and grains that are used for household consumption and the generation of income for women.


Wagucha also focused on expanding the activities of the CRF that have been proven successful as well as continuing to systematize the CRF operations within the different associations and at the network level.

In order to decrease women farmers dependency on external markets, through the CRF 3 communities in Trujillo (Armenia, Malabas, Montaña Rio Grande) build seed banks, focusing mainly in traditional and indigenous varieties, as well as rapid growth and drought and flood resistant crops.

On the other hand, 48 Grassroots women coordinated actions to implement 3 collective Diversified Plots in 3 communities. The process started with community sessions where women exchanged seeds and knowledge on their cultivation, recovering the traditional practice of barter within the garifuna people. As a result, 20 native seeds varieties were exchanged among the women and now are being cultivated in the plots. The exchanges were accompanied by a workshop in soil and water conservation techniques.

Cacao cultivation has been one of the most successful initiatives within the Wagucha associations. It started in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, who provided the seeds, and as part of this program implementation they have built their own plant nursery with 65000 plants, with diversified species. Families (50) participated and were benefited. In total, 50 women are part of this activities.

Similarly, Wagacha conducted a training to plant and promote sustainable use of lumber species for diversified plots and reforestation processes in order to protect water basins.

Finally, 3 new communities (Pech, Miramontes and La Rosita) began engagement with Wagucha and carried out community risk mappings, where a total of 60 women participated.

AFRICA

KENYA - GROOTS Kenya

GROOTS Kenya has continued to invest in grassroots women’s capacity by seeking to promote resilience building practices selected and documented as best practices in the last phase among six groups injected with seed funding, including; Lari, Gatundu, Kiambu, Mathare, Laikipia and Kitui.

In Lari, a member of the Lari CRF community has partnered with a local private company to build biogas in her community, based on skills earlier acquired in the last CRF phase, on

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the need for communities to adopt renewable energy for sustainable development. By April 2016, 29 biogas units had been build at a fee in Lari sub county. The CRF leader, continues to support more households to adopt the use of renewable energy in biogas. The local community in Lari sub county continue to replicate the biogas technology. Three more farmers have installed the dome biogas since April 2016. A total 29 dome biogas have been constructed by the local private company at a fee.

Further, in Mathare, Gatundu, and Kiambu, grassroots women have trained 22 TOTs on how to make fireless cookers. The community in Mathare intends to support the porridge kiosks / stalls to keep their porridge warm through the day therefore reducing the use of charcoal burners in the urban informal settlement.

In Gatundu, the Gatundu Mwirutiri CBO has registered a grassroots women’s private company, named “Gatundu Fresh Gardens”. The company will buy farm produce from resilient farmers and deliver them to the market. The company underwent vetting by GROOTS Kenya following an application for capital from the CRF revolving fund, and by July 2016 it was awarded $2,500. The fund will be used by market champions to buy horticulture produce from farmers and later market the produce at different markets mapped by grassroots women. The fund will be a revolving fund payable with interest.

There are at least two groups in Kikuyu sub-County engaging in indigenous farming and water harvesting.

A group mentorship on climate change and disaster risk resilience is still ongoing, and to date, three groups have received mentorship in Kiambu county, among them; Joy Widows women’s group, Genesis Women Group and Sifa Njema young mothers group. By July 2016, at least three more groups in Kiambu were mentored on resilience building; Genesis Kiambaa Women group, Furaha Women group, Escarpment Widows and Widowers group.

Up from at least five mentors from the last year, this year there are at least 12 TOTs training newly mapped groups on adoption of different resilience practices and ventures at the local level in six participating groups in Kakamega, Kilifi and Laikipia.

Outcome: 2. Promote the CRF as an innovative mechanism at global, regional and local levelsResult: HC Secretariat Staff presented CRF as an innovative mechanism at a consultation and planning meeting organized by SIDA to its staff, bringing together 70 participants comprised of SIDA’s staff network on Environment with Gender Equality. Among participants, there were representatives from different regions including from Balkans, MENA, Swedish representatives from African embassies and SIDA headquarters.

Objective: 2.1 Strengthen and establish guidelines for CRF management/administration and financial practices for local applicationsResult: Six implementing organizations have built into their individual implementation plans processes to strengthen guidelines based on the recommendations of the program evaluation. Following the collective group review, the below activities and their implementation aims to provide the respective outputs.

Activities: 2.1.1 Develop and implement Training of Trainers workshops in 6 countries who will serve as promoters of the vision of the CRF and its local applicationASIA

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To kickstart the program, YEU trained a core group of 35 grassroots women of all participating women groups in Yogyakarta and Central Java in the implementation and management of the CRF in the context of the program objectives.

Once this initial training was held, the YEU team with the core group carried out CRF socialization sessions with 230 women in 15 new communities in the Gunungkidul and Temanggung districts, to start engaging women in the implementation and management of the CRF. In May-July, a YEU finance officer delivered facilitation on financial management as well as examining and advising the CRF bookkeeping of the groups . The financial management checking and training was carried out in three areas (Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta-including Klaten- and Magelang). The financial training was focused on:

- simplified book keeping format and stock cards to help checking the incoming-outgoing of logistics, especially for rice bank/food supplies bank

- implementing a regular monitoring mechanism for financial management in the future

There will be ongoing financial support and trainings have been already scheduled in the two other districts.


In India, initially 3 grassroots level ToT workshops were conducted with 90 leaders from 30 villages in Maharashtra and Bihar to manage and utilize the CRF properly- in November 2015, January 2016 and April 2016. The women were trained in CRF transfer, management and implementation and monitoring. These women are committed to receiving new groups of women about once a month, to receive financial training from the experienced leaders.

Additionally, when SSP conducts the monitoring visits, the women receive additional CRF management and financial training, combining it with monitoring and evaluation processes.

SSP additionally translated the CRF guidelines produced in the MACF funded program 2013-2014 into Hindi, to facilitate local use and adaptation. The translation into Marathi, Odiya and Tamil is in progress.


For the Year 1 implementation, Lumanti trained 35 board members from the women’s groups and cooperatives, using the operational guidelines produced in the 2013-2014 MACF program as the basis for the systematization of the CRF operations in Nepal. As a result the 4 management committees were formed and a training plan to disseminate the knowledge to training of trainers to the other women cooperatives.

Additionally, the Operational guidelines were translated to nepali and additional local information was included in the booklet, which is being distributed with the trainings.

LATIN AMERICA

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Within the network of cooperatives, 13 core leaders were trained as “CRF Facilitators”, so they can work to transfer the fund to the new groups that are starting their operations within this three year program. They are working closely with the technical team of Las Brumas to make sure the CRF is functioning properly at the cooperative and network level.

As mentioned before, Las Brumas is moving from grants to low interest rates in the management of their CRF, in this context 40 women from different communities of Wiwili and Yali Municipalities, participated in a “credit management training”, to enhance their ability to manage the funds, calculate interests and develop feasibility studies. Furthermore, these women are going to help other groups to implement CRF at local level, using these funds mainly for sustainable agricultural production.


In Wagucha, 50 women from 10 communities were involved in Training of Trainers workshops that included on CRF implementation. The curriculum included: a) CRF basic concepts and management training; b) Communitarian exchanges between trained groups and the new groups involved; c) Resilience practices exchange. AS a result 35 new grassroots women leaders have emerged as CRF facilitators.

In their effort to achieve CRF sustainability, 84 grassroots women from 10 local organizations were in revolving funds management and implementation, with the commitment to move from grants to revolving funds, guaranteeing that in the future, the CRF can reach more women and more communities without constant external aid.

AFRICA

KENYA - GROOTS KenyaGROOTS Kenya inducted four of 13 of its staff on the CRF guidelines and operations. Following the induction, development of a customized curricula version of the CRF guidelines and operations for Kenya commenced. The draft version of the CRF guidelines was developed in consultation with grassroots women leaders. The guidelines will be validated in a national meeting of CRF leaders in September, 2016.

At least more 3 women’s groups have grown through group mentorship by CRF leaders. Kinoo Paralegals in Kikuyu has newly engaged 25 women; they began their engagement in the resilience work through learning exchanges with Lari and Limuru groups. Also Nyakamuugi Women Group that is in Kabete sub county has 18 newly engaged women on board through learning exchanges with the same Lari and Limuru groups. In total there are 43 new women on board.

In the framework of the MACF 2015-2018 program, select resilience practices have been strengthened and transferred to new communities. They include:

● Biogas as a resilience practice has been strengthened in the Lari Community group because of that one community leader who linked other community members to have biogas installed. So far, at least 29 biogas facilities have been constructed through this resilience program. Four regions benefitted earlier in 2015, and five more regions have now had the knowledge and practice transferred. This practice has been documented in a Community Guidebook and

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in posters.● The other community resilience practice that has been strengthened is the

fireless cookers- they are in high demand due to the ease of making them, availability of local materials, and their affordability to grassroots women. Two regions benefited in 2015. This year, the practice has been transferred to four more regions. The practice is documented in the Community Guidebook and in posters as well.

● Water harvesting is highly demanded to curb the vulnerability in many households during dry seasons, thus it has been strengthened during this implementing year. Furthermore, grassroots women have increased understanding of the link between the practice of water harvesting and all season farming because of the need for water to support farming throughout the year. The communities also have increased awareness on the linkages between access to water and increased food security in households. Water harvesting as a resilience practice has been strengthened due to its affordability and it’s easy access to grassroots women. Since the last year, 14 households in two groups practiced water harvesting. This year, three regions with approximately number of households have newly benefitted from the practice which is documented in the Community Guidebook and in posters.

● There is increased awareness of indigenous and organic farming among the grassroots women. Organic manure (Rotuba) is more sustainable as it enriches the African soil and guarantees more yields in consequence harvests. A total seven households implemented the practice in 2015, and a total two regions with approximately NUMBER of households implement indigenous and organic farming this implementing year. This practice too is already documented in a Community Guidebook and in posters.

Activities: 2.1.2 Design step-by-step and customized curricula on localized financing tools relating to disaster risk reduction/climate change adaptation which advance sustainability of the piloted CRF and support broader replication and adaptation (e.g. revolving funds)Result: Built within organizations’ implementation plans, each organization has started their personalized process to plan and design a curricula reflecting the local context.

Activities: 2.1.3 Identification of global opportunities for promotion of CRF & deployment of CRF promoters (TOT & Secretariat personnel).GLOBAL

We held an assessment meeting and together, participants analyzed a road map with global opportunities defined and agreed on strategies towards partnership building at regional and global levels based on existing and emerging processes and national actions that take into account the implementation of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 and SDGs mechanisms. All 6 groups established common priorities for resilience building within the context of actions taking place in each of their regions.

Activities: 2.1.4 Strengthen the M&E functions to identify trackable indicators for 6 groups and promotion of CRF vision. GLOBAL

Program evaluation opened up a great opportunity to put in place an M&E process at the Global Secretariat level. HC is preparing to implement a sound and meaningful M&E process which can:A) Capture gains and demonstrate progress towards the program’s goalsB) Identify challenges at local, national and global levels

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C) Inform strategic decisions: resource allocations, adapting plans

The collective review of the evaluation findings at the Braintrust IV in October 2015 motivated the Groups – several of whom are now keen to invest in developing their M&E capacities. An important outcome was the consensus among participants that while local and national contexts/scales/definitions differ, there is a common framework (the Diamond) that guides the groups’ actions, activities and advocacy. The commitment and integration of the framework in the groups’ work will be critical as HC develops its ‘universal’ indicators for M&E. This has strengthened a plan defining 3 necessary steps to be taken place. The first step would like be to create guidelines on how to initiate a M&E process to the select universal indicators and measurements on those indicators. Second step, would be to work closely with the Secretariat / program staff to: a. Review the guidelines, address questions and concerns; b. Implement the guidelines and together make the selection of the universal indicators and determine appropriate measurements for each indicator. The third step is defined once universal indicators and the measurements on those indicators have been developed and agreed upon.

ASIA


In order to enhance their M&E system, YEU has implemented regular reflection meetings across women’s groups to assess and analyze their insights from their CRF experiences. There were 6 reflective meetings with the women of all districts that were focused on the management of CRF activities where members:

- shared the successes and failures in the implementation of the different CRF practices

- reaffirmed the need to enhance economic sustainability in CRF practices, such as in optimizing short harvest period and produce more vegetables

- agreed on a report mechanism in accordance to accountability and transparency principles


In india, through federation leaders and appraisers, SSP conducts monthly meetings to the groups on the ground in order to ensure a continuous support and monitoring system to the women groups. As part of the current MACF funded program, SSP is developing a new, more efficient M&E system build from the bottom-up, and the first step taken has been to develop a questionnaire with the core leaders on the CRF practices that is now being tested in Bihar and Maharashtra.

LATIN AMERICA


Las Brumas’ technical team made 12 field visits to M&E the processes develop for the communities that are implementing resilience projects. The goal is to verify the accomplishment of the proposed activities, based on the work plan presented by them. These visits were to the following communities: El Volcán, Las Colinas, El Boniche, Santa María, San Pablo and La Altura (Yali Municipality); El Corozal, El Chorizo, La Esperanza de Kilambe, El Jicote, and El Tope (Wiwilí Municipality); Santa Ana and La Chiripa (Cua Municipality). The main challenges are related with the appropriation of knowledge acquired through the capacity building process, and the correct implementation of those

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successful practices. All this activities were reported monthly to Las Brumas technical team.


Wagucha’s technical team of 12 grassroots women leaders is in permanent contact with groups involved with the implementation. They’ve elaborated the M&E document and are disseminating this information to prepare the groups the report the activities. This initial process started in August 2016.

AFRICA

KENYA - GROOTS KenyaGROOTS Kenya used the existing CRF monitoring framework to develop a standard M & E tool for use across the Kenya network. The tool was to monitor the revolving fund and the upscaling of the locally led initiative. The M&E tool that is pending validation by target groups was tested in monitoring of loans and was applied to monitor loan repayment for groups in Lari and Limuru counties. The document awaits validation and adoption in the national CRF meeting in September 2016.

The project has set up a community monitoring system committee that conducts field visits on a quarterly basis. The monitoring framework consists of a tool used by monitoring committees at sub county levels and during annual stock taking national exercise. The tool is designed to capture both the performance of the fund and the adoption of resilience practices.

Further, a national stock taking exercise was conducted in August 2016 to bring together 40 grassroots women that are already rotating the loans program. So far, an update was recorded on the performance of the funds, and a draft CRF operations of the loan performance guidelines developed.

Activities: 2.1.5 Evaluation meetings with 6 implementing groups to produce lessons learnt and relevant documentation on the resilience “diamond” strategyOur planning, monitoring and evaluation framework focus is on the following 4 core strategic objectives of our overall resilience program: Strengthening Grassroots Women’s Organizing and Leadership; Promoting Development through Awareness and Locally-Led Initiatives; Building Constituency and Network and Influence; Change Public Policy Processes (local–national-regional and global). All resilience related projects and its activities are aligned and promoting these 4 strategic objectives. Our learning framework started by working with each group to build a baseline and apply our impact assessment tracking tool.

The members of the Community Resilience program made the commitment to work through the year of the 2015-2016 to align the kind of support system that is needed at the country level for M&E. Reviewing, discussing and evaluating the M&E process and program evaluation proved vitally helpful for the 6 implementing groups, and several key issues emerged from the discussions that will inform the next steps moving forward for M&E of the Community Resilience program.

The resilience program evaluation included all six implementing organizations in our joint partnership under MACF 2015-2018 funded activities, a central recommendation was to have more investment in the fourth point of the Diamond, “Influence and change public

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policy and processes”. This was closely aligned with all the activities aimed to strengthen grassroots women’s community groups and supportive local NGOs that models, transfer, and drive the demand for bottom up, gender-just climate resilient development approaches and for governmental transparency and accountability. The ultimate goal is to influence police change and promote sustainability. Mindful that this is not an area of work supported neither funded by MACF grants, groups still have to account for the recommendation as their work on the ground is holistic. With more investment, policy change would need to be the explicit objective of the program. The second recommendation was to have more regional exchanges to share best practices and to maximize the regional presence of the CPP. The third recommendation was to extract gains from global forums and to identify how to use the global forums to connect with national level authorities. Regarding the indicators themselves, they are too general. They still need to be unpacked and further explained, and to identify what is the most important. At the same time, there is a need for a deeper understanding of how the indicators related to activities and plans. Additionally, most indicators that groups came up with were project related and not qualitative indicators of social change (although project level are not necessarily contradictory to movement-level indicators), and this should be considered while consolidating. Regarding the M&E process as a whole and working to support both global and country level M&E, more time is needed (including a dedicated workshop) in order to develop a set of indicators that captures the changes the global movement is seeking to achieve. Brain Trust Meetings are valuable for learning, monitoring and evaluation; the HC Secretariat’s Global Brain Trust Meeting IV session was held October 2016. Our assessment found that it created a space for Groups to share experiences, successes and strategies. Groups were also able to clarify doubts and review the indicators to be tracked under MACF Program 2015-2018. Groups also reflected on challenges and decide on course-corrections. Groups reported that the meeting significantly improved their management of the CRF and their grasp of the CPP concept. Groups showed a significant interest in being involved and trained in M&E processes. As a follow up to the Global Brain Trust, we integrated a M&E workshop in the African Regional Brain Trust that took place in November 2016. Further, due to different needs at different levels, the M&E system at the Global Secretariat level will differ from the M&E system at the group level, and this needs to be further determined. Moving on that point though, the Global Secretariat is going through a process of hiring a M&E Consultant to work with Program Team to conduct a refinement exercise with the existing M&E tool. HC Secretariat will first consolidate its M&E system, and then the M&E capacity can be built in groups on the ground.

Activities: 2.1.6 Support Secretariat in coordination and financial functionsRESULT: Established a numbered chart of accounts; the internal reporting on each grant has improved so that at any time, a report showing the (1) actual expenditures by budget line, (2) the description of the budget line, (3) the budgeted amount, and (4) the variance between actual and budget. This makes our decision making and continuous grant monitoring much more efficient.

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4. Based on the progress to date, describe any challenges you have encountered and any unanticipated results (for better or worse).

All 6 implementing groups in the current proposal including Lumanti Support Group for Shelter, Nepal; Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), India; and Yakkum Emergency Unit (YEU), Indonesia; Union de Cooperatives Las Brumas, Nicaragua; WAGUCHA, Honduras; and GROOTS Kenya, Kenya have shared their individual challenges within their local and national context.

In Post Earthquake Nepal, Lumanti faced many challenges and had to refocus its attention and readjust its work plan initially planned. Lumanti as one leading NGO in this area of work, worked in collaboration in a coalition. Local government, donors, community based organizations, women’s groups and cooperatives have collectively put in efforts and engaged actively in immediate response and relief aid in Nepal. During the exchange visits, the team engaged in hearing to the experiences of women and their families during and post earthquake, understanding initiatives and contribution of women’s groups – individually and with the support of organizations. Involvement of women’s groups as they mostly shared were around distribution of relief aid, food supplies, basic services – health, water and sanitation, mobilizing materials -setting up of temporary shelters for evacuated families. The women’s groups have demonstrated collective strength and increased capacities pre and post earthquake – awareness generation on disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction, attending to the casualties, accessing relief aid, mobilizing additional resources from the local government. But, there were still several existing unaddressed needs and challenges which surface during the community visits and interaction with the women’s groups. The challenges shared by women’s groups are as follows: 1. No Platform to share needs, access information and entitlements • Lack of access to information, awareness on government policies (local and national) and benefits available to the community. • Low participation of women groups and community members in the Ward Citizen Forum and absence of other similar platforms for community groups to link with Shelter clusters to share their needs, demands and also access information and services. • No platform to share and negotiate issues around Housing Reconstruction and Land Entitlements, basic WASH services with the regional and national government • Uncertainty about access to resources – amount of funds/ loans to be received and materials for rebuilding -construction of houses. 2. Women need training and information on safe construction technology with opportunities to participate in reconstruction of houses. • Trainings received by the women are still considered informal and no training certificates are provided post training

3. No allocation of roles for women in the recovery and reconstruction process • Lack of recognition of efforts and good practices of women groups leading to no allocation of roles in recovery and reconstruction process at the village level.

4. Support in restoring basic services, community infrastructures and support livelihood opportunities • Cooperatives funds not sufficient to support the affected families and community infrastructure development through reconstruction. Need more financial support or partnership with the local government to mobilize their resources. • Lack of information and support for restoring the old livelihoods and for new opportunities for women and groups.

Lumanti collectively outlined key areas for Women’s Groups being formalized as Recovery and DRR Facilitators: 1. Build on existing roles women’s groups have played in the relief stage and their existing partnerships with local governments and government agencies 2. Publicize and Ensure Affordable, Earthquake Safe Reconstruction in Affected Communities 3. Empower Women’s Cooperatives to Promote Economic Recovery Via Livelihoods and

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Asset Building 4. Consciously Strengthen and Institutionalize Women’s Networks as Key Actors in Recovery & Resilient Local Development Discussed how Huairou-Groots Community Resilience Program could invest in supporting women leaders to work together to ensure their priorities and roles are formalized in the recovery process. Work plan for this support was stalled until late spring due to persistent economic and political problems (ending of fuel and import embargo by India; political crises; lag in securing and distributing recovery aid monies). Lumanti concentrated on hands on assistance in planning for and organizing short-term solutions to shelter and livelihood restoration with women’s groups in the hardest hit areas and the Kathmandu Valley.

5. Do you need to make any significant changes, as defined by the Conditions of Grant? (If yes, be sure to contact MACF staff) No. There is no significant change to be requested.

Yes X No If yes explain:☐

6. What are the key lessons learned from this grant for this reporting period and how are you applying those lessons?

Systemized and continuous project risk assessments have been documented in project planning and adjustments made in implementation. External risk factors include financial, political, social and environmental considerations which may hinder or obstruct smooth program implementation. Ethical considerations as reflected based on organization’s principles inform the broad risk analysis where strategic choices in terms of new partnerships including with grassroots groups, project locales, project consultative processes and program priorities are determined. At the same time, project specific risk analysis helps identify major risks specific to projects including financial, political, environmental, social, cultural risks. All grassroots level projects have inherent risks and can delay achievement of objectives or require timely programmatic adjustments.

Risk mitigation measuresProject implementation at grassroots level requires close monitoring and evaluation and reporting. HC has in place successful monitoring and review systems and reporting practices including planning meetings prior start of cycle and mid cycle. Program audits are conducted.

Assessment on Grassroots Women’s LeadershipGroups in all six countries have worked to strengthen organizing and leadership of women as well as the scale up of successful practices through the Community Resilience Fund. Their leadership in stewardship of land and natural resources serves to sustain their work even as small-scale food producers move beyond subsistence farming and towards mid-scale farming at some countries and agribusinesses at other. This includes different level of women’s associations formed around agriculture. This year’s program implementation plan continued to build on the gains achieved with previous MACF grant with exception of a new group from Indonesia under this current program. However, the organization YAKKUM has been part of the process since 2012 with support from a different grant. The combining grassroots women-led successful practices on natural resource management, sustainable agriculture and the reduction of community vulnerabilities to climate change and environmental degradation with a strategy to strengthen engagement with networking to nurture cross learning and enhance the multiplier effect. Overtime, there is progress on the state of leadership and training in the participant’s organizations and the necessary shifts to address the skills and training gaps to promote the formation of better skilled women and more effective operation of the Community Resilience Fund and implementation of leadership and capacity building activities:

Strengths Gaps Shifts

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- Risk identification- Power analysis/mapping and building partnerships- Mobilizing women in networks and coalitions- Implementing and transferring successful practices- Awareness raising- Partnership building at the local level

- Resource mobilization- M&E- Communication and Documentation- Proposal making- CPP building- Sustainability of practices over time/scaling up- Advocacy at national level

- Financial management trainings- Strengthen revolving funds management- More importance to communications- Improving M&E capacity- Lobbying in the national level- Increased opportunities for peer exchange- Focus on scaling up of practices

Over time, more women have learned to take on new leadership roles that position them as climate resilience promoters or experts/leaders in the community, e.g.: trainers, mobilizers, mappers (of risks and vulnerabilities), fund managers; and they have also applied tools to facilitate collective analysis of key development issues addressing gender disparities.

GROOTS Kenya in particular has learned through this process that it is important to invest in organizing before investing in community projects. The process of organizing takes time as well as resources, but it is crucial for the understanding and ownership of processes. Grassroots women leaders and their communities experience challenges in their own leadership, and for their potential to be fully reached and build upon, it is important to carry out a risk mapping process.GROOTS Kenya has pointed out that one of the significance of having grassroots women in driving the process of resilience practices and initiatives is in how they are able to transfer the same knowledge and skills to others. In a simple but direct way, grassroots women leaders are a real asset in knowledge transfer as they are able to identify with each other’s needs, challenges and settings.

7. How were the stakeholders affected by the work involved in this program/project? Did stakeholder involvement take place as you had expected?

Proposed in Application: The Huairou Commission is proposing to continue to involve 5 grassroots organizations/networks from the first MACF grant and add an additional sixth partner in Southeast Asia. The total of 6 implementing groups in the current proposal includes: Lumanti Support Group for Shelter, Nepal; Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), India; and Yakkum Emergency Unit (YEU), Indonesia; Union de Cooperatives Las Brumas, Nicaragua; WAGUCHA, Honduras; and GROOTS Kenya, Kenya. We selected these groups (electing, post LOI to continue GROOTS Kenya as an implementing partner based on their excellent program operations and progress monitoring).The role of these groups as implementing partners is to insure that grassroots capacities are built in the areas outlined previously (financial, organizational strengthening, rigorous adherence to CRF operational guidelines, and adapted to context to insure purposeful and impactful community granting processes) and to sustain resilience practices at the grassroots level. A majority of the groups are long term or founding members of the Community Resilience Campaign. They are at the center of framing resilience strategies, innovating good practices, and engaging other community-based groups and strategic partners in the campaign (nationally, regionally & locally). In sum they are vetted, have a proven track record and have cooperated with us in a sustained and trustworthy manner. They will also be active in co-designing and participating in peer-learning workshops, Grassroots Academies, strategic planning meetings, and in presentations and dialogues with donors and policy-making

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agencies.Results/Update: The Huairou Commission involved six implementing organizations/networks to champion this program and deepen the applicability of the resilience holistic approach and operations of the Community Resilience Fund. The role of these groups as implementing partners is to ensure that grassroots capacities are built in the areas outlined previously (financial, organizational strengthening, rigorous adherence to CRF operational guidelines, and adapted to context to insure purposeful and impactful community granting processes) and to sustain resilience practices at the grassroots level. These groups are at the center of framing resilience strategies, innovating good practices, and engaging other community-based groups and strategic partners in the campaign (nationally, regionally & locally) with long term commitment. In sum they have proven track record within their local context and have cooperated with us in a sustained and with mutual commitment to advance the leadership and empowerment agenda of women and community paving the road to resilience. They have be fully engaged in co-designing and participating in peer-learning workshops, Training of Trainers, strategic planning meetings at global and regional levels, and in presentations and dialogues with donors and policy-making agencies.

8. How is the program/project’s work complementing that of other organizations and/or filling a key gap? Is it proceeding as expected?

From a global perspective, the program’s work is complementing other organizations that we partner with at the global level, due to the fact that in this area of work there is considerable amount focus on the global advocacy where several networks including Huairou Commission worked arduously to ensure that Global Policy Frameworks such as Sendai, Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and the Climate Agreement provide opportunities to co-creation of a sustainable and resilient societies and have coherence. Our specific complement with the implementation of this program is to ensure that these frameworks are in sync and it become applied tools at the local level where the change takes place and catalyse dynamism. The grant that is channeled through the CRF to 6 organization in 6 countries is used with a strong recognition that need to have long term sustainability, the implementing groups need to secure not just the survival of the CRF over time, but also to ensure it grows to reach more communities and expand the culture of resilience in their countries. Currently, the implementing groups have taken different actions to avoid the depletion of the CRF, however, it was a common agreement that there should be a strengthening of practices that secure the growth of the fund and of the autonomy of communities to decide what their priorities for use, like the revolving funds. That being said, the current MACF grant is providing the opportunity to focus specifically on these recommendations in particular on the element of

Current sustainability strategies:- Leveraging resources through partnerships:

o Local Governments: Upgrade infrastructure, local budgeting and emergency response planning

o National Governments: Access to social protection, training and subsidies

o Universities and research centers: Agricultural extension services and training

o NGOs: Training

- Revolving Funds: Replenishing part of the CRF and making it accessible to a larger number of communities and groups. Need to make sure that the money is not just rotating but growing.(To a lesser extent)

- Rotation of livestock:o Rotating Goats, pigs, etc.

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- Training and demos:

o Teaching communities how to access markets, fundraise, advocate, raise awareness, inspire.

9. Financial Report (Attachment A) – Complete the attached budget template with detailed financial information for the grant period. Below, provide a narrative report that summarizes any significant changes in the budget during the life of the grant. If you raised additional funds for this project during this grant period please list the sources and amounts.

In the original budget we listed World Bank GFDRR in the amount of $70,000 in the revenue. The request was denied. We hope to raise this amount from another source, but currently we have reduced our total budget expenses by that amount.

10. Describe how your organization is sharing what it learned from this project . Attach any publications or relevant links.

In our efforts to share lessons and accomplishments of the ongoing project, we organize workshops to bring groups to share their implementing processes and developed practices. Additionally, Program Staff works closely with each organization to identify and systematize successful practices. Please, see attached samples of such documentation of resilience practices.

GROOTS Kenya in particular is sharing the lessons learned in this project period through the newly developed CRF Guidelines and Operations. It is hoped that the guidelines will be shared widely with grassroots communities within the nation of Kenya.GROOTS Kenya has also been actively involved in the social media, communicating and exchanging ideas and support through the WhatsApp platform. Community women leaders have also been engaging with each other in the same forums making it easy to share ideas.

11. Share a story or short case study reflecting the impact of the grant. GROOTS Kenya, KenyaCRF as a Financial Mechanism for Social/Collective Entrepreneurship Groots Kenya has linked social entrepreneurship with resilience-building activities to ensure sustainability of the grassroots women who lead community action. The resilience initiatives of Groots Kenya’s CRF propagate social impact and financial viability. The use of fireless cookers have reduced the use of energy, as they do not require fire (after the initial 10 minutes) and have brought women together in an income generating initiative, as they are made and sold by the women themselves. The tree seedlings project uses public land as seed nurseries, and in turn the tree seedlings are sold to the government to rehabilitate the Kireita Forest. Several strategies promote sustainability of the CRF, including table banking (revolving savings and loan fund) to supplement a funding request that exceeds the maximum amount allowed, enhancing member commitment because they have their own financial stake in the initiative. Table banking savings are also used as collateral for loans from commercial banks. Groots Kenya is also encouraging groups to carry out activities with the use of a bank account because it create a positive credit history for the group. Lastly, external resources and funds are being leveraged, complementing ongoing activities.

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REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS - To be submitted (via email) with the Annual Interim Report (PDF documents accepted). ZIP files not accepted.

● Attachment A: Interim Financial Report - Complete the attached template and submit with the completed report.

● Two photos that highlight work done in the past year.

OPTIONAL ATTACHMENTS – Organizations may attach any publications or other relevant documents that help illustrate the report including an evaluation report.

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