The Capacity Building Unit of the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) has developed a series of technical support programmes to respond to the organisational development needs of AWDF’s grantees and those of women’s rights organisations in Africa.
The first in the series of these technical support programmes is ‘Financial Management Training for Finance Manager and Officers’ which will be held in Nairobi from 10 – 12 February 2014. This training will be held in collaboration with Orwa & Co an accounting firm in Nairobi whose team are providing pro-bono financial support services to selected AWDF’s grantees in Kenya. From 2013, AWDF in collaboration with Orwa & Co designed a project which seeks to enhance the financial management capacity of grantee organizations, and to review existing internal control systems and processes. The project which is on-going will also look at developing and improving processes that will allow for strengthened overall financial management systems and structures of AWDF’s grantee partners.
The 3 days training will bring together 17 finance managers and officers from 17 grantee organisations in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. The training will look at issues of budgets and cash flow projections, financial management in context, grant management, internal controls and internal checks, compliance to statutory requirements, and financial reporting among others.
It is expected that this training will be beneficial to participants and provide skills and insights aimed at strengthening grantees’ institutional capacity to manage donor funds and develop a sound financial management systems for their organisations.
When asked why they wanted to participate in this training programme our grantees said:
“The principle objective for participating in the upcoming workshop is to gain additional practical administrative and finance management knowledge and skills to enhance smooth execution of the above job purpose”. Ritah Atwongyeire, Better HAG, Uganda.
“To build my financial skills so that I can be able to operate effective financial management systems and manage programmes more efficiently and effectively… Learn about compliance and statutory requirements” Ms. Eunice Ndung’u, Ogiek Peoples’ Development Program (OPDP), Kenya.
“To refresh on the concepts and key financial issues, to update myself with the new statutory regulations in different areas such as payroll administration, withholding taxes etc” Evelyn Dzame,
Finance & administration Manager, Centre for Rights Education and Awareness (CREAW) Kenya
“To gain knowledge in financial management, with aim to consolidate NACOA’s compliance with Donor’s financial requirements”. Juliet Muhumuza, Nacoa Uganda
“… we need to get financial management skills and I have no direct experience on accounting and have direct experience on budget preparation and control”. Elenatane Getachew, SOS ADDIS Tefetron Bemalimat Bkletn Masweged Mahiber.
A selection of participants at the workshop. In the foreground and from left to right are: Faith Kwebaze, National Community of Women Living with HIV&AIDS in Uganda; Juliet Muhumuza
National Coalition of Women with AIDS in Uganda; and Eunice Wanjiku Ndung’u, Ogiek Peoples Development Program.