Introduction
Hello EA Forum Community,
My name is Michael Agundah, Gerry, and I support Nambulabuchiro Women Group (NbWG) team as the Communication and Fundraising. NbWG is a grassroots organization led by widows and based in Samia Sub-County, Busia County, Kenya.
We are reaching out to the EA community to share our grant request of $ 4,917 towards office establishment for NbWG and invite feedback, funding referrals, or partnerships.
About NbWG
NambulaBuchiro (in Samia language – meaning ‘Without findings’) Women Group is a widows self-help group that work together for purposes of transforming widows lives economically, socially and mentally by enabling them have access to resource management. NbWG is a widows-led and widows-serving community-based organization with over 50 active members, we support widows through:
- Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA)
- Economic empowerment trainings
- Small scale agriculture and entrepreneurship
- Land rights advocacy
- Mental health and psychosocial support
We currently operate without a central office, running programs from borrowed or outdoor spaces. This greatly limits our ability to coordinate, scale, and provide structured support to the over 200 vulnerable widows we aim to serve annually.
Theory of Change (Summary)
‘’ If poor, marginalized and vulnerable women are provided customized business services (skills, entrepreneurship training, financial and market linkages), then their income significantly increases, and so does their participation in household and public decision-making.
Our one-page visual Theory of Change: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1d6gHRaeVxUn3kZKqUoPu4mE1-hcyBdlw/view?usp=sharing
Grant Proposal: Establishing a Functional Office
We’ve prepared a proposal seeking $ 4,917 (USD) to establish NbWG first ever coordination office. This space will serve as a hub for:
- Effectively managing group(s) training
- Storing essential records and documents
- Supporting coordination, data tracking and outreach
- Timely reaching out communicating with stakeholders
Full Grant Proposal (PDF): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I7IMEMowkak0fasHXnLOEuBHIN0QnydL/view?usp=sharing
Our model aligns with Effective Altruism values:
- Cost-effectiveness (~$24.59/widow served)
- Targeting a neglected population
- Scalable and replicable
- Based on evidence-backed rural savings/training interventions
How You Can Help
We’d deeply appreciate:
- Constructive feedback on the proposal
- Connections to EA-aligned funders or local organizations
- Insights into similar projects we could learn from
- Support to help fund the $ 4,917 required
Your support will make a significant difference in empowering these widows as they continue their journey towards economic independence and social dignity. Technical advice, connectivity and/ Networking highly welcome.
Fundraising LINK:
https://gogetfunding.com/nambulabuchiro-women-group-functional-office-space/
We sincerely appreciate your consideration and support.
In solidarity,
Michael Agundah, Gerry
On behalf of Nambulabuchiro Women Group (NbWG)
📧 gerrymichaelagundah@gmail.com
📞 +254 722 515573
#WidowsEmpowerment #EconomicJustice #RuralDevelopment #SDGs #EACommunity #EffectiveAltruism #GlobalSouthImpact #GrassrootsLeadership #WidowsProtection
Hey Gerry! It sounds like your organisation is working on a really important demographic in potentially a very cost-effective way! I think your application would be more compelling to potential funders if it included answers to the following:
What other funding is being used for this project? Presumably you also have staff to pay etc
This would help donors understand the full cost of supporting a widow right now. If this isn't apparent, most donors will think it's much much higher because if something is missing they tend to assume the worst.
What are your ambitions for the future?
Most of the impact of a grant like this is often in supporting an organisation that will grow into something more impactful over time. EA donors especially care about this, and want to know your longer term plans if possible.
How would your outputs differ without an office?
It's not clear what the $5k itself would buy in terms of additional widows being supported. This, "the counterfactual difference in utility" is the primary thing EA donors think about when deciding to donate.
If you take away one thing let it be this: anything left unclear or unspecified will be interpreted more negatively than if it had been clearly stated. For this reason, you might also want to include an organisational budget and more details on exactly what you're teaching / how you're supporting people with their mental health.
That being said, there are some great things about this application:
I'd be happy to spend 30 mins helping you work on your application if you'd like (for free). I've been successful in raising money for mental health work in LMICs over the past few years. If that'd be helpful, drop me a message or just leave a comment and I'll reach out by email :)
Hey John,
I highly welcome your technical support. MA Gerry