Selecting Partners
Oxfam’s policy is to build local capacity by working through local NGOs rather than by implementing a project with its own staff. We decided that we would work with Malian NGOs that had already been working in their villages for some years, as they would be more likely to continue working in those villages even after Stromme, Freedom from Hunger, and Oxfam America stopped providing support.
Mama- dou and I prioritized local NGOs that delivered services well and at scale—for example, those related to literacy, health, education, agriculture, human rights, and finance. Saving for Change would capitalize on those organizations’ connections within their communities and their knowledge of culture, traditions, and language.After considerable searching, we found two NGOs with substantial operations in villages where we wanted to work. Le Tonus was based outside Kati, just north of Bamako, and CAEB had its central office in Bamako.20 Both embraced the idea of our project as an interesting additional approach that would complement their ongoing microfinance work. Little did they know that in just a few months, the number of members in their savings groups would dwarf that of their struggling MFIs.