On August 13-18, 2012, Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU) and Social Enterprise Development Partnerships, Inc. (SEDPI) successfully conducted two trainings in Cabanatuan City under the Ateneo-SEDPI Microfinance Capacity Building Program. The two trainings, Proposal Writing and Delinquency Management for Disaster Situations, were the first batch of trainings conducted with Alalay sa Kaunlaran, Inc. (ASKI), SEDPI’s training hub partner in Cabanatuan City.
A total of 34 participants from the top and middle management positions of ASKI attended the course on Proposal Writing. The course discusses the basics of proposal writing and the determining factors that set apart winning program designs and project proposals. The training was comprehensive and practical, with workshops on how to write the basic parts of a proposal. By the end of the training, participants were able to craft proposals on various projects they plan to propose to ASKI’s board of directors. Among the projects they presented were disaster management plans, new loan products, improvement of information systems, and other special projects for community development.
The training on Delinquency Management for Disaster Situations also had 34 participants. Delinquency is one of the major challenges that MFIs face, particularly in disaster situations. The course aims to give participants a deeper understanding of delinquency, its causes, and how it can be addressed. Actual steps done by MFIs were presented, emphasizing the need for both preventive and curative strategies. Participants were also taught how to craft a disaster management plan on what to do before, during, and after disasters.
Three program officers from SEDPI conducted the trainings: Ms. Florence Adviento, Ms. Enid Madarcos and Ms. Cherryl Si. Both trainings were well-received by participants. According to them, the trainings were “very lively”, and the trainers were “great” and “knowledgeable regarding the topic”.