p>Right on time to still wish a Happy New Year !

My promise for 2017!

It’s been a while since I have written on the blog. I am thinking the last time I blogged I was on mission in Burkina Faso. The past 2 years, I was very active writing articles on my blog and due to an even more overloaded work schedule I had to reduce my online presence. However, I am hoping to find a good balance this year with about one post a month. That is my online promise for 2017! I did take down Facebook and Instagram as I would like to keep my social presence purely professional. So no more time wasting about where I went for dinner and what holiday I went on. This way I can focus on good articles and keep you guys interested in working for the informal worker rights and microfinance.

The first day back at work:

My face appears on this year’s diversity calendar of the Belgian Liberal Trade Union as slogan - Together for 2017 !

2017 is the year we all must work together - solidarity is the key word to unite people. However, many people including new presidents use these words but will the end result be the same ?? Well looking at our calendar it is easy to see that the union stands for diversity, respect and solidarity.

Solidarity is reflected into our union program MIS Movement for International Solidarity or in Dutch ~ BIS (Beweging voor Internationale Solidariteit). This Year my 2 focus countries will be Congo and Burundi. We have split the tasks of managing East & West Africa. After our mission in Burkina Faso we realized that the workload of combining East & West Africa was too much. I am very excited to soon be traveling to Congo, to see the work of the Kananga union in action. The focus here is on women. I don’t want to go to much in detail on the program as I want to dedicate a post to this particular gender empowering mission soon.

End of 2016 ?

I am writing about 2017 and the plans but how did I close 2016 ?

After Ouagadougou I went on a training about development aid. I thought I knew it all and questioned why I had to go to 11.11.11 for an introduction to development aid. I wrote my master thesis on the fourth pillar of development aid … I have worked in the field and from the desk. Well, I was wrong ! I learnt many new aspects.

11.11.11 took us through the history of development aid. The politics of binding aid and non binding aid. Binding aid is the most common form of development aid in which donor nations only send funds if there is an economic, political or military return for themselves. Yikes ! Dirty … however binding aid policies were a trend once before and are now back again.

Didn’t President Trump say we should have taken Iraq’s oil?… Well, development aid is leaning more towards the ‘what is in it for us?’. Meaning what is in it for the Donor States. Development aid has been scrutinized over the years as it hasn’t been working like it should over the past decades, but it isn’t development aid alone. Immensely huge figures of development aid are always shown to the tax payers but how much of these figures are actually real? For example, if a donor country cancels past governmental debt - this figure can be included in the development figures as money spent. Although no actual money was wired; therefore certain amounts are counted for double. I was definitely not aware of this!

Most people think that most African nations depend on development aid while this is not the case. Only the poorest nations do but even then it is not sufficient. A good example is Burkina Faso, the poorest country in Africa that depends largely on aid.

11.11.11 also presented the EFQM quality model of the Belgian NGO sector, a commitment to excellence process for development aid. In development aid we have a lot of reporting. Sometimes even too much reporting. Donor countries want to be able to measure everything and sometimes I wonder if we have entered the era of development aid for reporting ?

Let’s see… I read the 2017 report of the government policies in relation to aid… time will tell!

Good Luck in 2017 !

www.francinecarron.com

Francine Carron January 24, 2017

From Singapore to Burkina Faso 4 the Belgian Liberal Trade Union

Francine Carron October 16, 2016

I have done quite some fun events but now less play again and more work. After making an analysis of the Ghanian microfinance market I realise that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done and at the same time there are a lot of new opportunities.

After a short break in Singapore having an incredible amount of fun (see pictures) I found myself back in Belgium to further my business and spend time with my son. At the same time another opportunity arose to become Project Manager for the Belgian Liberal Trade Union helping to build, expand, coach unions with a focus on informal workers in Congo, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Burundi. It is funny how life goes; everything happens for a reason.

Exactly a year ago in Rwanda I was helping the Union Théicole de la Crète Congo Nil for Exchangevzw and Benevolab. While I was there, I was thinking union matters aren’t my expertise but I am going to make the best of it. I was searching for a division of a Belgian Union that supported unions in Africa but even through google I didn’t find it. The same when I was googling microfinance agencies in Belgium 5 years ago I couldn’t even find the name of microStart till I started working there 3 years ago. Now that I have passed the exams, etc at the Belgian Liberal Trade Union abbreviated ACLVB/GSCLB Department for International & European Affairs =Movement for International Solidarity supported by the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Commerce & Development Aid I continue the mission I left of a year ago in Rwanda. (I am actually in a better position to further guide them in their union matters today.)

My main focus is gender and environment while supporting these unions and my microfinance consultancy will remain open. I am making an attempt now to shifting the business into online consultancy for financial inclusion. For more information visit www.francinecarron.com and for more information about Movement International Solidarity of the Belgian Liberal Trade Union. Visit http://www.aclvb.be/nl/homepage-bis

My first mission in this function is going for a union partner reunion to Burkina Faso !

Next week I will be blogging for Ouagadougou ! (I can barely pronounce it.)

Francine

With love from Singapore

Francine Carron October 19, 2015

Rwanda Broadcast Agency

The last few days has been exploring Kigali’s finest restaurants, a concert but one more last piece for work. Final interview with Rwanda Broadcast Agency for its radio station. The interview took place in the Mirror Hotel in Rumera. The purpose of the interview was to present Exchangevzw, BNPParibas Benevolab and plea for the cause of the poor tea farmers in the Tea Farmers Union of Crete Congo Nil in Gisenyi. The interview will be completely dubbed in Kinyarwandan :)
Journalist RBA: Pacifique Emmanuel Niyitegeka
Thanks at Peter Vankerckhove for the help!

A busy day at work - National holiday ! I had to drag myself to work today. I was jealous of the Muslims having a day off. So I hopped sleepy in the matatu (I now know the name for the taxi bus). All of a sudden while driving in the hills someone opened the door and jumped out! Well that woke me up for sure! It was a movie scene, that guy deserves a spot in mission impossible quite impressive. Apparently today the price was 100 Rwandan Francs (100 francs/750 = price in USD) more because it is a holiday and he didn’t agree. Bump that ! he must have thought and jumped. A second person tried to jump as well but everyone held him back. Haha he had to pay full price. I bet if he had jump it would have been disastrous. Arriving at work I was my jolly self again and ready to do this ! I immediately continued on the strategic plan, I have a clear idea of the problems the tea Union is facing. Numerien had nicely drafted a list of their problems. The President of the Union, Augustin also came to explain the consequences of their problems. We compared it to my analyses of the past few days and I seem to be spot on. My brain has been in over drive and I have come up with a lot of possible solutions, programs that need to be worked out. The problem of the tea Union is not only their problem is a community problem. Therefore Numerien needs to take a lead, I will draft him a challenging strategy that needs to be followed step by step. If he can implement the strategic plan, Numerien can create a strong union, a national union and have a leverage power at government level to help the cooperative members. I feel as if I am starting up microStart Antwerp from the beginning again. I had drafted a plan, strategy to be followed in order to become a successful microfinance agency. For 2015 I have to do the same but first Numerien’s plan. I will provide him with a project schedule that he has to follow and I am taking this cause to my heart. I will follow up the progress of the Union when back in Belgium. The Union has become my baby and I will raise it. After a few hours of typing, it was time to go back in the fields. Don’t forget we started work at 7:30. At 10:39 we are trying to get to the hinterland.

Francine Carron September 24, 2015

Union des Cooperatives Theicoles de la Crete Congo Nil - UCTCCN.

Francine Carron September 12, 2015

Before calling the UCTCCN coordinator I decided to research as much as I could on tea. Realising I am no tea producing expert I understand that there are some issues with the tea cooperatives in Rwanda as there are only 3 factories and some of the cooperatives are a bit far away from the factory. Tea leaves need to be brought to the factory as soon as possible to guarantee the premium tea quality. Most of the tea being sold is from Kenya while Rwandan tea is actually of higher quality but not well known. Rwanda has clear guidelines in relation to tea production. Online a lot of information can be found on tea production: http://www.ifad.org/english/operations/pf/rwa/i596rw/web/teac1_intro1.htm

I contacted Numerien the coordinator of UCTCCN and received all the necessary information. UCTCCN was created in 2007 and operates from the district RUBAVU, sector Nyundo. UCTCCN is a co-operative consisting of 4 more cooperatives. These being 1) Cooperative théicoles de la Pfunda (COOTP), 2) Cooperative théicole de Ramba (COTRAGAG), 3) Cooperative théicoles de Gasiza (COOPTHEGA) 4) Cooperative théicole de Rutsiro (RUTEGROC). The entire union consists of 5538 individuals. This is going to be one hell of a mission!

My job is to assist in creating a strategic plan to make the union more professional in order for it to be an added value for the small tea farmers. On top of that UCTCCN would like me to create an initial framework for creating a microfinance and microsavings division inside the tea union. So that tea farmers can go to their cooperative to resolve their financial problems.

I have 2 weeks to do this. I doubt 2 weeks will be sufficient so they have mailed me already as much information as currently available.

One thing I am wondering is whether this tea union is FairTrade certified? I am definitely going to enlighten myself on how to become a FairTrade producer in Rwanda. http://www.fairtrade.net/becoming-a-fairtrade-producer.html

Preparing for Rwanda!
Before starting to discuss the entire project with the Rwandan Organisation ‘Union des cooperatives Théicoles de la Crete Congo Nil - UCTCCN’ I have to be interviewed by Exhange vzw. (http://www.exchangevzw.be)
Exchange vzw is a Belgian organisation that offers companies and organisations the possibility to benefit from a wide range of voluntary top experts. Exchange offers expertise almost for free so that companies in developing countries can grow the (local) economy to create new jobs. Companies and socio-economic organisations whom comply with a set of clearly defined selection criteria can apply for assistance of a volunteer expert. Exchange vzw learned throughout the years that there is a tangible need for assistance on a technical or management level.
What is Exchange vzw procedure ? The selected volunteer expert and the company exchange of knowledge takes place directly. The entrepreneur/ company asks himself for expertise as he understands best what the needs of the company exactly are. The company decides which expert he wishes to collaborate with. (Me in this case!..yay.) Afterwards, an intensive exchange of knowledge and cross-pollination between both parties takes place. Exchange obtains tangible results with an absolute minimum of means. Voluntary high-level experts with the right competences, a proven track record and intrinsic motivation help companies expand or improve. Exchange funds itself via private companies and subsidies in the West whom are interested in giving ‘free consulting’ to help other companies.
I am nervous about the interview with Exchangevzw, it feels like going to a job interview all over again! What wil they ask? I am not a tea expert - I am knowledgable about the genocide but I am not an expert on Central and East Africa… So everything continues with Google search…
1. Youtube: is a good help starting with the US Policy toward Rwanda - Congressional hearing held on May 20, 2015 : 2,5 hours of listening while cleaning around the house gives you a little maybe ?‘biased? inside into Rwandan politics at the moment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMPSNh690NY
2. While reading the history of Rwanda all over again, I was shocked to find out that it was the Belgians who created such a large division between the Hutus and Tutsis. The Belgian colonials arrived and measured the noses of the local population. Hutus had bigger noses whereas Tutsis had slimmer more European-like noses. Everyone received an ID card that said whether they were Hutus or Tutsis. Such a division didn’t really exist in pre-colonial Rwanda. Being a Hutu or a Tutsi had more to do with how much wealth a person had. However, it was the Belgians who created the ethnical divide in Rwanda which later was a basis for genocide propoganda. While growing up in Belgium, we were not taught in elementary school why there was such a division between Hutus and Tutsis. We used to watch the news in 1994 of the genocide in school and were thought that it was the savage behaviour of the African people. (A good thing that there is now a movement called #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou). The 1994 genocide images have always stuck with me,… the red-colored rivers, the dead bodies floating…as a child I felt much pain for the Rwandan people.
Enough history read,
3. Tripadvisor: While going through traveller photos my love for Rwanda is growing stronger. Magnificent pictures by those travellers, I can’t get enough. Those mountains are beyond fantastic. My friends are telling me: ‘Now that you have seen the entire country online there is no more point to go.’ They are scared that I will be travelling alone. Most people still have those horrible genocide pictures of Rwanda in their head. After viewing Rwanda’s nature for hours I am convinced this might be the most beautiful place on earth.
4. Pinterest & Instagram: are good tools to learn about activities in Rwanda. On Instagram I learned that women are allowed in the Rwandan army just as Israel. Rwanda is one of the largest contributors of soldiers to the UN deployment missions. Rwanda also has 60% women in the government. Seems like Rwanda is the place to be for career driven women. #noglassceiling All of a sudden Rwanda is starting to sound as a better place to live than Belgium.
5. Stromae: is the most famous Belgian international artists and is of Rwandan origin. After scrolling down on his Facebook page I read that he has cancelled his concerts in Congo and Rwanda. It might be moved to September. Hopefully I ll be there as well! I definitely can’t wait to sing a long to Papaoutai in Kigali.
6. My personal contacts/ The importance of alumni networks: Who better to contact than my Rwandese friend Nausicaa HK whom I went to the international university (http://www.vesalius.edu) Vesalius College with in 2003? Last time I checked Nausicaa was working as a communication officer for UNDP in Kigali. I contact her on Facebook, Ubuntu she says! In no time I know everything about Rwanda and now have a place to stay in Kigali as Nausicaa is inviting me. That makes me think…Who else do I know? Aha! Anne-Marie from SN Brussels was previously station manager in Monrovia and is now based in Kigali. It seems as if I am going to have a good time in Rwanda and now I am ready for the interview with Exchangevzw.

Francine Carron September 3, 2015