SHIPO: working hard for durable success

August 24, 2011 - The first six months of 2011 were very exciting  for PSO-member Connect International and its Tanzanian partner SHIPO (Southern Highlands Participatory Organisation). For a minute their future seemed unsure. But, the so-called ‘Learning-working trajectory’ agreement of PSO with Connect International contributed to renewed access to funding for both Connect International and SHIPO.   

At the end of 2010 it became clear that our member organisation Connect International and its partner SHIPO, were not eligible for MFS-funding.  The future looked far from bright as  this non-profit organization is totally dependent on its donors.

Connection with PSO

Over a year ago, SHIPO and its partner Connect International got the chance to start a Llearning-working trajectory with PSO.  Within the agreement, Connect International and SHIPO state that they want to research how to bring about durable changes in the learning abilities of their organizations. SHIPO gets two years of intensive guidance and training from PSO’s Southern partner EASUN, a Tanzanian organization specialized in organizational development and learning.

SHIPO’s employees are  individually coached on leadership skills. Some get a Facilitators of Development course (FOD) and learning sites are created. All trainings and workshops are practical and shaped after the Action Learning Model. This means that SHIPO learns to reflect on actions under taken, retrieving (new) lessons from it and implementing those in planning.

SHIPO is prospering. Professionalizing the NGO drew much needed attention of a large international sponsor. Now they work together intensively and SHIPO’s future is ensured

About SHIPO

The Southern Highlands Participatory Organisation (SHIPO) is a Tanzanian Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) based in Njombe, Tanzania. SHIPO facilitates people in rural villages and Community Based Organisations (CBO’s) to plan and execute small-scale self-help projects in the districts of Njombe and Ludewa.  The organization’s aim is to facilitate organized groups (e.g. communities, women groups) with the successful implementation of self-help projects that contribute to the improvement of their living standards and the alleviation of poverty.