We added the day’s receipts again and counted the money in the cash box one more time. They were equal. This was a milestone. For the past 12 months as a Small Business Volunteer with the United States Peace Corps in Kaffrine, Senegal, I had worked with the Treasurer to tailor an accounting system for this female-owned juice and jelly business. Nearly every time we reconciled the expenses and sales with the cash box there had been a discrepancy, but today they were equal. Our accounting system had finally worked, and it would continue to work. And now this young woman, with only a primary school education, was confident in her abilities and empowered to hold the group accountable for their finances.
During my two years working with these young women, they not only expanded their market into nearby towns and their business model to include training other women’s groups in juice production techniques, they became my friends and support network. These women, along with other local initiatives with strong capacity, fed life into my community, increased access to services, added value to local raw materials, and spurred growth. From the shop owner who provided loans to those that could not access formal financial services, to the entrepreneur who established the town’s first internet café, to the farmer who experimented by growing papaya trees.
Like Peace Corps, IREX approaches our work by building the capacity of local leaders, such as teachers, community leaders, and citizen journalists, and organizations that are working to address the needs of their communities. In my work at IREX designing new programs, I work to incorporate as much as possible opportunities that build upon and enhance the strengths of local organizations and individuals that are positioned to lead their communities.
Peace Corps and the relationships I built in Senegal continue to play huge roles of my life. I am involved in the RPCV community, acting as a Board Member of www.thirdgoal.org [9]. This nonprofit community project is designed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps in 2011 by collecting the best stories, photos, and videos of the 200,000 Peace Corps Volunteers who have served since 1961. If you are a PCV or RPCV check out the site and share your story!!
Emmy Lang-Kennedy is a former Development Officer at IREX