Wednesday Workshop

Hi

The internet has not been very strong the past five days so I choose to hold off on posting as I wanted to include pictures.

Last Wednesday I attended a workshop that was held in Kasungu for all MicroLoan Regional and Branch Managers.  The workshop was held to address key areas where operational excellences are being made and where further improvements need to be made.  

The meeting began with brief introductions of everyone.  Following, ground rules were set and agreed upon before the meeting started.  

The Founder and CEO of MicroLoan Foundation, Peter Ryan was supposed to be leading the workshop but he was held up in Nairobi, Kenya after his flight was canceled to Malawi!  Francis Munywoki, the interim CEO of MicroLoan Malawi filled in and ran the workshop with two consultants from the UK, Daniella and Anton.  

The workshop was held to specifically achieve:

- Agreement of a customer charter

- Recap on operational excellence successes to date

- Introduce the New Product Pilot Task Force

- Brainstorm on how MicroLoan can improve savings for its clients

- Develop understanding of what a good group means and appropriate loan collection prices

Everything was really interesting and I really enjoyed being able to take part in the process!  I was in charge of videoing our staff during the insights sections of the workshop.  The words our staff offered were so inspiring and motivational.  I cannot wait to share them when I get home.

During the meeting Mel passed me a note.  She is a full time volunteer from the UK working on staff training in Malawi!  Check out her blog Mel Harbinson's Blog! I opened it up and saw a poem!  I continued reading and decided I would share.

Tutu and Wun-Wun

Tutu was a racehorse

Wun-Wun was one too

Tutu won one race one day,

Wun-Wun won one too

Tutu said to Wun-Wun,

"I want to be like you"

So, when Wun-Wun won one race one day

Tutu won one too

The poem had so much meaning around positive peer pressure.  In the poem Tutu wants to be just like Wun-Wun.  I gathered in life if you try to emulate someone who is your friend you will be successful.  Hence positive peer pressure at MicroLoan wether it be with staff of clients.

Back to translating tons of YouTube client interviews.

All the Best

Jimmy