Learning Essential Business Tools Brings Financial Stability for Women In Togo
In rural and urban areas of Togo, a non-government organization is improving the living conditions of children, young people, and women. Photo courtesy of PAFED.
Programme d’Appui à la Femme et à l’Enfance Déshéritée (PAFED) is a non-government organization improving the living conditions of children, young people, and women in rural and urban areas of Togo. PAFED gives people access to quality education, healthcare, and financial independence through awareness-raising, capacity building, and established partnerships.
Faced with financial challenges and struggles to create proposals and apply for funding, PAFED sought support to strengthen its project development techniques. With guidance from Catalyste+ Advisor (CA), Komla Célestin Tallaki, PAFED’s staff participated in multiple hands-on workshops, gaining essential new skills and submitting several proposals.
Tchatchedre Nouhoum, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at PAFED, is grateful for Catalyste+’s support. “There have been many positive outcomes from our experience. The women and the youth are empowered because we have applied for and have been successful in life-changing opportunities.”
Célestin led a comprehensive training on project development through a three-day in-person workshop. Staff learned tools and techniques for identifying and designing projects that aligned with the organization’s goals. The training included detailed tutorials, templates, and a real-world example to guide participants through the development process.
Photo courtesy of PAFED.
In addition to the group sessions, Célestin also provided personalized support to six staff members, five of whom were women. This one-on-one mentoring helped them directly apply the skills they learned by drafting their project proposals. Célestin also worked with the team to develop and submit a proposal, offering hands-on learning.
Prior to the assignment, many of the women working at PAFED had never been involved in project development, and were now able to participate in designing and drafting project ideas, marking a significant step in promoting gender inclusion and women’s empowerment through their lived experiences.
PAFED develops projects that focus primarily on the promotion of women’s and children’s rights and addressing gender-based violence. “PAFED’s priority is to protect the rights of women and children. Most of the projects that will be developed will focus on gender equality and the protection of women’s and children’s rights,” says Mayi Gnofam, PAFED Executive Director.
The assignment helped staff improve the organization and structure of gender-related projects and carry out participatory assessments that consider gender dynamics. During the assignment, six staff members drafted and submitted a project proposal to the German Embassy, demonstrating participants’ success in the hands-on learning components.
Through Célestin’s support, PAFED was able to gain two new funders—Commune de Nuremberg and Ambassade de France au Togo—that helped them raise awareness among women’s groups about the importance of their participation in decision-making bodies and inheritance rights.
Photo courtesy of PAFED.
The women at the organization were empowered through their training and now have the confidence and drive to take initiative. Since the end of the assignment, PAFED has submitted eight calls for proposals, developed a portfolio of completed upcoming proposals, and received significant new funding.
One of their most successful achievements was receiving funding through Fonds Equipe France – Civil Society Organizations call for projects from the French Embassy in TOGO. PAFED was able to purchase equipment for their clubs, create five club training sessions on pace, cohesion, and social inclusion, and organize two mass awareness-raising sessions on social cohesion and inclusion.
“We are grateful for the support of Catalyste+. Much has been possible since our work with them, and we look forward to the future together,” says Tchatchedre.
