ENGAGE: Meeting Recap
September 1 - 5, 2025 | Nagarkot, Nepal
Purpose and Key Themes
From September 1 - 5, 2025 ENGAGE partners from Tanzania, Haiti, Bangladesh, India, Canada, and (virtually) Ethiopia gathered in Nagarkot, Nepal for project management and steering committee meetings
The Project Management meetings (with project managers from each organization ) focused on project progress, key successes and challenges, and project impact The Steering Committee meetings (with executive directors from each organization) focused on future planning, strengthening partnerships, and risk management
Both groups also came together for several sessions including a high-level reflection on the global aid environment with guest Lilly Nicholls (former Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh and former Canadian Ambassador to Panama), and a field visit with Global Affairs Canada funded Samaan Aawaaj project partners Didi Bahini and Story Kitchen in Kathmandu
Coady Institute: Hina Shehzadi
Ibtesum Afrin
Jenny MacDonald
TGNP: Anna Sangai
Clara Kalanga
Altho Mwangoa
WISE (virtual):
Tsigie Haile
Blen Yetnayet
SEWA: Mansi Shah
Smita Bhatnagar
CCDB: Sabiha Sultana
Juliate Keya Malakar
Imran Kibria
CLE: Lucia Di Poi
Guest: Lilly Nicholls
SABIHA SULTANA, CCDB
Key Accomplishments
TGNP (Tanzania)
SEWA (India)
(Bangladesh)
Participants are now accessing government supports without intermediaries for services such as drinking water, healthcare supports, and agricultural supports
Rural women are newly generating income through vermicomposting and access to markets
A participant vied for a seat in the local election and will reoffer next term
Shifts in patriarchal norms, enabling women to safely access financial and public
Has become go-to advisor on Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) with government ministries including Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Planning
Localized the ABCD manual (language and content) and integrated it into the flagship Intensive Movement Building Cycle (IMBC)
Developed an online module for GRB training which is ready for soft launch
Several women from Engage Knowledge Centres contested in recent election
Haitian social entrepreneurs, and graduated more than 500 fellows across all ten departments
Launched a seed program to support the development and growth of Angaje fellows’ social enterprises
Working on a collection of video case studies with program participants
Increased capacity to facilitate using adult education models
Customized ‘Facilitation’ training for various audiences ranging from grassroots members to training of trainers and SEWA staff
Created a multi-media exhibition on SEWA’s Covid response efforts
Working toward accreditation of trainings
WISE (Ethiopia)
Successfully hosted Ethiopia’s first annual National ABCD forum on asset-based community development and preparing for second
Published research, “Assessment of Women’s Economic Empowerment and Domestic Violence: The Case of WISE SACCOs” investigating the role of WISE’s savings and credit cooperatives in reducing gender-based violence
Supporting members through obstacles such as displacement and political shifts through capacity building for digital livelihoods and psychosocial services
Challenges and Lessons
Administrative burdens: Complex indicators and heavy reporting requirements
MEL, Research, and Impact Documentation:
Delayed learning agenda, complex MEL framework, and ad-hoc external communications create challenges for a comprehensive and effective impact strategy
Political environments: Shrinking civic space, evolving visa/travel complications in and out of country, regime change and political instability
Missed opportunities: Earlier planning for sustainability, stronger collective advocacy, and more systematic documentation of stories and case studies were identified as areas for improvement
At the same time, partners affirmed that ENGAGE’s collaborative design, cross-learning opportunities, and adaptive approach have been transformative for both organizations and communities
Outcomes & Next Steps
Cross-Partner Collaboration – Reflecting on the partnership, participants noted differences between Engage and previous North-South partnerships including a genuine approach to collaboration, transparency, and inclusion, fostering both North-South and South-South learning and exchange
Impact Storytelling – Partners emphasized the need to prioritize measuring and communicating impact for the last phase of the project and will plan an event in March 2026 to showcase the impact and learnings from Engage
Evaluation – Capacity building for monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) as well as an external evaluation will be scheduled for November 2025 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Sustainability and Next Phase – Partners propose creating a global hub where partner organizations leverage the organizational capacity-building achieved through Engage to become the leads for South-to-South training in their respective areas of expertise Coady would be a convenor leveraging its strengths in connection, facilitation, and knowledge sharing Steering committee will work on a proposal
TGNP STAFF
HINA SHEHZADI, COADY
Summary
Engage is well-positioned to demonstrate value through its asset-based community development (ABCD) model, strong local partnerships, and integration of research with practice Partners’ deep community roots, long histories of trust-building, and cross-regional networks provide a platform for influence that extends beyond project outputs to policy and systems-level change A recurring theme was the importance of storytelling, participatory monitoring, and evidence generation to communicate this broader impact as well as sustainability and planning for the next phase of commitment and partnership
The week’s meetings highlighted both the challenges of operating in volatile political and aid environments and the resilience of Engage’s partner network By centering local expertise, fostering peer-to-peer learning, and linking grassroots change to broader advocacy, Engage is laying the groundwork for enduring impact.
The sessions closed with a shared commitment to ti th t ti l t hi d l l
Res
As part of a Coady-led research project, two focus group sessions were held with project managers and executive directors of partner organizations to discuss “Feminist Leadership and Social Movement in NorthSouth partnership”
Coming Up Next
November 2025
MEL Workshop & External Evaluation
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
March 2026
ENGAGE Showcase Event
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
SPECIAL GUEST, LILLY NICHOLLS