iKaya is a ‘communtiy trust’ that at this time is lacking focus and a strong vision, especially from its board of trustees. We (Dustin, Alvira, Lindsey and myself) met with the two members of the Board of Trustees, the Treasurer (who will soon be leaving) and the Manager of the organization today.
We discussed the activities that take place at iKaya and the dreams they have for the future. One of there biggest concerns was communication to donors (‘Godparents’) and how metrics would be assessed given the current underskilled staff. The organization provides pre-school education to about 76 students without a qualified teacher, music training and dreams of establishing a restaurant or coffee shop to attract tourists in the future. Another concern of the organization is an upcoming organization close-by that will potentially duplicate some of the projects iKaya is engaged in.
My thinking right now is that iKaya needs to really concentrate on its focus and outreach to the Kayamandi community, who at the moment see iKaya more as an outside organization, funded and run by outsiders, that provides little in terms of a livleihood for people in the community. Of course, fundraising cannot come to a halt during this process and more effort needs to be focused on reaching donors’ wallets for a general fund to provide iKaya with more flexible capital. Now, all funds are earmarked for specific projects or students and the organization really has its hands tied with regards to general development, personnel and personnel training.
We’ll be meeting with iKaya again tomorrow to get a better understanding of day-to-day operations and hopefully gain more insight into iKaya’s image within the Kayamandi community.
