In 2019, Rising to Greatness Community Based Organization (CBO) was officially registered with the Department of Social Services, operating in Lurambi Sub-County, Kakamega County. Initially, the organization lacked a strong foundation. A capacity assessment conducted in September 2022 among 28 organizations revealed significant capacity gaps. Rising to Greatness CBO scored an average of just 27%, highlighting critical gaps across several key areas: Leadership and Governance, Human Resources and Administration, Project Design, Financial Management, Networking and Advocacy, Monitoring and Evaluation, Sustainability and Knowledge Management
Through the assessment, the following were some of the gaps identified; organization operating with an expired registration certificate, no clear segregation of duties, undocumented meeting minutes, only verbal progress reports, an inactive bank account, and lack of guiding policies. Two of their representatives participated in a five-day Organizational Development and System Strengthening training. This led to the development of improvement plan for mentorship and capacity building as the progress was consistently monitored through continuous capacity building and mentorship sessions led by CABDA. This targeted support was crucial for tracking the implementation of their improvement plan.
The mentorship and training had a profound impact. Rising to Greatness CBO has since undergone a remarkable transformation, establishing robust internal structures. They now have: A clear leadership structure and established staffing, office space and documented assets. Three functional bank accounts, properly documented program and financial reports, including an audited financial report. A social media presence and signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with partner organizations. Through the structures established as a result of mentorship, the CBO has attracted external funding. They are currently managing three active funded community projects and have successfully secured funding of Ksh. 5,000,000 from Amplified Change and a seed grant from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
