Episode 3.6: Scaling-up the use of CVA
This episode features insights from:
- Lydiah Wangechi: Regional Director at GiveDirectly
- Sindhy Obias: Executive Director of the Assistance and Cooperation for Community Resilience and Development (ACCORD)
Key themes explored in this episode:
- The value of a strong emphasis on research and evidence in establishing credibility and building confidence in cash assistance.
- The importance of close collaboration with governments, moving beyond seeking approvals to establishing true partnerships.
- The need to address skepticism and build trust among communities who may be unfamiliar with unconditional cash transfers.
- Contextual factors that have helped y increased familiarity and acceptance of cash transfers.
- The challenges of expanding programmes geographically, particularly in areas with limited infrastructure and connectivity.
- The importance of ensuring robust systems and processes to mitigate the risk of fraud, particularly as organizations grow.
- The importance of transparency and sharing lessons learned from challenges such as fraud cases.
Listen in to discover the lessons learned and ongoing challenges faced by an organization fully committed to the use of cash its inception, and how this contributes to scaling up the use of cash in development and humanitarian settings.
CashCast is an occasional podcast from the CALP Network that looks in depth at the critical debates in humanitarian cash and voucher assistance (CVA).
Host
Karen Peachey
Karen worked with CALP from early 2017 through to August 2024. She has worked in both development and humanitarian contexts since the 1990s. Among many other things, Karen has a keen interest in networks, the power of collective action, and how systems change happens. She recorded this series before leaving CALP.
Featured Guests
Lydiah Wangechi
Lydiah is an accomplished development professional with extensive experience in managing and scaling impactful programs across Africa. Her career is marked by her commitment to enhancing the economic empowerment of vulnerable communities through innovative development programs and strategic partnerships. She currently serves as the Regional Director for GiveDirectly, overseeing operations, fundraising, and partnerships in Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi, and Mozambique, managing a portfolio exceeding $100 million.
Sindhy Obias
She is a humanitarian and development worker who currently serves as the Executive Director of the Assistance and Cooperation for Community Resilience and Development (ACCORD), a Philippine non-government organization. She has 21 years of experience in community-based humanitarian and development work, with extensive involvement in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of both Integrated Risk Management programs and humanitarian response actions in the Philippines. Throughout her career, Ms. Obias has collaborated closely with communities, educational institutions, local and national government agencies, and civil society organizations.
