A black and white image of post-it notes on a wall.

Ladies, gentlemen, pirates and Jedis, long over due post on Peace Through Prosperity's 2018 retrospective! #MyBadClosing another year was as ever rewarding! eight years on, Peace Through Prosperity has facilitated 700+ individuals, their families (4550 people) and community (with jobs created) to jumpstart their desired narrative for change.

One built by their own hands not through handouts.

Giving multiple marginalised communities the choice to reject extremist narratives and create their own narratives of social transformation.

2018 was to be the year we scale! go global and big was the objective for the year! we started 2018 with two prospects to take our open source experiment outside of Pakistan and to exponentially scale in Karachi itself, that was one more prospective partner than we had in 2017!

First of the two was a micro finance spin off from a larger and established NGO with decades of experience working in super challenging and complex ecosystems that is Karachi. We had been working with this NGO for 12+ months, it was on paper a natural fit it! We had run a significant pilot together and validated at scale with 50+ micro-entrepreneurs in a neighbourhood they are active in. But that experiment, despite our combined efforts never left terra firma! but we learned (a lot). But that’s a different retrospective, let not get distracted.

Second prospect we began working with in 2018 was an NGO in Bangladesh, Throughout 2018 we had a start-stop-start-stop conversation with them. We came close but restructuring at their end saw toils of others in their organisation somewhat wasted!

We did however get our mini-MBA program and coaching manual translated in Bengali in the process, not an absolute loss! regardless thank you to two Pirates (you know who you are) for making it happen - though stopped we will circle back to it some day.

Enter 2019 and we're in a better position we’d been in for a while, more than two prospects to scale through an open source model and we expanded beyond Pakistan.

We have an experiment taking shape in Karachi with a local governmental body. Thank you to a Jedi Master (you know who you are) for leading on it - it will happen we’ll get there together.

We have an experiment taking shape in Karachi with a philanthropic accelerator. Thank you to the Jedi who connected the dots (you know who you are) - it’s taking shape! we are confident we’ll get there together. #GlassHalfFullKindofPeople

We have an experiment in play in the UK to create awareness of our programs and their potential at scale. We are closer than we were in 2018 but no where close, know what I mean! Thank you to a fellow Pirate (you know who you are) for owning and running with this experiment - it’s taking shape slowly, though Brexit isn't helping! we’ll get there together.

There is something on the brew for Rwanda with an NGO (can't share more than that at the moment). Thank you to the Pirate at work there (you know who you are) - please keep at it and keep us posted.We have a potential experiment in a semi-urban setting in Baluchistan. Thank you to an old Jedi Master (you know who you are) for making it happen - as soon as we get get Sanaa started on the right foot we're there.

That brings me to the experiment taking shape in Sanaa. Thank you to Jedis and pirates, friends, acquaintances and strangers (you know who you are) who connected the dots - it is happening! And it's taking shape in a very exciting and new way, unexpected pivots and turns but all very exciting for the prospect of what we could achieve together with our local partner in Sanaa. A huge thank you to the Jedis on the ground there, with you in spirit and on the ground as soon as it becomes possible. #Salute

In 2018, we met some and got to know some beautiful human beings, you know who you are. Thank you for making the time to get to know us too. #MuchLoveLooking ahead, 2019 is again about scaling through partner NGOs leveraging our open source approach to our programmes. #scaling2.0

The job that needs to be done is far from done but we are making steady progress towards it. It’s not at a velocity of our liking but we’re learning, adapting and going at it.

Thank you for sharing the journey.

To storms ahead, 2019 and beyond argh! I say!

Peace Through Prosperity (PTP) is innovating social transformation design and delivery by using Agile principles and practices to create and deliver low cost, immediate and lasting impact social development programs in ‘at risk’ communities.

We work to alleviate poverty and secure livelihoods through empowering micro-entrepreneurs from vulnerable and marginalised individuals/groups in society with knowledge, skills and increasing their access to income and opportunities.

Lastly, If you got value from what I have shared please consider giving back by contributing towards Peace Through Prosperity, you can follow, broadcast or donate.

We support small businesses, owned/managed by vulnerable and marginalised individuals/groups in society.

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