In the first day of our Training of Trainers in Manakara, Madagascar, organised by ATIA‘s local partner SAHI, participants have put themselves into the shoes of a micro-entrepreneur. We kicked off the day with our problem /solution game, followed by a reflection on the various financial issues faced by the beneficiaries of SAHI and the other attending organisations’ social workers and microcredit officers. We introduced the various training methods and participants experienced first-hand the participatory method. They set up a small shop, all competing with each other, and had to buy, sell, while keeping their books and managing cash. Finally they had to decide how much to pay themselves. Through this game, participants realised all the challenges of running a small business, and living off it… and accounting. They learned cash accounting and how to reconcile their cash every day. Finally, they practised budgeting a daily income… including saving for yearly expenses and emergencies. A very full first day – with lots of learning points!
