Street Business School’s Path to Local Impact: Testing a Community-Based Training Model
Submitted by: Ritah Namuyomba, Street Business School Learning Lab Program Assistant
Street Business School’s Path to Local Impact: Testing a Community-Based Training Model
When it comes to creating lasting change in communities, who better to lead the way than respected local leaders? At Street Business School (SBS), we recently tested an innovative approach to our entrepreneurship training program by empowering Community-Based Trainers (CBTs) to deliver our curriculum directly to their neighbors.
Experiment Design
Our process began with rigorous pre-community assessment, surveying three potential locations to evaluate key metrics: geographic accessibility, community coverage (number of villages), population density, presence of our target demographic, existing business ventures, and availability of potential trainers. After careful analysis, we selected Uganda’s Ntonto parish in Mukono district as our pilot location.
The trainer selection process was methodical and collaborative. Working with community development officers and local leaders (including chairpersons, councilors, and women leaders), we identified candidates who met our specific criteria:
- Minimum qualification of Ordinary Certificate of education
- Strong background in business and community training
- Experience facilitating training programs
- Active involvement in community development
- Understanding of local challenges and cultural dynamics
From an initial pool of 15 candidates, we conducted a comprehensive one-week training program focused on the SBS curriculum and methodology. Thirteen trainers successfully completed the training, with ten being contracted and three designated as reserves per project specifications. The selected trainers worked in pairs, each team responsible for training and mentoring a cohort of 40 participants.
The program’s technical design was structured as a four-month training incorporating all eight SBS modules, with strategic implementation breaks built into the timeline. Our monitoring and evaluation framework was robust, including:
- Three coaching visits per participant (baseline, mid-program, and exit)
- Regular field support visits from the project manager
- Weekly project review meetings
- Systematic data collection using SBS M&E tools
- In-person training assessments
- Focus group discussions
- Participant feedback surveys
Experiment Results
This comprehensive approach to data collection and evaluation allowed us to track concrete impacts. The results were significant: participants’ average monthly income increased 140%, and business ownership rose from 46% to 70%. The program maintained a remarkable 91% completion rate, demonstrating both its effectiveness and participant engagement.
What made this model particularly powerful was the combination of technical rigor with community trust. Our CBTs weren’t just qualified trainers—they were respected community figures who could contextualize the curriculum within local realities. This existing foundation of trust made participants more comfortable sharing their challenges and dreams, creating an environment ripe for learning and growth.
Summary
The success of this pilot demonstrates that when we combine careful technical design with local leadership, we create a powerful model for sustainable economic empowerment. Our CBTs emerged as both skilled facilitators and inspiring role models, showing that sometimes the most effective teachers are those who already hold the community’s trust.
As we look to the future, we’re excited about scaling this model while maintaining its technical rigor and community-centered approach. By investing in Community-Based Trainers, we’re not only extending our reach but also ensuring that the impact of our program continues long after the formal training ends.
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