A Spanish family, with whom we have worked on many engagements for over a decade, has been highly invested in supporting the victims of the Western Sahara Conflict. The members mandated us to find women’s empowerment projects to support within the saharaoui refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria. These are extremely isolated, so the family asked us to go on a yearly on site mission and monitor on its behalf the projects throughout the year.

Our team has myriad experience with refugee and migrant issues, with Werner himself having spent nearly three decades at UNHCR, so we were able to quickly grasp the real needs on the ground and identify projects where the family could make the most impact. We worked regularly with the leadership teams and local government agencies to improve the impact of the various projects supported by the family. The visits of donors and/or their representatives, especially in such remote and politically charged environments, gives a substantial amount of credibility to the smaller implementing partners vis-à-vis their peers, and can open doors to other potential funders.
Furthermore, as overburdening organizations with little resources can be counterproductive, we worked with the grantees and to arrive at an appropriate level of reporting and communication throughout the year, thereby guaranteeing the required transparency and accountability.