Cameroun, 2025
Exploring the Biological and Cultural Understandings of Women from Indigenous Knowledge Holders
In this project, Arnoux Mouafo Nopi investigates Ngiembo’on Indigenous perspectives on femininity through interviews with elders, women, and young people. It aims to document concepts and expressions used to represent womanhood and explore their implications for research and evaluation. These cultural understandings are analyzed in relation to how they shape views of gender, value, and social roles. The project takes a participatory approach, gathering local metaphors, rituals, and teachings. It also produces culturally resonant visual outputs like photos and drawings for community-based dissemination. Ultimately, the work supports gender-sensitive, culturally grounded evaluation methodologies that are locally informed and respectful.
In this project, Arnoux Mouafo Nopi investigates Ngiembo’on Indigenous perspectives on femininity through interviews with elders, women, and young people. It aims to document concepts and expressions used to represent womanhood and explore their implications for research and evaluation. These cultural understandings are analyzed in relation to how they shape views of gender, value, and social roles. The project takes a participatory approach, gathering local metaphors, rituals, and teachings. It also produces culturally resonant visual outputs like photos and drawings for community-based dissemination. Ultimately, the work supports gender-sensitive, culturally grounded evaluation methodologies that are locally informed and respectful.
Kenya - Evaluation Society of Kenya (ESK) - 2025
Leveraging Indigenous Taboos for Advancing Social Justice, Gender Equality, and Economic Policy Development in the Agikuyu Community
Solomon Michael Gitau Waiyego builds upon his earlier work documenting Agikuyu taboos, focusing in its current phase on systematizing and validating them. Taboos are being documented in their original Gikuyu language with English translations and contextual explanations. Categorized by theme (social, spiritual, economic), they reveal the community’s complex logic of moral order and accountability. Community elders and leaders from different regions are engaged in validation sessions, enriching the analysis with regional variations and insights into modern impacts. The research explores how taboos influence gender roles, environmental ethics, and economic decision-making. By combining local language preservation with evaluative reasoning, the project aims to influence social justice and policy conversations using Indigenous frameworks rooted in cultural identity.
Solomon Michael Gitau Waiyego builds upon his earlier work documenting Agikuyu taboos, focusing in its current phase on systematizing and validating them. Taboos are being documented in their original Gikuyu language with English translations and contextual explanations. Categorized by theme (social, spiritual, economic), they reveal the community’s complex logic of moral order and accountability. Community elders and leaders from different regions are engaged in validation sessions, enriching the analysis with regional variations and insights into modern impacts. The research explores how taboos influence gender roles, environmental ethics, and economic decision-making. By combining local language preservation with evaluative reasoning, the project aims to influence social justice and policy conversations using Indigenous frameworks rooted in cultural identity.
Strengthening Indigenous Evaluation Practices in Nepal, Community of Evaluators - Nepal - 2024-2025
On February 4, 2025, the Community of Evaluators – Nepal (CoE-Nepal), supported by the Asia Pacific Evaluation Association (APEA), EvalIndigenous, and EvalPartners, organized a workshop in Kathmandu aimed at strengthening Indigenous evaluation practices and forming a National Network for Evaluation in Nepal. The workshop brought together over 40 participants from government, UN agencies, academic institutions, Indigenous organizations, and evaluation professionals.
In the Opening Session, the Hon. Prof. Dr. Shiva Raj Adhikari, Vice-Chairman of the National Planning Commission, delivered the keynote address. Distinguished speakers and representatives from rural communities, government bodies, and international organizations contributed valuable insights. During the Technical Session, participants reviewed findings from a study on SDG 3 'Good Health and Well-being' and discussed monitoring and evaluation practices in Nepal’s education system. Group discussions focused on current challenges, opportunities, and practical solutions for integrating Indigenous evaluation into broader development frameworks. The workshop concluded with the formulation of an action plan and arrangements for follow-up meetings with key stakeholders.
In the Opening Session, the Hon. Prof. Dr. Shiva Raj Adhikari, Vice-Chairman of the National Planning Commission, delivered the keynote address. Distinguished speakers and representatives from rural communities, government bodies, and international organizations contributed valuable insights. During the Technical Session, participants reviewed findings from a study on SDG 3 'Good Health and Well-being' and discussed monitoring and evaluation practices in Nepal’s education system. Group discussions focused on current challenges, opportunities, and practical solutions for integrating Indigenous evaluation into broader development frameworks. The workshop concluded with the formulation of an action plan and arrangements for follow-up meetings with key stakeholders.
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In February 2025, the Nepal Evaluation Society (NES), with support from APEA and EvalIndigenous, hosted a two-day training in Kathmandu for members of the Federation of Nepalese Indigenous Journalists (FONIJ). This initiative aimed to strengthen the capacity of Indigenous journalists across Nepal's seven provinces to engage more deeply with evaluation—both as practitioners and as communicators. The program introduced core concepts such as development evaluation, the OECD/DAC criteria, and Nepal’s evolving national evaluation system, while also creating space for reflection on journalists’ roles in promoting transparency, evidence-based reporting, and Indigenous perspectives in development discourse.
Collaborative Reflections and Pathways Forward. Through a mix of expert presentations, group work, and panel discussions—including insights from parliamentarians, VOPEs, EvalYouth, and civil society—the training created a dynamic space for learning and dialogue. Participants explored their own experiences of evaluation and committed to bringing evaluation tools and thinking into their media work. The overwhelmingly positive feedback has sparked momentum for future collaboration, with FONIJ expressing strong interest in taking the training nationwide. As NES and FONIJ look ahead, this work represents a meaningful step in bridging Indigenous media and evaluation for more accountable and culturally grounded development. |
Inauguration of the Training Program by Hon Vice Chairman of NPC, Prof. (Dr.) Shiva Raj Adhikari
Some of the participants had questions
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The Ikalahan-Kalanguya Indigenous Youth Organization for Sustainable Development (IKAYO) held a Strategy Meeting on September 27-28, 2024, to solidify its vision, mission, and organizational direction. As a youth-led initiative, IKAYO aims to preserve indigenous knowledge, protect ancestral lands, and advocate for cultural and environmental sustainability. Through collaborative discussions and intergenerational dialogue, members crafted a shared vision that reflects their commitment to cultural continuity and responsible stewardship of their ancestral domain. The meeting also reinforced IKAYO’s role in regional and global Indigenous advocacy efforts.
Beyond defining its mission, the meeting focused on establishing IKAYO’s structure and planning key initiatives. A SWOT analysis helped identify strengths, challenges, and opportunities, leading to an action plan that includes intergenerational knowledge-sharing, environmental programs, and leadership training. Supported by partners such as APEA and EvalIndigenous, IKAYO members developed a strategic plan to implement activities like tree planting, legal training, and youth leadership development to empower its members. The gathering concluded with the adoption of IKAYO’s official logo and a presentation on Indigenous evaluation methodologies, symbolizing a unified step toward sustaining their cultural heritage and strengthening their advocacy for future generations.
Beyond defining its mission, the meeting focused on establishing IKAYO’s structure and planning key initiatives. A SWOT analysis helped identify strengths, challenges, and opportunities, leading to an action plan that includes intergenerational knowledge-sharing, environmental programs, and leadership training. Supported by partners such as APEA and EvalIndigenous, IKAYO members developed a strategic plan to implement activities like tree planting, legal training, and youth leadership development to empower its members. The gathering concluded with the adoption of IKAYO’s official logo and a presentation on Indigenous evaluation methodologies, symbolizing a unified step toward sustaining their cultural heritage and strengthening their advocacy for future generations.
Tanzania - Tanzania Evaluation Association (TanEA) - 2025
Evaluation of Wedding Ceremonies among the Bahaya of Tanzania
In this project, Mr. Rutagwelera Mutakyahwa, Dr. Almas Mazigo and Ms. Fortunata Mulekuzi continue their study of Bahaya communities use of collaborative evaluation during wedding ceremonies to promote accountability, community cohesion, and learning. Conducted in villages such as Bugabo and Kizimba, the study will capture the evaluative tools, protocols, and social practices embedded in traditional celebrations. This second phase of their project builds on their seeding grant study and delves deeper into ceremonies with minimal Western influence. It seeks to document metaphors, rituals, and symbolic practices tied to evaluation, aiming to inform culturally grounded and gender-sensitive evaluation approaches.
In this project, Mr. Rutagwelera Mutakyahwa, Dr. Almas Mazigo and Ms. Fortunata Mulekuzi continue their study of Bahaya communities use of collaborative evaluation during wedding ceremonies to promote accountability, community cohesion, and learning. Conducted in villages such as Bugabo and Kizimba, the study will capture the evaluative tools, protocols, and social practices embedded in traditional celebrations. This second phase of their project builds on their seeding grant study and delves deeper into ceremonies with minimal Western influence. It seeks to document metaphors, rituals, and symbolic practices tied to evaluation, aiming to inform culturally grounded and gender-sensitive evaluation approaches.
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