The Kapatid
Mentor ME (KMME) is a
program that aims to help
MSMEs scale up their
business thru coaching
and mentoring.
It has been
over 21 months since the
covid-19 pandemic began
to ravage lives and economies around the globe.
While the year 2020 ushered in economic recessions in almost all countries, the year 2021 has
been projected as the year
that will bring in economic
recovery. But while some
countries have successfully managed to deliver positive GDP growth figures
in the first three quarters
of 2021, the Philippines
incurred a decline of 3.9%
in the first quarter then
managed to bag growths
of 11.8% and 7.1% in the
second and third quarters,
respectively. The fourth
quarter of 2021 is hoped
to deliver another positive GDP growth figure
in spite of the continued
lockdowns and restrictions
that have been imposed to
prevent the further spread
of the covid-19 virus.
Through it all, the
concrete assistance provided by the Kapatid Mentor ME (KMME) Program
to the countryโs micro- and
small enterprises (MSEs)
has been consistently
lauded as a vital lifeline
that enabled solid numbers of businesses to stay
afloat and even manage to
thrive during the Pandemic.
In 2020, the
KMME-MME Online Program benefitted not less
than 2,000 MSEs. This
was achieved with the
support of the pool of
mentors โ some of whom
were deployed as coaches
for the mentees during the
preparation of their Business Improvement Plans
and its presentation to the
panelists representing the
banks, credit organizations and market platforms
as well as the brick and
mortar supermarkets.
The year 2021
has seen the increase in
the numbers of both mentors and mentees across
the regions. As of October
2021, a total of 1,634 mentees have taken part in the
KMME Online Program
activities for the year; this
pegs the total number of
KMME Online mentees to
3,084. In all, the KMME
Program in its original
form and the innovated
online form has benefited
11,871 mentees since inception.
Indeed, the
blended KMME-MME Online Program that was developed as a practical delivery mechanism for the
same mentorship modules
(including access to money and market) to be used
to guide and assist MSEs
has turned out to be just
the right platform to ensure the continuity of the
KMME Program in spite
of the sweeping limitations
imposed across the country.
As the KMME
Program celebrates its
5th year of implementation, the importance of
monitoring the depth and
breadth of its coverage
and evaluating its efficacy,
outcomes and results cannot be overstated. For the
program stakeholders to
take stock of successes,
lessons learned and recommendations for further
improvement, a proper
Monitoring & Evaluation
(M&E) of the entire program will duly document
and objectively study its
results. Likewise, a celebratory material in the
form of a coffee table book
would ably showcase the
five-year run of the KMME
Program. PR
