Help 832 women in Nepal start their own businesses

Dear Friends of ETC:

We are pleased to report that our project to help women in rural Nepal start their own small businesses continues to flourish, thanks to YOU!

ETC supports 42 women's groups (total membership: 843) in rural Dolakha, Nepal. Groups hold monthly meetings and are now forming into legally recognized cooperatives, each comprised of several geographically contiguous groups. Cooperatives are the structures that will endure long after ETC's time in this part of Dolakha is finished. As mentioned in previous reports, group members have already been trained in basic literacy and numeracy, and in important business practices such as how to set appropriate prices for their goods and services, how to track income and expenses, etc.

During the first quarter of our 2012/13 program year (July 1 - September 30, 2012), the microcredit funds controlled by the women's groups grew by nearly 9%. All women's group members contribute on a monthly basis to their groups' funds, even if they can manage only a few pennies. Total funds under the women's groups' management exceed $29,000 at the present exchange rate - and keeping in mind that the Nepalese rupee is presently quite weak, and that the cost of living in rural Nepal is very low, $29,000 is a very substantial amount of money!

Since we began working in Dolakha a few years ago, more than 750 women have taken out small loans for "income-generating activities," meaning that these funds have enabled them to start or expand their small businesses. During the first quarter of this program year, 537 women took out loans; more than three-quarters of all these loans supported livestock farming. Goat and chicken farms are especially popular, because they produce milk and eggs as well as meat. Also popular are small retail establishments and tea shops, and semi-commercial vegetable farms. The latter result in income of about $33 per woman per growing cycle, which doesn't sound like much to you and me, but when you consider that most families have been living on a few dollars per day at most (and sometimes on a dollar or less per day), $33 goes a very long way indeed!

As always, the on-time loan repayment rate is extremely high, and the default rate is virtually zero.

The skills and confidence these women have gained is translating into other areas of their lives as well. Not only are they successful entrepreneurs, they are also becoming community leaders. Dozens of women have become engaged in school management committees, rural economic development agencies, and other civic organizations, often in decision-making roles. This would have been unthinkable for them before ETC arrived in their villages and helped them to believe in and develop their own potential.

Thank you again for your vitally important support of this life-changing project. On behalf of all of us at ETC, I want to wish you and your families a very happy holiday season.

Sincerely, Lisa Lyons, Executive Director (U.S.)

Links:

• ETC website
• ETC Facebook page

Dear Friend of ETC:

Our 2011/2012 program year concluded on June 30, and we are delighted to report that our activities to promote women's empowerment through entrepreneurship have changed hundreds of lives for the better!

ETC works intensively with residents of a limited geographic area for six years. After five years, we begin to phase out our involvement; by the end of the sixth year, the programs are fully managed and supported locally. The recently completed program year was our fourth in the rural Dolakha district of eastern Nepal, working in numerous contiguous villages that are accessible only by hiking three or more hours from the nearest larger towns.

ETC continues to support 42 women's groups with a total of nearly 850 members. Groups hold monthly meetings and have begun the process of forming into legally recognized cooperatives - the structure that will endure and enable the good work to continue long after ETC's time in this part of Dolakha is finished. Previously, group members had been trained in basic literacy and numeracy, and in basic business practices such as how to set appropriate prices for their goods and services.

In 2011/2012, the microcredit funds controlled by the women's groups grew by 48% over the course of the year. Women contribute on a monthly basis to their groups' funds, even if they can afford no more than a few pennies. Nearly 500 group members took out small loans of about $50 on average during 2011/2012, to enable them to start or expand their small businesses, with goat and poultry farming accounting for the majority of all loans (385 total loans). Other purposes included starting or expanding semi-commercial vegetable gardens (78 loans) and small shops and inns (22 loans).

During the past three years, as many as 750 women have taken out and repaid loans to enable them to start (and in many cases later expand) their own small businesses. The on-time repayment rate is typically extremely high, since the loan program is managed by peers.

Related activities during the past year included four gender equity training events, which drew a total attendance of 92 women and their spouses. The goal of these events is to improve the relations between men and women, and the treatment of female children within families and broader communities. A notable and consistent result of these events is that participants (male and female alike) are increasingly supportive of pay equity for women, whose wages typically lag far behind those for men even for comparable duties.

We are so proud of these women, who are working amazingly hard to make better lives for themselves and their families. And we are deeply grateful to you for making it possible. Please accept this heartfelt "Thank you!" from all of us at ETC.

With best wishes,

Links:

• Educate the Children website
• Visit ETC on Facebook!