$28,724.00 from profits from fiscal year 2019
60% of Zambia's population lives below the poverty line and 42% in extreme poverty. A high incidence of AIDS related deaths has orphaned 1.4 million children. Most orphans are cared for by grandmothers or aunts who have few marketable skills, little education, and no source of income. These women need support, care, and training so that they can provide basic necessities such as food and medicines for the family and pay for school expenses for the children. Empowering women through education and training can rebuild communities.
The goals of this micro loans program are to 1) equip women with the tools they need to run a successful business, 2) create conditions for women to be socially empowered, and 3) enable women to gather enough capital and savings so they continue to operate a profitable business even after graduating from the program.
The first step is to select beneficiaries. These are prioritized based on women caring for HIV+ children, their financial need and their ability and willingness to run a business. Participants are required to attend a 5-day business training, which includes basic business theory, market investigation, purchasing and selling goods training, and business promotion skills. On the last day of the training, participants submit a business plan and are then provided with their first loan. Loan recipients then meet weekly to make repayments and discuss and issues they are facing with running their business. Ongoing support is provided, such as business mentoring, refresher training, and field visits by the loan officers. Due to this ongoing support, loan repayments are around 90%.
Loan capital is revolving; once a woman has gone through all 3 loan cycles the funds are available to a new set of women.
Indirect Impacts
A World Centric partner since 2014.
POL funds and runs projects in Zambia and India targeted toward helping women and children infected/affected with HIV/AIDS. Their vision is a world where the AIDS epidemic is in continuous retreat, and people living with HIV have access to loving care and treatment in an environment free of stigma and discrimination.
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Tags: Impact Projects
Written by
World Centric
Read time
3 minutes
Published on
May 16, 2018
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