Women’s Microloan Program in Northwest Haiti

World Centric + DESPRI

$38,788.00 from profits from fiscal year 2018

The Northwest Artibonite Department of Haiti is one of the most isolated and vulnerable regions of Haiti, suffering from lack of economic and educational opportunities, support systems, and government intervention. Women and girls are affected disproportionately, while carrying big household responsibilities. Men have traditionally stronger socio-economic status, leaving women in a particularly vulnerable state without sufficient support and scope to develop resilience and self-reliance.

The project will increase the leadership capacities and economic self-sufficiency of vulnerable women who are members of DESPRI’s Self-Help Group associations through micro-credit opportunity, leadership and small business management trainings, literacy programs, and other educational opportunities catered to the needs of individual groups. The solution the project seeks to establish is rooted in self-governance, self-sufficiency, and decision-making of this women’s network.

Each Self Help Group is overseen by a project leader and led by a facilitator. The project leader closely monitors the SHGs; visiting the groups to observe training and monitor improvements. After the SHGs receive their training in business management, basic finances, and decision making, they are eligible to apply for a microloan. Eligibility is dependent on the strength of the self-governance of the Self Help Group as determined by the project leader. SHGs then manage the plans independently and on a rotating basis, benefiting new members every month.

The Impact

• $15,000 for microloan program with loans ranging from $300-1,000 per Self Help Group
• 35 trainings for the 30 Self Help Groups

Indirect Impact:

• Improvement in economic livelihoods of the women participating
• Increase in self-esteem, wellbeing, and self-sufficiency of women.
• Improvement in gender equity.
• Decrease in rate of violence against women.

About DESPRI

A World Centric partner since 2015.

DESPRI (Développement Entreprenariat Social Production Rural Intègre) seeks to strengthen local capacities of individuals and organizations in Haiti through a participatory approach while fostering Universal values. Their current development initiatives focus on modernization of productive value-chains such as traditional salt production, and on capacity-building of leaders and entrepreneurs, formation of cooperative units of production and micro-credit, and promotion of ecological and socio-economic sustainability. DESPRI utilizes the bottom-up Self-Help Group participatory methodology to establish Entrepreneurship Incubation Centers and women’s savings-and-loans solidarity networks as the base for supporting innovation and transformation in vulnerable and underserved Haitian communities.

More projects with DESPRI:

• Moringa Reforestation in Northwest Haiti