Economic Strengthening
In Nyanza province (Western Kenya) where we work, poverty levels are as high as 72%. This is attributed to unemployment at 33% and the increased burden of HIV/AIDS. Nyanza has a particularly high overall HIV/AIDS prevalence of 15%[1], more than double national prevalence levels; and some of its districts reach as high as 26%. Unfortunately the prevalence is higher amongst women 23% as compared to 17% amongst men[2]. This has impacted negatively on the economic livelihood of the population. Those infected are too ill to work consistently while those who are not ill are carers with barely enough time to work. As a result businesses have closed down or not operating at full capacity while those who are employed are not as productive. This is made worse by the high cost involved in caring for PLWA
WOI and Omega Foundation have been running economic empowerment activities for PLWA, widows, orphans and other vulnerable children since 1997. Our aim is to make a substantive difference in their lives by;
- Increasing access to economic and business opportunities for PLWAs, widows, and OVCs. Many times these vulnerable groups are discriminated against hence find it hard to access mainstream services. So through outreaches and referrals, we provide them with essential information on viable business opportunities, where to access loans for start-ups, how to manage the loans and repayments.
- Providing seed money to fund viable business ventures and support to income generating activities (IGA) started by widows, orphans, PLWA and foster carers. For many of our beneficiaries the seed fund is the only way for them to escape poverty especially widows who have no collateral for security to get loans from banks.
- Training and equipping PLWAs, Widows and older OVCs with skills to start and manage small businesses. As part of learning we also organize study trips for the beneficiaries to other successful models from which they can learn best practices
- Partnering with mainstream micro-finance agencies to leverage their technical resources in quality assurance, capacity building and monitoring.
- Initiating and supporting formation of Group Savings and Loan groups among widows groups. The basic principle of GS & L is that members of a self-selected group form a GS&L association and save money in the form of shares. Members contribute regularly to a fund, which is governed by the group itself. Members can save at a rate matched to their capacity, thus lowering the threshold of entry for the poor. The advantages of this scheme for the individuals include; it allows members to earn substantial interest on their savings contributions, this approach promotes saving first and credit/loans second and strengthens individual and group capacity to use resources within reach.
Through this project we have been able to help many lives change for the better. The IGA’s have increased the capacity of Widows, PLWA and orphans to become more self reliant and improve their quality of life. One such group that has benefited is the Kibos Prison Neema Support Group.
