One of the favorite parts of my trips with Hawassa Hope is visiting the ladies we (through you!) have helped to start businesses through small business grants!
For Giving Tuesday we have a goal of $5,000 which would cover 20 women’s small business grants! We invite you to participate with us and help us be hope. You can donate or sign up for your own fundraising page through the links at the bottom of the page.
Read more about what these small business grants do below.
This last trip the team went from place to place in the country side visiting each woman and her business. The women are always very welcoming and excited to see us. It’s a fun day that usually includes lots of coffee! The best part is being able to see hope visible in each woman.
enjoying coffee at one of the homes
The ladies have been selected because of their vulnerability due to being widowed, disabled husbands or extreme poverty. They are women who want to work and are already working hard. They just need a boost for their dreams, a stepping stone.
They are trained in good business practices and handling of funds. Each area forms their own cooperative to support and help each other and provide support in a variety of ways. They have bank accounts individually and one as a group that they all put part of their income into. This group savings account is for emergency purposes that a member of the group can borrow out of.
This time when we met them I asked them to share their hopes and dreams. Each time they would light up and begin to talk quickly. This group had a particular fire in their eyes. Aster pictured above currently has chickens. Her dream is to make enough to open a small cafeteria and serve bread, tea and coffee.
This sweet lady is currently running a cafe in a rented spot. Her dream is to have her own restaurant on her own land. She is filled with confidence and laughter. You can see it shine through in this picture. She is the leader of this cooperative of women in business and one of the reasons for their big dreams!
We were able to visit this business woman at her store. Currently she sells cornmeal. While we talked with her we noticed all the empty shelves behind her. Her dream is to have them filled with stock that she will buy from the city and sell in her village.
Many of the ladies had a hen house and chickens. Each were very proud and insisted on bringing them all out for us to see. Their hopes and dreams? To have chickens, and then move to goats, and then to cows!
We would love for you to join us in being hope to vulnerable women.
$250 provides a grant for one business for one woman. It brings a new hope to their life and allows them dream. Won’t you join us? You can learn more at the link below, donate or help us raise funds by creating your own fundraiser!
Feel free to email info@hawassahope.org with any questions!
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