Income-Generation Skills for Battered Mothers

Summary

A center is needed to help 150 youths-most of them battered- wives to learn handicraft skills to become self-sufficient and support their families. In turn, their own young are not forced into crime.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

In this most dilapidated of slum communities teenage moms struggle to raise their families amidst dire poverty, drug trafficking, prostitution, poor sanitation (inc no clean running water), domestic violence and alcoholism. Poverty forces their young children to turn to prostitution and the drug trade, often ending up in jail or, worse, dead. The handicraft cooperative offers a wonderful opportunity for these women to learn vital skills and then sell their wares as souvenirs to a waiting market.

How will this project solve this problem?

150 women to be taught artisanal handicrafts, embroidery, business management skills. Further support is available in parenting & ,health issues, environmental education & human rights et al. A partnership has also been set up with a local university

Potential Long Term Impact

3 benefit levels: 150 families generate long term, sustainable income; 100s of youth are kept out of the penal system and drugs trade; the wider community gains access to a healthy trade market whilst rediscovering its traditional handicraft custom

Project Message

The project leaders of this group are very proactive, capable and innovative women who are forever coming up with new ways to sustain their community, with great joy and pride.
- Christine Clauser, Director of Development

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).

Resources