Women Empowerment Project (WEP)

 

Location: Sadar, Gouripur and Mukatgach Upazilas of Mymensingh district in Bangladesh

Donor: ADRA Sweden, SIDA and SMC

Direct Beneficiaries: 4,900 Household

Total Beneficiaries: 7,650 Household

Project Duration: 01/01/2016 - 31/12/2018

Total Budget: 53,210,602.00

NGO Bureau Approval Date: 26/05/2016

NGO Bureau  Approval Reference No.: 03.09.0000.657.68.425.15-327

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Project Goal:

 

Poverty in Mymensingh is alleviated and socio-economic conditions of households are strengthened.

 

 

Key Activities:

 

• Self-help Group formation, 

• Growing capital through Savings,

• Enhance capacity on running IGA, 

• Provide training on IGA, 

• Aware of health and literacy, 

• Training on group management capacity building,

• Training on modern Agriculture technology,

• Encourage on organic farming, 

• Follow up for Phase-out area etc.

 

 

Project Description:

 

Women Empowerment Project (WEP) is working in the Mymensingh area for 20 years. The project already completed Phase-IV. This project is funded by SIDA through SMC and ADRA Sweden. In Muktagacha and Sador Upazila, WEP established 21 community-based organization (CBO) who are legally registered with government cooperative department and grew enough capital (more than Two Crore) to operate their activities smoothly as per their own. Under 21 CBOs more than 3,000 women are involved with cooperative and benefiting from CBO. Now they have own office building and staffs, managing everything on their own.

 

Since most of the village women are illiterate (even they are not able to sign), WEP has insensitive literacy program for them. As a result, women are getting the opportunity to learn how to read and write, counting and getting a basic knowledge of literacy. Through this intervention, WEP is building awareness of the importance of education and fundamental rights.

 

Whereas money is one of the biggest instrument for development, WEP is consistently working to raise capital through building savings awareness and its potentiality especially among the women beneficiaries and forming self-help groups. At present, 100 women groups are working comprised of 2650 women and raising their own capital. Only women are participating in this intervention and depositing savings.

 

The WEP is optimistic through building institutions, raising awareness in the community on different social issues, make people able to combat common health hazard and enjoy their basic rights. So, WEP is trying to build unity within the community, improving skills and capacity also initiating the platform for the community-based institution for why they can enjoy standard livelihood.