The wife of the British Ambassador to Moldova, Kate Shannon, responded to CERI-USA’s GlobalGiving fundraising appeal sent to the expatriate women’s club in Chisinau, of which Mrs. Shannon is a member. The expatriate women’s club donated $500 towards CERI's winter 2010 boot drive!
Mrs. Shannon also visited a facility housing the disabled children during CERI's December 2010 shoe distribution mission and, afterwards, spoke favorably about CERI’s work in Moldova. She promised further help to CERI office in Moldova.
CERI's dearest friends and child sponsors, Marilyn and Joe Swing, have shared their inspirational experience from visiting Moldova last month as part of CERI's volunteer teams:
"The teams over this 2-week period have now finished the distribution of over 7,200 pairs of winter socks and snow boots, so there are now many, many more warm feet on orphans around this country, thanks to the great support and many donations of people from across America and in other countries. The children are very appreciative and always excited to receive these gifts."
CERI hopes you will continue to be part of our work around the world, as we touch new lives and achieve new successes in 2011. Happy New Year!
Mrs. Senaratna Sivamala, 59, lives in the city of Batticaloa, Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province. The province was hit hard by the 26-year civil war that ended in 2009. A caretaker of four children whose parents are deceased, Mrs. Sivamala is a versatile entrepreneur, who is adept at poultry farming, basket-weaving, and husbandry.
When CERI began supporting her small business through a revolving micro-loan program, Mrs. Sivamala and the children in her care were all cramped in a tiny hut. She has received two loans from CERI’s Women’s Small Group (WSG) in the amount of $44 and $88, respectively, which allowed her to purchase 70 broiler chickens and expand a poultry farm she owns.
CERI set up the WSG as a network of foster mothers in Batticaloa, who have pooled their funds together to establish a loan fund that each foster family can tap into to launch or expand its micro-enterprise initiatives.
Mrs. Sivamala now generates a profit of $27 per month from her chicken egg sales, in addition to earning $9 per week by selling hand-woven decorative baskets – an impressive increase in income by the standards of provincial Sri Lanka. The tireless businesswoman has recently built a new, spacious house, and organized wedding celebrations for two of her grandchildren.
“I’m very happy about my progress and am deeply grateful to the Women’s Small Group for helping me to promote my self-employment. I am also looking forward to getting a larger loan from CERI for goat farming,” Mrs. Sivamala said.
Mrs. Nallammah, 60, is a widowed hostel administrator in the town of Batticaloa, Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province. Three of her four adult children live abroad, and she looks after her grandson. Struggling to make ends meet, Mrs. Nallammah began moonlighting as a seamstress and joined the Women’s Small Group, a grassroots network established by CERI to provide small loans to the budding entrepreneurs in Mrs. Nallammah’s community.
The majority of small business owners supported by CERI are foster parents who participate in the agency’s initiative promoting the adoption of orphans and children separated from parents as a result of the destructive 2004 tsunami and the protracted civil war that ended in 2009.
Mrs. Nallammah received two loans from CERI in 2005-2008, which she repaid on time. These funds enabled her to expand her home-based sewing enterprise and increase her income to $26 per month—no small feat for a widow in rural Sri Lanka.
She sews dresses, blouses, pillow covers and school uniforms, in addition to traditional Sri Lankan female outfits, such as sari and salwar (loose trousers with a tight fit around the ankle). Her business gets quite busy during the Sri Lankan holiday season in December.
In April 2010, Women’s Small Group (WSG) disbursed a third loan in the amount of $133 to Mrs. Nallammah. She needs to repay it with a 0.75% interest within 12 months. Since she became the recipient of WSG’s loans, the resourceful dressmaker has widened her clientele, purchased additional rolls of fabric, and put her attractive outfits up for sale. She currently earns $35 per month, continues to repay her loan on time, and contemplates targeting a larger neighborhood market with her hand-made garments. When asked about her future plans, the ambitious business lady said she “would like to receive a larger loan to open a tailor’s shop and to hire additional staff” to help her run the business.
