By Deborah Goldberg | Project Leader
Your helpful assistance supports WACN's goal to enable women to solve their financial and social problems on their own. Through the Savings and Credit Program, the village women have learned how to become financially independent, gaining respect from their families and community members in the process.
Initially, WACN encouraged women to form savings and credit groups. Now women form groups on their own initiative registering them as cooperatives in order to be viewed as a legal entity. One of these women shares her story:
Banuhi Chaudhari’s story
Banuhi Chaudhari is a member of Bachhuli Nari Chetna Kendra Savings and Credit Cooperative in Chitwan. She had heard about a program for women but none of the women in her village were interested in taking part. In spite of this, she attended a workshop which explained more about the women’s group and how it could help her. This inspired her to form a savings and credit group in her own village.
It was difficult for her to convince other women to take part but her enthusiasm paid off and she finally managed to form a group. Even then she faced many challenges. Opening a bank account took many days as she was illiterate and unaware of the process to follow. Furthermore, in the village there were rumors that women would not be allowed to keep the money and that it would be taken by the district office. Finally, in 1998, Banuhi registered her
group as a cooperative.
The first loan Banuhi took out from her cooperative was to raise goats. After ten years and several loans, she was able to buy a piece of land and she uses this land as collateral whenever she wants to take out loans from the cooperative.
Banuhi’s involvement in the cooperative has increased her self-confidence. She is now able to perform economic transactions, is confident in dealing with banks and officials, and is an executive member of the cooperative.
Banhui and many other countless women are able to achieve greater financial stability because of wonderful donors
like you. Thank you for contributing!
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