By Kennedy Leavens | Executive Director
Since our last project report, Awamaki has been busy working with our artisan groups to improve their effectiveness as global pioneers, and leaders in their households and communities.
Awamaki is currently administering a pilot program of financial leadership workshops to the women of our knitting cooperative. The women of the cooperative currently lack basic financial knowledge and skills. Through these workshops, the women are learning skills such as how to use a bank account, the difference between formal and informal savings accounts, how to keep a household budget and what it means to be economically competitive in the global market. These skills allow the women to manage cooperative finances, which increases the sustainability and self-sufficiency of the cooperative. Awamaki is training several women from the knitting cooperative and once they complete the course, they in turn will teach financial management skills to the rest of the women in the cooperative.
Giving the knitters financial and leadership skills not only empowers them to manage the finances of the cooperative; it also allows them to make informed decisions for themselves and their families. Saving for the future, for things like education and medical bills, is not a common practice in rural Andean communities. However, as the women of Awamaki earn income through their participation in our programs, their new financial skills allow them to fully leverage their increased economic power for the long-term benefit of their families. These skills give them the knowledge and confidence they need to plan, budget, use banks and save.
Your support through GlobalGiving allows Awamaki to support the women of our cooperatives with skill building and knowledge training. Workshops like the financial leadership workshops translate directly into increased economic opportunities and a better life for the women and their families. Please stay tuned for more updates about our financial workshops!
Finally, if you have a mom in your life who embodies women’s empowerment, consider donating a Gift for Good for her this Mother’s Day. Donate to this project today and receive a hand woven, one-of-a-kind iPad case for your favorite mom!
Links:
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
