By Gillian Wilson | Communications Director
Thank you for all your support and donations to WACN’s work. With your help, over 300 women in rural Nepal this year have been able to change the course of their lives.
Maya Devi Sarki’s story is one of many from WACN that shows that when women are given an opportunity to earn their own income, they change not only their financial circumstances but also their role in Nepalese society.
Maya is a member of a savings and credit cooperative. She has 5 daughters and as a result was abused by her family for failing to deliver a son. She felt her future was bleak. However, a friend persuaded her to join the cooperative and after becoming a member she realized the importance of earning an income. By saving regularly she has been able to take out several loans ranging from NRs 5,000-15,000 and has paid them all back on time. She established a small business where she buys vegetables from her village and takes them to market to sell. She now earns NRs500 per day from this. She was even able to support a family member with their own business venture.
Maya is full of praise for the flexible way the loans are administered. The interest rates are very reasonable and allow her to borrow when she needs money so she doesn’t need to use her earnings as collateral. Her financial resources, financial stability and standards of living have broadened with each passing month. Maya is proud her work supports the people in her village. She enjoys her work very much and says she feels respected in her family and her community.
Maya’s story shows how women can be empowered through programs that involve women from the start and address their concerns. Before joining WACN, Maya had no control over or access to resources. Through the savings program, she now has both and is playing an active role in the community. But there is more still to be done. WACN has supplied us the details of their current activities and we have posted new project information here: http://globalgiving.org/projects/build-women-savings-and-credit-cooperatives-nepal , project ID #6053.
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