By Abiye Hector-Goma | Project Leader
On Wednesday 22 January 2014, Wakirike Development Coalition and our community development partner organisation MANKIND, met with 60 rural Wakirike women entrepreneurs at Ogoloma Town Hall, in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. Prior to this meeting, we had reviewed the records of over two hundred women who had been beneficiaries of the Microfinance Project loans (£40 to £120 each) in the last year and checked their repayments.
8 'Champions' were identified, one from each community who had been most consistent with loan repayments as well as verifiable improvements in their small businesses. These eight women were presented to the meeting and applauded. They were announced as the first beneficiaries for the new Global Giving grant of £300 equivalent (NGN 75,000).
I had travelled from UK to Ogoloma to participate in this meeting. I explained to the women that our goal in the Global Giving Project is to raise sufficient money to help 50 of them. So far, the funds raised can support the 8 'Champions'. 42 women were further selected based on agreed criteria (previous repayment and entrepreneurship) and put on a waiting list. A one-day training in Group Skills, revolving loan management and book keeping has been scheduled for Thursday, 27th February 2014 for all the 50 women. The naira equivalent of £2,400 (£300 per woman entrepreneur) will be disbursed to the 8 Champions at the end of this training. Those on the waiting list will receive funds as we raise more money.
We thank you for your donationof funds to this project, to lift 50 women and their families out of poverty on the road to prosperity. We have secured funds to help 8 of them thus far. Can you help us reach one more woman?
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