Women Empowerment

Empower women with the resources and skills to create businesses and they will be self-sufficient. When women start businesses they provide their families with superior nutrition, focus on their children's education and reinvest in the community.

Helping Women Help Themselves, Their Families and Community

Several projects have been initiated to foster the empowerment of women in the Nshupu area.

Savings and Loans to Start Micro-Businesses

The women act as their own credit unions. Each woman buys into the group by purchasing a share. Those shares are the pool of money that’s available to be loaned to members of the group. The group also acts as a support network for one another and many have become business partners.

Education Seminars Expose Opportunities

Precious Project assists the women's groups by bringing in outside speakers who present ideas for building small businesses lead by women. The first step is always the hardest in any endeavor and the seminars are well attended. The business models chosen are those that would thrive in the Nshupu area.

Chicken Project is already a success

One of our first projects was helping women to establish a chicken farm. They purchase newborn chicks and feed them to maturity and sell them for a profit so they can buy additional chicks. The chicken are free-range and are preferred to caged chickens.

A Modern Approach to Learning

Challenges


In Tanzania, women are among the poorest in their nation, despite serving an important role in their rural economy. Tanzanian women farm, sell fruits and vegetables, transport heavy loads of water and firewood, and care for their family. It is not uncommon to meet women who raise families in the absence of a man who might labor away from home, has other families, or never returns for financial or health reasons. While education would be a path out of poverty, many Tanzanian women don’t have access to it.

Multi-faceted Approach

We assist local women to create and control their own self-help organization. Since they know best what they need, they decide what businesses to run that would work best in their local economy.
  • The women's group democratically decides who gets the loans. Those women with the greatest financial need, such as single mothers and widows, are given priority.
  • The members decide the entrepreneurial guidance that they need.
  • The"bank" is funded by the group's members and any income earned from the fund.
  • Money borrowed from the fund is paid back with interest. The terms and conditions are defined by members.
Home Visits
Home visits with new mothers provides help by teaching them on methods of childcare.
Liquid Soap Business
School cook Prisca uses soap purchased from local village women new business venture.
Child Safety
Single mother from Mweni village gets advice on improving her home for child safety


“There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women."
 
Kofi Annan

Accomplishments

  • Two women's empowerment groups are launched with more than 35 women participating.
  • Self-funded groups create ‘savings and loan’ program and by-laws as to how to govern themselves.
  • The group meets weekly to fund the bank, consider applications, and collect on loans and interest.
  • Group elects to incubate women-owned micro-enterprises and build savings to replace mud homes with more stable brick ones.
  • Precious Project hosts the group at their Community Center.

Project Leads and Contacts

  • Susie Rheault, US
  • Sarah Modest, Tanzania
For more information : Susie@preciousproject.org

Newsletters

June 2023
Protecting Precious Lives from HPV
Committed to the health and well-being of our female students.
May 2022
Celebrating Mama's
Mama’s are a vital part of Precious Children's Home
March 2022 Update
International Women's Day
Powerful role models, working tirelessly for the greater good, and uplifting and helping shape the lives of other women and girls.
September 2019
Empowering Women
Strengthening Families in Nshupu
February 2018
Women Helping Women
Precious Project Continues to Help Nshupu Women Gain Financial Independence