Zambia: Jennifer's story
After my husband died, the little that he left was taken away by his family. I started to sell some tomatoes, rice and cooking oil, just so I can keep my family going. And because that was not enough, I got involved with a group of women from the church. Each of us pays money into a central fund from which a little is given to a different woman each month.
I used this money to buy cement, sand and stone and started building our house. I live with my mother, three daughters and four grandsons. I did all the building by myself.
I am a very busy woman; my day is from 5.30am until late in the evening. I buy kapenta (dried fish) in the wholesale market in town then I spend about six hours every day selling from my stall. When I come home I prepare a meal for the family and make sure everyone has had a bath.
Madagascar: Ntsoa's story
Ntsoa from Madagascar decided to leave school one year before sitting her school exams. Her father died during the cyclone three years ago and her mother, a linen woman, couldn't afford to feed and educate all the children. MIORA, a women's development project run by the Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar, gave Ntsoa, her mother and her sister nine months training in embroidery. Now the centre supplies the family with embroidery work which is then exported. In return they bring in a steady income to pay the rent, food and school fees for the younger brothers and sisters.
Women are half the world's people, one-third of the official workforce and do two-thirds of the world's workhours
The whole family benefits
The Church of Bangladesh's credit programme has proved that developing women is the best way to help communities. Through training, literacy and numeracy classes, women have formed their own credit groups. "We have grown vegetables, built toilets near our homes and now I am earning and able to stand on my own two feet", says Khalida.
In Ratanpur district two-thirds of groups are for women only. Hygiene and nutritional advice is given to every women's group – and that is good news for families. Faced with a shortage in their village of firewood and animal fodder, one group started a forestry project.
Belonging to a group helps break down barriers between Muslims and Christians and promotes better cooperation. Through the scheme, women have found self-respect and independence.
In the town of Andasibe in Madagascar, one room of a wooden two-storey house by the railway line is a pharmacy. It has a basic stock of antibiotics, anti-malaria drugs and pain-killers. It is open to all the community which benefits from lower prices than other druggists.
Yet they receive only one-tenth of the world's income and own less than one-hundredth of the world's property.
Ten women run the service, maintain the accounts and manage stock. The group was formed by development workers from the Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar. One woman was trained as a dispenser and receives a small salary from the pharmacy's profits. The rest of the group gain nothing financially from their work.
Facts
Source: United Nations
Activities
Action list