Economic Empowerment

A) GENERAL OBJECTIVES:

IVFCam strategically aims at contributing to minimizing poverty, especially among the masses and women at the grassroots.

B) FOCUSSED AREAS OF INTERVENTION:

1. Agriculture (Crop and Animal Farming).
2. Enterprise development (Income Generating Activities)
3. Micro-Loans for Business ventures.
NB: All three intervention areas are usually integrated to provide holistic economic enhancement to our target communities.

1.0 AGICULTURE

1.1 Background:

Although women produce 80% of food crops, they own only 5% of the land they farm. Because women lack landed property, which is the only accepted collateral by commercial financial houses, they cannot access loans to set-up alternative Income Generating activities; no doubt women remain subsistent farmers and persistently poor and dependent on men for livelihood (RuWEF-WWDP-Germany 2005-2012).
The situation is worse for widows and single-mothers, as they are visibly deprived from owning any property or money of their own (see our HR & GG program).

1.2 Goal of Intervention:

Improve the livelihoods of poor people, especially female-headed families.

1.3 Objectives of Intervention:

Enable women farmers move from subsistent to commercial agriculture.
Empower women to become enterprising and source income in different ways.
Facilitate access to micro-credit for women and poor communities.

1.4 Target Population we partner with to effect the desired changes:

Traditional Rulers and Councillors.

NB: The Ministries of: Agriculture; Land Tenure and Property; Women’s Empowerment and the Family; Employment; and Small & Medium Size; are inherent government partners.

1.5 Beneficiaries: (Those for whose sake this intervention is carried out).

• Widows
• Poor Women

1.6 Strategies of Intervention:

•  Lobbying & Advocacy
•  Community Mobilization
•  Capacity Building
•  Provision of Micro Credit.

1.7 Some Projects Realised under Agriculture.

1.7.1 Lobbying for Women to Own Farmlands for Large-Scale Crop Production (Increasing household income).

2.0 MICRO-LOANS FOR BUSINESS VENTURES.

2.1 Background:

“Because women lack landed property, which is the only accepted collateral by commercial financial houses, they cannot access loans … and dependent on men for livelihood (RuWEF-WWDP-Germany 2005-2012). Yet, without money, women cannot advance their economic status as so desired.

2.2 Goal of giving out Micro Loans:

Access funds for women to set up or expand on their businesses or enterprises.
In this way, women too, like their male counterparts, will be able to raise capital to acquire the scarce land for commercial agriculture, manage businesses that can even employ other family or community members, and be able to take care of her children.

2.3 Objectives of Intervention:

Capacitate in Financial Management
Increase access to money

2.4 Target Population we partner with to effect the desired changes:

Credit Unions
Banks

NB: The Ministries of Employment; and Small & Medium Size is inherent government partners.

2.5 Beneficiaries: (Those for whose sake this intervention is carried out).

• Constituted groups of Women
• Constituted groups of Poor Women and men

2.6 Strategies of Intervention:

• Capacity Building in enterprise development
• Provision of Micro Loans.

2.7 SOME PROJECTS REALISED UNDER MICRO LOANS:
3.0 ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT (INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES).

3.1 Background:

More than 95% of income for women at the grassroots comes from “Subsistent Framing,” wherein small amounts of their food crops are sold out at local markets (IVFCam-NEF 2005), mainly during the harvesting season. This explains, to a greater extend, why grassroots women lack a steady source of income, remain subsistent in their livelihoods, and very dependent on their male partners.
The need to enable women create alternative sources of income is therefore imperative if women must grow economically.

3.2 Goal of Enterprise Development:

Enable women gain financial independence for improved livelihoods and better social status.
Developing in women the skills of entrepreneurship or small business management, and supporting them to set up and run such businesses has proven to be the best way of creating alternative employment opportunities for women and helping them improve on their livelihoods and social status.

3.3 Objectives of Intervention:

Facilitate the establishment of alternative sources of generating income for/by women
Increase and stabilize women’s income

3.4 Target Population we partner with to effect the desired changes:

Community Based Organizations

NB: The Ministries of: Agriculture; Women’s Empowerment and the Family; Employment; and Small & Medium Size; are inherent government partners.

3.5 Beneficiaries: (Those for whose sake this intervention is carried out).

• Constituted groups of Widows
• Constituted groups of Poor Women and men
• Poor and Unemployed Youths

3.6 Strategies of Intervention:

• Capacity Building in enterprise development
• Provision of Micro Credits and Grants.