Program

BBSWI offers schooling to about 150 children whose family situation does not allow them to participate in the regular education system. Typical issues at hand are single mothers, alcoholic fathers, and families that are simply to poor to afford an education.

Before the tsunami, most of these mothers were making a living for their families. Their current situation is a direct result of the tsunami; essential materials flushed away or they still need to pay rent for now useless machinery.

BBSWI and Micro credits for Mothers set up a program aiming to help this group of women generate more revenues and thus family income as well as a higher form of independence.

Project characteristics:

• Number of women reached: 21
• Number of children involved: 47
• All children attend school at BBSWI.
• All women frequent the Pitaramba temple, home of BBSWI.
• No interest is charged.
• All women start repayment after two months.
• We have appointed three female supervisors who coach the women.
• Each woman asked two other women to be her guarantor so that they can all help and support each other.
• These guarantors are first in line to receive a micro credit when the woman they support now completes repayment of her loan.
• Total micro credits allocated: 1507,- euro.

Elephant grass bags

Ratnawathi is very skilled in making bags out of Elephant grass. Her handicap, she is deaf-mute, and the fact that she lost her complete stock of materials to the tsunami make it even more difficult to take care of her two sons. She needs 40 euros to re-start her business and be once again self-sufficient.

Sewing purses

Sunethra needs a sewing machine to produce higher quality, better looking and most importantly more purses. She now occasionally rents a sewing machine but with her current output that is not feasible. 100 euros is sufficient to increase Sunethra's income permanently benefiting both her and her son.

Stove

Margret is an excellent cook and owned a catering business before the tsunami struck. She sold food packs to hostels and small companies. Seeta is 40 years old and has three daughters.
To re-start her catering services Seeta needs a 75 euros micro credit to buy a gas-operated stove.

Stove and ingredients

These two women are experts in Sri Lankan snacks like indiappa (steamed noodles rolled into balls), vadai (deep fried, spicy cookies), and shrimp cookies. They vend these snacks on the street at bus stations and in the market. That is, that is what they used to do before the tsunami took their livelihood. Both of them applied for a 50 euros loan to purchase necessities such as a stove, pans, basket, and ingredients.

Seeta is back in business again and fully repaid her micro credit.

Also Sajani got busy making and selling Sri Lankan delicacies. She paid back little less than 15,- euro of her micro credit.

Beauty and Bridal salon

Please meet Indrani, she has all necessary diploma's to offer beauty- & bridal services and wants to open her own salon. She needs 480 euros, a start-up investment to purchase a proper chair, mirror, cosmetics, and hair products. As soon as she repays the first installments, we give her a second loan to expand her business so that in the future she can employ other women.

Bicycle repair workshop

Himali is 33 years old and repairs bicycles. She has a 10-year old son and an 8-year old daughter. Their daily budget is less than 2.50 euros. An air compressor enables her to work faster and thus make more money. To purchase it she asks Micro credits for Mothers for a loan of € 250-.

Mangling machines

This group women weave mats using coconut fibers and bamboe cane. They all use mangling machines to squeeze and equalize the mats. These mangling machines are rented. Each woman has to pay a rather large amount of rent every month, so that little is left for livelihood. Just think of it: it takes on average 12 hours to make a mat that brings in barely one euro. Obviously, they want to invest in their own mangling machine.

Sewing machines

This group women sew school uniforms and mend children's clothes. One of them even is a qualified tailor, but also she became victim to the tsunami and lost everything. Some of these women lease sewing machines for which they have to pay half of their day's earnings. Some of them apply for a 100 euros loan to buy a sewing machine. In this way, they get the opportunity to double their income.

Bicycles

Both women want to buy a bicycle and sell coconuts. On the left side is Shama, she is 31 years old and has a 10-year old son and an 8-year daughter. Selling coconuts is her way to make a living for her family of three. She asks Micro credit for Mothers to invest in a bicycle and stock of coconuts. On the right side is Inoka, she already sells coconuts and want to increase her sales. The bicycle helps her do that; it will allow her to cover a bigger area than she currently covers on foot.

Door-to-door selling

Priyantha wants to become a door-to-door salesperson and have her own earnings. She want to sell personal hygiene articles such as soap, toothpaste, and bandages. She needs a small loan to buy a bicycle, basked and supply of goods.

Producing and repairing shoes

Gunawathi makes and repairs shoes. She would love to make better-looking shoes and be able to do higher quality repair work with the ultimate goal to make more money. To do so, she needs a sewing machine worth 100 euros.

Microphone and loudspeaker

Sirima is 52 years old and sells lottery ticket in the Bentota area. As she is getting older, walking long distances is getting tough on her. She now wants to base herself in busy areas such as the market, bus station or cricket field. To attract customers in these noisy places she needs a microphone and loudspeaker worth 50 euros.

In the meantime Sirima realized her own spot from which she sells her lotery tickets. A lot less walking for her.

Orchid nursery and copy shop

Meet these two hard working entrepreneurs. On the left side Trixi, she grows orchids to sell and sometimes rent out as decorations for events and weddings. The earnings are not yet enough to support her family that is why she wants to have a bigger collection of orchids. She wants to invest in orchid seeds, special soil, and pots.

On the right side, Nandika, 29 years old and owner of both a manual printer and the skills to print menus, invitations and business cards. She has an 8-year old son and 6-year old daughter. Another tsunami victim, she lost all materials including ink, paper, and stencils leaving her without work and income. 100 euros is all she needs to re-launch her printing and copying services.

Nandika re-launched het business and managed to repay her complete micro credit. Some women who also received a micro credit help her to find new customers.