Musow Jigi: Investing in Women

[ Loans ]     [ Microfinance Center ]     [ Empowerment Training ]

Musow Jigi means both "women's hope" and "women's loans" in Bambara.  More than that, jigi implies a refuge, a safe haven where women can teach and learn.  Our women's program provides loans and education so that women can gain financial freedom.

"Little by little a bird builds its nest." Doondooni kononin be a nyaaka da. - Bambara proverb

 Loans

MHOP's microfinance program loans to extremely poor and entrepreneurial women.  This gives them the chance to start small businesses and work their way out of the cycle of poverty.  We combine the group and village lending model to optimize social capital, community relevance, and returns.

An educated and trained committee of 5 Sikoronian women choose borrowers based on the strength of their business ideas, judges in terms of profit, community relevance, and personal experience.  We preferentially fund ideas with social impact, such as mosquito net shops, daycares, and water purification.  These ideas both help Sikoroni and generate profit!  As with all of MHOP's programs, the goal is to empower the community to find permanent solutions, as opposed to finding a temporary, band-aid fix. 

 Microfinance Center

Originally a dilapidated building in Sourakabougou, the poorest sector of Sikoroni, we now have a fully functional Microfinance Center. Today, a microfinance employee from the community of Sikoroni collects applications, markets, accepts payments, and does all administrative work from the center itself.  It is located along the main road, bright blue and visible for the community to enjoy.

 Empowerment Training

The CAFO (Coordination of Women's Associations and NGOs) of Sikoroni has been our "twin" (jumelage) organization since the beginning.  MHOP and the CAFO run a women's empowerment course with education materials from World Education.

Every three months 30-40 women are trained in:

• literacy
• entrepreneurship, math, and saving
• health
• fabric dying
• soap making
• gardening
  

The participants are selected based on need (widows, mothers, poorer members of the community) and community leadership.  After the training they are given the option to apply individually or as a group for entrepreneurial financing through our microfinance program.

Click here to view photographs of a fabric-dying training.

Click here to view photographs of the literacy training.