With a donation in 2016 of €35,000 from a Rotary club (Geleen-Sittard), supplemented by a small contribution from sister clubs in Belgium and Germany, and subsequently increased by Rotary International after the project was approved, approximately €100,000 has become available for microfinancing. So-called Self Help Groups, each consisting of 10 to 20 women, are provided with small loans individually or as a group, enabling them to start their own businesses. They receive training and information beforehand, for which half of the total amount is allocated to the project.
The women are required to repay the loans with interest in installments within one year.
Afterward, the same funds can assist other women. The project has been successful and was transformed into a community bank in 2022.
In 2018, we were able to expand the available financing. In 2023, a significant expansion of available resources has been pledged for the years 2023 through 2025. This allows for the establishment of two self-sustaining groups over the next three years, based on the revolving nature of the funding.
