eNews Archive: March 2006
Dear Power of Love Friend:
Wishing you all a very springy March 2006.
Last Year, POL together with its partner the Foundation For Women (www.foundationforwomen.org) launched its innovative M-TAC program (Micro Finance Tools for AIDS Care) for women impacted by HIV/AIDS in the Matero and Chainda compounds of Lusaka, Zambia. Microfinance has served as a powerful way to fight poverty around the world, but the AIDS environment with high infection and mortality rates presented a number of special challenges. POL had to redesign and build new models of microfinance to address these challenges.
After 3 months of team building and 5 days of business training 70 women received loans between $60-120 each. Since then they have been meeting every week in groups of 5 to discuss business strategies, the success of their business, and of course issues like caring for orphans, preventing HIV, and caring for the sick - issues that are inescapable in a community hard hit by poverty and sickness. Some of the businesses started by these women are: manufacture of Tie and dye material; sale of fresh fish; sale of dressed chickens etc.
M-TAC is now running in 2 neighborhoods in Lusaka, Zambia with repayment rates over 98% every week. The positive change in all of the women is startling. The women have a new-found sense of self-esteem; they can protect themselves better against infection, and are able to feed their own children and the orphans in their care. They are eating two meals a day and, as they proudly announce to each other - they are putting on cheek (Zambian way of saying that they are putting on weight)! [Learn More]
The M-TAC program to strengthen women in Lusaka is set to expand into many communities in the coming months. It requires $10,000 every year to manage and run (in addition to the loan amount). Imagine a total of just $10,000/year helping hundreds of women break out of poverty and sickness. We are looking for one or more donors to help raise this $10,000. If you wish to contribute to this program or to any of the other POL program please visit our website (www.poweroflove.org) or email us at: (info@poweroflove.org).
In the spirit of service,
The Power of Love Team