Women ending poverty: WORTH notes from the field

A glimpse of the impact WORTH is having...

For the past two months, I have had the fortunate opportunity to intern with the WORTH program under Project Concern International Zambia. I could never adequately express my gratitude and appreciation for having been a small part of such an amazing initiative. As soon as the WORTH model was explained to me, I knew it was something special. The motto of "dependency is not empowerment" signaled to me that this is a program that truly values women. Coming from the United States, I was only familiar with women's development programs that provided some kind of start up money or micro enterprise loan to begin with. After working with WORTH, I can't imagine such models since WORTH women are given no such supposed "assistance"; they are taught that they must help themselves to improve their own lives.

Every WORTH woman I have met has fully taken this advice to heart. I had no idea women could even be as strong and empowered as the remarkable women I met are. On my very first field visit, I visited a WORTH group composed primarily of elderly women. These women were engaging in testing physical labor to build a chicken pen. I remember watching in amazement as they stacked their freshly made bricks row upon row. What impressed me even further was how genuinely selfless these women were. They repeatedly explained that their ultimate goal was to raise money by selling chickens so that they could more adequately care for the Orphans and Vulnerable Children in their communities.

This noble spirit proved to be a common thread among all the WORTH groups I visited: WORTH groups building schools for OVCs, WORTH groups visiting the elderly and sick of their community, WORTH groups rescuing the troubled youth of their area who were dabbling in prostitution and drinking. These women are not satisfied with merely being empowered- rather, they are so thrilled with their newfound voice and strength that they want to touch as many people and do as much good as they possibly can. I was touched and inspired a million times over by the women I met. I always found myself thinking that American women could learn a great deal about hope, gratitude, and perseverance from these dignified Zambian women. I always felt apprehensive about intruding on their meetings, but each time, they greeted me with lovely songs and passionate dancing, immediately making me feel welcome.

I feel unbelievably thankful and privileged to have caught a glimpse of the impact WORTH is having on Zambian women. I'll never forget standing in a circle with other WORTH women and listening to each woman share how WORTH has ameliorated her life- in the final testimony, the woman proclaimed that she does not need men because she is married to WORTH.

That's empowerment.

Tufune Social Work

The inspiring women of the Tufune WORTH group have begun to use their collective power to fight promiscuous behavior and early pregnancies among young girls. The women of this group live in Kabulongo village where there exists a noticeable problem of girls being wild and drinking. The WORTH women explain that many of the community parents fail to meet the basic needs of their children such as food and clothes. At their impressionable age, the girls want to look good and own new clothes, so they often go to bars to gain money from men. The Tufune women want their children to be brought up in a good way; they are scared of HIV/AIDS and don’t want their youth to make themselves susceptible to it.

The women tackle the issue by first approaching the girl’s parents in hopes of gaining their permission to talk to the young girl. Once the parents give their blessings, the elder women of the group sit with the girl and try to teach her lessons to make her realize that what she’s doing is wrong. So far, the women have successfully approached three girls.

The first is Violet Chilubano, an 18 year old girl who dropped out of school when she was 15 because she was pregnant. Violet had lost both of her parents at a young age. She explains that she was simply bored and attracted by the dancing in bars. Before she knew it, she was in too deep. Thankfully, Violet’s aunt, Agnes Zambu, is a member of the Tufune group, so the women were able to convince Violet to change her ways. Violet expresses genuine gratitude for what the Tufune women have done for her- they have given her hope. Violet now plans to return to school soon.

Violet’s friend Harriet has also benefited from the intervention of the Tufune group. Harriet happens to be the daughter of the Tufune WORTH group’s chairlady, Emelda Nyangu. Harriet’s father passed away when she was in grade 4, and Emelda could not manage to buy anything more than food for her family. Harriet could not accept the fact that her mother would not buy her new shoes, so she ran away. Emelda asked the group to look for her, and they soon discovered that she was working as a barmaid. The group was able to convince her to come back home, and she is now receiving treatment for TB.

Katherine T. Phiri, another Tufune WORTH group member, was also able to save her daughter with the help of her WORTH peers. Her daughter Louisa became pregnant at the age of 15, and the man wanted to marry her. The Tufune women encouraged her to refuse the man and to return to school. Louisa agreed and is now a member of the WORTH group. She is back at school and has taken out a loan from the group to start a business of selling candles, and dried fish. She proudly says, “ I want to learn so I can keep my child”. The women of Tufune WORTH group hope to touch even more girls. Undoubtedly, they will.

First Lady Laura Bush Visits WORTH group in Zambia

Last week a rural WORTH group outside Lusaka, Zambia hosted Mrs. Laura Bush at a gathering of their village bank members on June 28, 2007.   The women were eager to show Mrs. Bush not only how they manage the operations of their bank, but how funds are invested in micro-enterprises that they also manage themselves. As the owners and members, they save together, make loans to one another, manage the accounting and distribute the interest on their loans back to group members, while also learning basic literacy and entrepreneurial business skills. The WORTH women told Mrs. Bush about their pride as successful bankers and business women and the difference that the additional income from their banking and small businesses makes to their families.

Visiting both the Tufune WORTH group and a local market where many of the group members are engaged in small business ventures, Mrs. Bush observed the ingenuity and success of these “micro-enterprise projects, where women are able to take care of themselves, support themselves -- many of them are widows -- because of loans that they make to each other” as she noted that evening during an exchange with Zambian First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa.

In Zambia the WORTH program targets HIV-affected communities and specifically works with caretakers of orphans, people living with HIV/AIDS and other vulnerable populations. Mrs. Bush mentioned the benefits of integrating HIV prevention with WORTH’s multifaceted approach for women by “empowering them to provide for themselves and their families”, which is of particular importance in HIV-affected communities.

“We are thrilled that Mrs. Bush was able to see a WORTH group on her brief visit to Zambia. Village banking has become an important strategy in combating HIV/AIDS, which rapidly drains the resources that families have when illness strikes” says Marcia Odell, long-time Director of WORTH, who accompanied Mrs. Bush on her visit to the Tufune WORTH group. “When women discover their own innate abilities to succeed at business and accumulate wealth, they also take on leadership roles in their communities and everyone benefits,” Odell stated.

Among the women Mrs. Bush met was Emelda Nyangu, chairperson of the Tufune WORTH Group. When Ms. Nyangu, a widow, first heard of WORTH she was most attracted to the program by the opportunity to learn to read and write.  She also recognized the benefits of the basic accounting and entrepreneurial skills that WORTH promotes for starting a business that would help her care for her own five children and her four nieces and nephews who were orphaned when their parents died of AIDS.  Today Ms. Nyangu is literate and runs a profitable business selling fish door-to-door and in the local market. The Tufune group is currently educating the community about HIV/AIDS, lobbying to abolish early marriage and has stopped domestic violence in members’ households through informal counseling of offenders. The dream of the Tufune group is to be able to build a school in the community to serve the needs of children and young people through grade 12, buy a mill to grind maize commercially and drill a borehole to offset current water shortages.

Zambia: My "Wow Moment"

" There is never really a dull moment when working with WORTH groups.  Every group visit is a highlight. The activities women do are nothing out of the ordinary. It is the usual banking, reading and discussion of social issues that happens at every meeting.  But it is the manner in which they do these things which is exceptional and extraordinary.

Their characters have evolved so much since they first became WORTH members. Where they were once timid, they are now courageous.  Where they once perceived themselves as weak, they have now realized that they are strong.

Because of this self discovery they now do things with a confidence that is truly amazing.  A good example of this is the way they conduct a banking session. Whereas when they were starting out it used to be haphazard, now they are orderly, precise and procedural- as if it were a real bank.  I just watch and say Wow!

The transformation that WORTH women have undergone, this transformation I have seen with my very own eyes as a Zambian woman, has had a very defining impact on me.  Seeing women being able to do things that they never thought possible and doing these things exceptionally for that matter has made me grow in self confidence.  I say to myself, If these women in less fortunate circumstances than me can move mountains, what more I, who is better placed then them?”

Their courage, a courage to get up and work towards changing their destiny, has made me grow in ways they could never even imagine.

A big salute to all the women in the WORTH program world wide.  To all WORTH women who have an opportunity to read this, thanks for making me courageous.  I love you all and keep on keeping on!"

-Chiluba Mumba
Assistant Coordinator in PCI/Pact WORTH program
Chongwe, Zambia

For more information about WORTH, please visit our website at: http://www.worthwomen.org

Zambia: It's never too old to learn!

Maweta Tembo 72, of  the Maliyetu WORTH group in Chiwala Village is a widow with four adult children. Currently she lives with four of her grandchildren. Before she learned about WORTH Maweta was a peasant farmer who depended on the maize harvest, which she would sell on a “hand-to-mouth” basis. She was unable to save any money for her family.

After attending a community orientation, she was excited about learning to read and write, saving money with other women, and being able to access loans from the same savings. This encouraged her to start mobilizing women in her village to form a group.

Nine months after WORTH was introduced Maweta has learned a lot, despite her poor eyesight. Two literate group members help her and several other group members become literate. Maweta, who never had a chance to go to school when she was young, is also tutored by her grandchildren at home.
Maweta has come to appreciate the power of saving money. Before joining WORTH she did not know how to keep money for future use.

Even when her children would assist her with some money for grinding maize, she would use it for other unnecessary purchases instead of investing in her business. Now that her group is a Village Bank, she is proud that her savings are safe in the three-lock cash box, or out in loans to other group members, earning interest. She has also learned to be more proactive in her savings, often contributing money into her voluntary savings fund, from which she can withdraw when the need arises. In January she sold mangoes and was able to put K250,000.00 ($64 USD) in her voluntary savings, which she later withdrew for her grandson’s school fees, enabling him to start grade eight.

Being part of WORTH has helped Maweta learn how to be an effective entrepreneur. She used her first loan to buy in-demand foodstuffs. Then she repackaged them in smaller packets in order to sell them at a more affordable price to a growing number of customers.

Maweta and her granddaughters. Monica is on the left.

Maweta’s 13 year-old granddaughter, Monica, is proud of her grandmother for having joined WORTH because she is now able to meet the basic needs of the family. Monica feels excited watching the women on their banking day putting their weekly savings into the locked cash box. She especially loves these days because the women meet at her house. When she grows up Monica hopes to be a WORTH woman, too.

-Jacqueline Siame
WORTH Coordinator
Zambia

For more information about WORTH, please visit our website at: http://www.worthwomen.org