MicroAid Projects Blog

My first sewing stall

2012-01-06T17:52:00.000+07:00

My name is Magdalena, I live with my two children who are still in school in the Public Elementary Schools in Magepanda village, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Since August 2011 I have started receiving orders to sew women clothes and tablecloths.

I was sewing a tablecloth. Marselina (my friend who lent her sewing tools) is being guided me

I am grateful to be starting up a small business. I acquired these skills during the two days of MicroAid Projects training which I attended with my friends Marselina, Agustina and Mely. The training that we followed on June 2011 was Sewing Practical (see our report here). In the training we learned how to sew and use embroidery machine.

One week after training, we held a bazaar in front of the Church where we worship together every Sunday. In the bazaar we sold out all of our results of our training, such as tablecloths, flags and pastries made by other groups. For my group, we made US $34 from the sale of 6 tablecloths. Then we put the money into a savings group to help buy more materials using micro-credit loans to our members.

I initiated borrowing money $11 from the group as my sewing business capital. I bought yarns and sewing equipment such as needles, scissors, measuring instruments and others. I will return the loan to be repaid over 4 months plus interest of 1%. While sewing tools (not machine) I borrowed from my friend Marselina, whose kind mother lends me her tools every Saturday and Sunday.

I (red t-shirt) and my friends are following the sewing training

On average every month I received 10 orders from neighbors in the village to sew tablecloths. One tablecloth I sell at a price of $6 with net profit of about $3. So in one month I can earn approximately $30. This money is pretty huge for me because previously I did not make any money myself. My husband is a motorcycle taxi driver in the village.

I glad I can get additional income for my family and could use my time for activities that make money. Thanks to MicroAid Projects donors who gave the chance for me and my friends to do the training and become business women with the first sewing stall in our village.

Loving greetings, Magdalena

Selling embroidery crafts at the Pillayarpatti Temple

2011-09-27T16:46:00.001+07:00

My name is Jamuna from Pillayarpatti village, Tamil Nadu, India. Initially I was a housewife. At that time, the economic situation of my family was in big trouble. To increase my family income, I was working in some embroidery shops in my village and got a little income.

Jamuna sells her embroidery crafts at the Pillayarpatti temple

I attended a short training course to make embroidery offered by Ford Trust in Pillayarpatti. Then I followed the MicroAid Projects training to expand my embroidery techniques in making embroidery. I had training in making embroidered fabric for toys and dolls. (See MicroAid-project report FTIN9082). I felt a great benefit and satisfied from the MicroAid course. I learned how to make embroidered fabric with attractive designs but using simple techniques.

Now 4 months after the training, I have developed my own craft products and have started selling them at my local market. This is a much better opportunity for me to increase my income. Now I earn more per day than I used to earn working as a labourer at the embroidery factory. Per day on average I can get US $1.63 - $2.04 from the sale of my crafts. Sometimes just getting $1.02 when not much visitor and could reach $5 if in holiday and many visitors who come to the temple. Now I sell my embroidery crafts at the famous temple in Pillayarpatti village where many people come to pray. I would like to say a big thank you to Ford Trust and MicroAid for my skills training.

Now I have a good future.

Warm regards,
Jamuna

Skilled mother, happy family

2011-09-16T11:44:00.000+07:00

Fransiska (right rear) and her husband Thomas (right front) and their children. Fransiska can now educate her
children by selling vegetables from the cabbage garden behind her house

It is the obligation of every parent to provide education for their children. But what if the family is poor and whose life and livelihood have been hit by illness and deprived of the resources, many of us take for granted? Empowering the family is one of the key strategies MicroAid projects uses to eradicate poverty. Empowered families can pay for food and education for their children on their own.

The photo above is Thomas and family with four children live in Waility village, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.

Since 1986 Thomas was paralyzed, his legs cannot be used for walking. Thomas's day-to-day job before he became disabled was as a fisherman. Many men in Waility village are fishermen. They look for fish in the sea and sell their catch in local markets. As a result of the illness that disabled him, Thomas can no longer work as fisherman.

There is no a worker insurance or social services in Waility village. So the livelihood to meet the needs of his family life stopped abruptly and there was no help around for a family of six. There was not enough food on the table and the children could not go to school.

Until now, Thomas does not know what causes his paralysis. Medical services are also scarce in this part of the world. One day when he woke up in the morning, he could not move his legs. His family and friends brought Thomas to the doctors and local hospital but until now the disease is not curable. In 1994, Thomas was married to Fransiska. From their marriage, Thomas has been blessed with 5 children. But one of his children died as an infant, so now there are 4 children who they are responsible for.

To support his family, Thomas worked as farm labourer in his neighbour's vegetable garden. He carried out all his work activities crawling, because his legs could not be used. Fransiska, his wife, helped to meet the needs of their family by working as a housemaid cleaning, washing public facilities and any chore to earn money to feed the family.

Through the training for village nurseries that was funded by donors of MicroAid Projects in 2010, Fransiska has become the inspiration for mothers in Waility village to manage a cabbage vegetable garden. In early 2011, Fransiska, Thomas's wife took over her husband's role as the family breadwinner. Fransiska along with 6 other women, neighbours, manage together a vegetable garden that is just at the back of their house. Initially Fransiska was a housewife who filled her time caring for her family, just like most other mothers in the village.

Photo caption: Now the buyers that come to the village and immediately buy up all the vegetables as soon as they
are harvested

Since early June 2011, they've harvested cabbages 3 times with an average of about 2,000 cabbages sold every harvest. Even today Fransiska no longer needs to carry vegetables to market in the district, but it is now the buyers that come to the village and immediately buy up all the vegetables as soon as they are harvested.

Each harvest, Fransiska earns about £43. With this income every month, Fransiska can send their four children to the public schools in her village and buy textbooks. But the necessities of life are not only that. There are still many other things needed to further enhance the welfare of families like Fransiska.

MicroAid Projects with a method of learning business skills as an approach to empower the poor family, invites you all to give a big opportunity for groups of poor families in Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Kenya and Uganda to learn new skills that can be used to improve the welfare families so that they can educate their children independently and sustainably.

Today, Thomas and four of his children help Fransiska after school in the watering and clearing the family's garden with pride. They are very grateful to MicroAid donors who have given them the opportunity to learn new skills and how to make money from a vegetable garden so that they can find a way to eradicate their poverty themselves.

A little help for a better future for one poor family - MicroAid.

Thank you MicroAid donors
from
Thomas and Fransiska

Your Zakat is more than just for eating

2011-08-18T14:18:00.003+07:00

A mother was sewing at home to fulfill customer orders

Assalammualikum Wr. Wb.

Happy Ramadan. May your fasting be accepted by Allah SWT and provide good benefits for all.

Start from this year 2011 (1432 Hijriyah), MicroAid Projects Charity and I would like to help distribute alms from anyone who wants to give Zakat to groups of poor families in Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Kenya and Uganda.

Zakat that you provide will be directly channeled to groups of families who want to learn new home enterprise skills. New skills such as: making banana crisps, sewing for profit, vegetable gardening and others.

Why do we need to help?

The home enterprise skills will enable beneficiaries to open new business opportunities in small groups / families. Having the ability to start a home enterprise, they can live independently and not depend on help from others for the rest of their lives. The Zakat you provide is not simply just to feed them one day, but for the increase in welfare of the whole family. This the real meaning of “growth” in Zakat.

Help another family to become self-reliant. This is the main purpose of Zakat that you provide via Microaid Projects Charity. You can read the stories of families who have managed to live independently here.

Please help them now.

Thank you very much.

Walaikumsalam Wr. Wb.
Jalu Wardhana, Team Leader

About Zakat:

Zakat is one of the five Pillars of Islam. Each year, Muslims give away a fixed percentage (generally 2.5%) of their wealth to benefit the poor and deprived. It is considered an act of worship and purifying, for both the giver and the recipient.

Seven families find success with a community vegetable garden

2011-07-22T18:06:00.000+07:00

A family story from Wailiti Village, Indonesia.

Photo caption: Fransiska (with thumbs up), Katharina, Bibiana, Kartini and Ester Ngole, five of the seven families from Wailiti village, Indonesia in their cabbage vegetable garden. Delighted with their new home enterprise.

The vegetable garden in Wailiti Village, Indonesia is a family-run farm by seven families who received training to create a community vegetable garden funded by MicroAid Projects’ donors. The vegetable garden is currently only about 400 square meters. It will be expanded later, as proceeds from the sale of vegetables from the first harvest start coming in.

A month ago, the families harvested cabbages for the first time and managed to sell 340 cabbages. The selling price per cabbage was 40p so the money earnt came to £136. The money was then divided between seven families, so that every family received £19. Harvesting the cabbages is carried out every 4 weeks.

To increase family incomes further, the group of mothers will now expand the area of the vegetable garden and plant mustard. Money from harvest of cabbage will be used to purchase mustard seeds and will be planted near their existing garden.

This good idea to expand their garden came from the group themselves. They wanted to plant quick yielding vegetable crops and get better prices. Growing mustard was their choice. If they succeed with harvesting mustard, then each family will get an extra £22 per month. When aggregated with the income from cabbage sales, the total amount will be £41 per month for each family.

Now the families in Wailiti need help to dig better wells so they can water their expanded garden more easily. Up until now, they use a small bucket that is shared between the seven families.

• For more information see MicroAid Projects Report
• See Wailiti village at Livelihood Members Database

Make a donation for similar family garden training

Warm regards,
MicroAid Projects Team

Friendly visit to Maumere

2011-05-18T11:47:00.002+07:00

We made a long trip to Maumere, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia in May 2011. Toby and Amber Beresford and Jalu make a friendly visit to the city of Maumere, Sikka District, to see at first hand the development of MicroAid Projects that have been funded. We wanted to see how the actual condition of these families has changed as a result of the generosity of MicroAid Projects donors.

Amber with a woman who learn to make woven clothes

The journey began by flying from Jakarta to Denpasar (Bali) and then using a small propeller aircraft to Maumere. The total trip took 9 hours. During the 2 day visit, we met directly with the MicroAid community facilitation partners and the families who have been carrying out the MicroAid Projects. All were very enthusiastic about our visit as outside visitors are not common in this part of Indonesia and warmly welcomed us on our arrival.

On this visit, we met with MicroAid families who had learnt to make various different home enterprise products that will improve their livelihoods and their family incomes through MicroAid learning grants:

Garden vegetables such as broccoli and mustard seed.
Using fermented garden fertilizer on their land
Making woven clothes with simple tools
Cashew nut processing
Introduction to healthy family living

Here are photos of our visit. Hopefully, this friendly visit has given moral and material support for MicroAid families and their community facilitation partners. Many now have better skills to improve the welfare of their family. As always, there is still much to be done and we left with determination to try to do more with your help.

See our lovely photos here

Independence through sewing skills

2010-11-30T12:19:00.000+07:00

Akhter Jhony (21), daughter of Raju Akand lives in Krisnapur Uni Village, Gaibandha, Bangladesh. Akhteris a girl who dropped out of school. She was waiting to get married and heard from neighbours that the Samaj Jagoran O Unnayan Kendra (SJOK) a local NGO that helps poor women to learn independently.

After several days, Akhter met a team member of SJOK and filled out a few sheets of the application form to join. Not long after, Akther joined a small group of women who wanted to learn to sew in Roghunathpur. On July 23, 2009 Akhter joined the sewing skills training funded by MicoAid Projects.

After finishing her training, 15 days later Akhter received some fabric and sewing equipment obtained from the MicroAid Projects sewing training (read the project report). Then Akhter began practicing on her own making women's clothes. Akhter was very diligent and now she has made a lot of clothes that are sold to order to her friends. SJOK team helped Akhter by giving lower-priced fabric and helping with the marketing of the clothes in the kiosk in her village and monitoring her progress.

In the early period, Akhter obtained a net income of US$0.40 cents per piece of cloth. Currently, she has managed to increase sales and earn income to US 1 Dollar per piece of cloth. Akhter also has helped improve the welfare of her family by making a better and permanent family latrine. Now she is not dependent on money from her parents. Jhony Akhter thinks that after six months, she will be able to buy a new sewing machine and expand her business.

Family’s latrine before renovation

Akhter in the front of the new family latrine

MicroAid Projects has opened my eyes

2010-10-14T12:32:00.000+07:00

Niba Rani (17 years) is Sree Niba Rani’s daughter, and lives in Roghunathpur Union Village; Gaibandha District, Bangladesh. Niba is a girl who dropped out of school. She did complete elementary school because of family poverty. She spent her time to playing and hanging around with her neighbours, many of whom didn’t go to school either.

Caption: Niba with her sheep and two lambs

In 2009, one day Niba heard from one of her neighbors that O Samaj Unnayan Kendra Jagoran (SJOK) a local NGO in Bangladesh which helps poor families to learn and live independently. After that Niba and her classmates had met with staff SJOK and want to learn more about the learning activities organized by MicroAid Projects. SJOK is a Community facilitation Partner in Bangladesh for MicroAid Projects Charity.

The team of SJOK then came to Niba’s home to meet the families and Niba’s parents and explained about what MicroAid Projects activities are. After that Niba with some friends proposed a micro-project for training activities in duck raising (See Niba’s project report SJOK9033). The team of SJOK created a micro project and sent the draft to MicroAid Projects to be published on the web site. www.microaid.org

One day, Niba’s micro- project was funded by donors of MicroAid Projects. The team of SJOK provided technical support and logistics for the implementation of the ducks training. After three months, Niba started getting duck eggs. Now every day Niba can get 30-35 duck eggs and sell them to local markets. The team of SJOK supports marketing the duck eggs and gives advice for the development of even better results. Niba is no longer hanging around now she is busy with her duck home business.

Now Niba can provide financial assistance for her family. Niba could finance her brother to enter elementary school and bear all costs of his education. Niba also helped her mother to renovate the family room at her family home from her duck business. Three months ago, Niba bought a sheep this has now produced two young lambs.

Caption: Niba Rani’s family house before renovation

Caption: A new house for the family which was built by Niba Rani from the result of a MicroAid Project - simply breeding ducks

Through the duck egg MicroAid project, Niba had obtained the money she needed to work and be independent. MicroAid Projects have helped Niba and changed her life for the better for good.

Seeing this example of Niba’s home business, many young women and mothers, her neighbors, are interested to learn about breeding ducks. The MicroAid project has provided a good example for improving the welfare of families in this poor village in India. The young women and mothers often come to Niba to learn about breeding ducks, learn how to give vaccines and the marketing of duck eggs.

To date, there have been two other young women who followed what has been done by Niba in breeding ducks and follow the suggestions given by Niba. Niba always says to her neighbors in the village, "MicroAid Projects has opened my eyes".

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If you have enjoyed reading this story, why not pass it on to friend. Maybe Microaid can raise some more money to send to other girls like Niba, who need their eyes opened in one way or another? MicroAid Projects - simple ideas for helping to reduce poverty.

From a mini bus driver to a silversmith

2010-08-06T14:38:00.001+07:00

My name is Hendrawanto. I am 23 years old. Before the training to learn to make silver jewelry (see micro project PUSP1303), I initially was just a public vehicle’s driver in Cilebut village, West Java, Indonesia and has no fixed income. Sometimes in a day I only earn Rp 10,000 (USD $1) and sometimes losing money because no passenger to pay the rent I pay for the mini bus and fuel.

This is certainly not sufficient for the needs of my household and school fees of my children. I decided to find another better livelihood. In January 2010 with two friends, I followed the training activities to make silver jewelry which was funded by MicroAid Projects. My father was pleased that through this training, I became aware that making silver jewelry is not too difficult. After studying for a month with friends and was encouraged by my own father, now I can help my father run the family business making silver jewelry. My father was a silversmith working from home on casual orders.

I now already have two staff who are my friend who trained with me. Now we are working together in family enterprise and my livelihood has improved.

Thanks to Mr. P. Mayer and MicroAid Projects who helped me get a start in life.

Hendrawanto,
Cilebut Village, West java, Indonesia

Read the full report

SRI Paddy Harvest Preparation

2010-07-28T14:48:00.001+07:00

The most beautiful period most waited for by most farmers is the harvest time. MicroAid Projects paddy SRI harvest will be held in the village of Rime Raya, Aceh – Indonesia next month. This is the first time for Tovan and his family. Tovan is a young man who pioneered organic agriculture, and has invited his village neighbours to plant paddy rice using new SRI techniques.

Paddy SRI grown in two hectares will produce approximately four tons of super quality rice and will be sold in Banda Aceh and Takengon city with price Rp 15,000 per kilogram. Tovan plans to sell the rice door to door.

After the harvest which will be implemented in early August 2010, 2 hectares of land will be used to learn how to make compost by six families in the village. Tovan will train local farmers to learn to make compost in a village meeting. The second period for SRI paddy cultivation will involve six families who have learned firsthand from Tovan. Thus Tovan been a pioneer for SRI paddy cultivation in Rime Raya village and neighboring farmers in Syiah Utama sub district will replicate the paddy SRI method.

Currently Tovan still waits for the next few weeks until the harvest came in early August and protects the rice from bird attacks. Tovan brought a slingshot and busy to scare off the birds which alight on the paddy.

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SRI = System of Rice Intensification. A new technique developed in Madagascar where rice plants are deprived of water in early growing stages, which stimulates root growth and almost double traditional paddy rice yields using less water and less fertilizer. A real “Green” revolution2

Donate for Women’s Enterprise Activities

2010-07-20T14:02:00.001+07:00

Many women in their household have two roles. Firstly as queen of the household who cares for and raises their children. Secondly as competent managers in managing micro family enterprises.

In MicroAid Projects, women are given the opportunity to be directly involved in proposing and then carrying out training activities in line with what they really need. Help these low-income women learn simple activities that could be a vital way to supplement their subsistence family incomes.

See the women's enterprise activities

Training for face makeup in Bangladesh

2010-07-09T17:58:00.001+07:00

Getting a knowledge from this activity for make up the face of bride. This activity is a short training for women to learn how to make-up bride. By having new skill, women want to learn starting small home enterprise.

Donate now

Introducing new technologies in Kenya

2010-06-22T14:55:00.001+07:00

A family group in Kamung'ang'a village in Kenya, has learnt to make soap from potatoes. They also use other agricultural products such as tomatoes to make tomato jam and milk to make yogurt.

Community Empowerment Programme Sustainable Development (COSDEP) is a non governmental organization working in Kenya. This foundation helps poor families learn new livelihoods skills that can help these women raise income for their families.

A MicroAid micro-project was carried out in May 2010, by introducing a simple new technology to make laundry soap made from potatoes readily available in their village. Besides food, potatoes can be processed into soap. The tomatoes are also numerous in the village which also made jam.

Irene Wangari said “The training has opened our minds on how to utilize our locally produced commodities in a more useful way. We will use this livelihoods knowledge to better our lives”.

Read the full project report

Environmentally friendly technology; wards off pests without killing local ecology

2010-06-21T14:07:00.000+07:00

Tovan - a MicroAid Projects Organic Entrepreneur, has again introduced new technologies that are environmentally friendly and do not damage the natural ecology. The result of the current trial has been used by many neighbouring farmers' village. Organic liquid fertilizer and pesticide produces organic produce free from harmful chemical additives.

With products that are introduced by Tovan, many farmers can cultivate paddy rice crops and can prevent any future plant pests without killing the pest. Yes it’s true, do not kill the pests, ward them off they are part of mother nature’s natural ecology, which we destroy at our peril.

Here's a brief description of how the production cycle works:

Organic liquid fertilizer is used to support the acceptance of nutrient or food for the plant. This is necessaryso that plant nutrient needs are met. Liquid fertilizer is first fermented over 15 days before use. This liquid fertilizer has a high nutrient content making it suitable for many different crops.

The materials used were: old vegetation up to 20%, cow urine10%, crude cow dung 5%, maja fruit, bran 15%, 50% water and 1 kg of sugar.

Vegetable pesticides serve to repel pests from plants, not eradicate the pest. The materials used come from plants that are not favored by these pests and plants easily obtained as: Tuba Leeches Leaves, Sentang leaves, sour soup leaves and other leaves. Before being used crushed and their juice was taken first, then sprayed once a week which is useful for pest prevention (rather than killing pests).

Trying out simple technology for families in kenya

2010-06-17T09:48:00.001+07:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Trying out simple technology for families in kenya

View more presentations from MicroAid Projects.

Sign Up MicroAid Projects Newslleter

2010-06-03T16:13:00.002+07:00

Dear loyal readers of MicroAid Projects Blog,

As you know, MicroAid Projects sent the monthly newsletters directly from the editorial desk. If you want to subscribe to receive the newsletter via email each month, then you need to enter your email address in the yellow box on the right hand side menu on MicroAid Projects Blog.

Please visit MicroAid Projects Blog at: http://microaidprojects.blogspot.com
and enter your email address and click Join Now button. Thank you.

Sincerely,
MicroAid Projects Team

Appropriate Technology Information for Families

2010-05-26T19:10:00.000+07:00

Pelayanan Informasi Masyarakat (PIM), in English: Community Information Services is a method of learning for families who need information and simple skills training about the steps necessary to operate a profitable livelihood. Anyone can use PIM, because this method is designed for individuals and groups who want to learn micro- business entrepreneurship through an interactive process using a TV and DVD player that is easy to understand and follow.

Have a look at this video; I think you may be interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Feoz2o_qxY

If you are interested and want to see more, just try PIM tools (beta version only) online at the website: http://www.pimonline.info

If you have questions and want to know more, please send your email directly to: pimjfpr@gmail.com

MicroAid Midsummer Ball 2010

2010-05-21T13:34:00.003+07:00

You are duly invited to an evening of dinner and dancing in aid of MicroAid Projects, a UK registered charity (1125206) that uses family enterprise to eradicate poverty.

MicroAid Midsummer Ball 2010
Saturday, July 03, 2010 from 6:30 PM - 11:00 PM (GMT)
London, United Kingdom
MicroAid eliminates poverty worldwide by running a structure that sends your money straight to providing training for a family in need. The main project office is based in Indonesia. With funds raised at the ball MicroAid will be able to run microprojects in Ghana, Uganda, Cambodia, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh from the project office in Indonesia.

To celebrate the expansion in style, we've picked a beautiful historic venue right in the heart of the West End. Kings College London, founded in 1829 is one of London's top centres of education and research. At the centre of this historic building is the Great Hall. We'll also be taking advantage of its charming entrance hall for your reception drinks.

Buy your tickets now to avoid disappointment, as there are limited tickets available. Each ticket includes reception drinks (6.30pm), dinner (7.15pm), games, music and dancing. There is also a cash bar available througout the evening.

When booking please state the name of whose table you are on or select "Any" to be placed with other individual tickets.

With gratitude,

Toby Beresford, Caroline Fenn, Neil Johnston, Frydo Malaihollo, Amber Williamson and April Moore - the Ball Committee.

Purchase your tickets for the MicroAid Midsummer Ball here!!!

http://microaidball.eventbrite.com/

Testimonials from MicroAid Midsummer Ball 2009

"Just a little note to thank you and all the organisers for a fantastic evening yesterday. Well worth travelling down from Suffolk just for those few hours. Looking forward to next year!" - Annie & Tim

"What a fantastic night - a huge thank you and I hope you raised lots of money" - Tessa

"It was such a fun evening - excellent to catch up with the old Trevs gang and meet some of your lovely friends. Hope you raised lots of money too! Definitely sign me up for next year's!" - Harriet

"A fabulous evening enjoyed by all. A great result which will help MicroAid reach more families living in poverty. Please pass on congratulations to all and many heartfelt thanks." - Richard Beresford

Harvest of fish and rice together

2010-05-11T11:59:00.004+07:00

As the proverb in Indonesia; while diving drinking water. This has been practiced by Tovan, MicroAid Projects CFP volunteer and the farmers in Rime Raya Village, , Bener Meriah District, Aceh Province of Indonesia. They grow rice by SRI method (System of Rice Intensification) in their village and use the same land for breeding the Nila fish.

Yes, SRI rice paddy fields are flooded requiring sufficient water (no more and no less). The water is also used by farmers for the cultivation of Nila fish on the same land. Great land uses two for one!

Tovan and the farmers had been trained on micro projects funded by MicroAid donor in January 2010 ago and right now they're waiting for the harvest time in the coming days. The concept of land use for two different products at the same time has never carried out by local farmers. When the program is successful, then this concept will be passed on to farmers in other villages and even beyond the province of Aceh.

See their micro projects on: http://www.microaid.org/?q=content/training-fish-breeding-rice-paddy-fields

Foot note
Tovan Marhennata is a graduate student who has decided to take his agricultural skills back to the village where he grew up. Tovan wants to become a successful organic entrepreneur and at the same time eradicate poverty for the community of his birth.

Aceh, and particular the highland areas where Tovan is working, has been racked by conflict for decades. Tovan is determined to show a peaceful example of how poverty and hardship can overcome without conflict and weapons but by hand hoes and exciting new small holder’s technologies. These technologies are developed in other areas but now available globally through the power of the Internet. SRI Rice growing techniques were developed in Madagascar in the late 1990s.

MicroAid is sponsoring Tovan as Community Facilitation Partner in this challenge.

Helping the poor to help themselves

2010-04-27T09:13:00.001+07:00

MicroAid's article on About.com: Nonprofit charitable orgs.
Click this to read more detail

MicroAid Family Stories

2010-04-21T16:09:00.001+07:00

Read the result of simple family enterprises on MicroAid Family Stories

MicroAid Family Story: Soybean milk - a healthy and nutritious drink

2010-04-20T19:11:00.001+07:00

Mrs. Husni, in the past was a housewife with 3 children who was also an earthquake victim in Yogyakarta in 2006. In October 2008, Mrs. Husni with 3 friends followed MicroAid Projects Training on to how to make soybean milk at home. The training for her and three other families was funded by MicroAid donors and implemented in Gambiran village, Yogyakarta. The micro-project coordinated through Insan Mandiri Foundation as a MicroAid Projects Community Facilitation Partner.

Now, Mrs. Husni has becomes a local businesswoman. Her business is selling soybean milk. The business skill, which now runs in all her family, was gained from the MicroAid Projects training implemented 18 months ago. Mrs. Husni sells the soybean milk in small plastic bags of 300 ml. Price per plastic bag sold is just 7 cents. Every day Mrs. Husni is capable of producing 200 bags, so her turnover is $15 per day.Production costs are $9 so her net profit per day is $ 6.

Mrs. Husni extra family income/net profit per month is 30 x $6 = $180. This is $2,160 per year.

Read more...

MICROAID FAMILY STORIES

Cause of the week

2010-04-13T14:02:00.003+07:00

Micro Aid for MACRO results. Give them a hook and taught how to fish for. http://bit.ly/MicroAidonSYC

What is MicroAid Projects?

2010-04-09T19:38:00.001+07:00

What is MicroAid Projects?

MicroAid Projects is a development charity that reaches out to poor families via the internet with simple training in profitable family enterprise.

MicroAid’s mission: Empowering poor families to eradicate poverty from their lives through family enterprise.

MicroAid’s goals: To establish local community facilitation partners in poor areas who can connect low income families to micro aid for family enterprise skills training.

MicroAid’s objectives: To increase incomes of poor families particularly women reached by MicroAid Projects to above $2 per person per day sustainably.

MicroAid’s work: 800 poor families from 7 developing countries such as Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Uganda, Ghana and Kenya have participated in MicroAid Projects through direct donations family to family across the world.

www.microaid.org

Community Facilitation Partner prepares family enterprise training micro-projects with a group of poor families to publish online. MicroAid Projects donors can choose a micro-project and directly fund online either sharing with others or on their own. Total aid provided for each micro-project is approximately £100. Each micro-project is reported via email directly to each donor including text, photos and sometimes video.

How MicroAid uses your donations and contributions? Your donation will be used to finance home training activities, simple family enterprise materials - not as a business capital, overseas donation transfers and field office activities. MicroAid Projects is an online, UK voluntary organization. There are no UK overheads costs. Registered Charity No 1125206

What do poor families do? Poor families make micro-project proposals to learn new skills that can be used to increase incomes from their family enterprise and work independently. Give them a fishing rod, not a fish, so they will in the future find their own fish.

Using family enterprise to eradicate poverty

2010-04-01T17:00:00.001+07:00

With only one planet we all need to work together. Global travel, interwoven economies and a fragile environment mean it's no longer a case of live and let live. Now we must help each other for everyone's benefit.

A poor family in Calcutta might raise a chicken whose bird flu causes people to die in the USA. A British business might create pollutants that destroy the fishing of a family in Bangladesh. We are inter dependent.

But those in poverty struggle to help themselves, protect and educate even their own children, let alone help solve our shared problems like bird flu, terrorism and global warming.

This imbalance hurts us all. By eradicating poverty we help create a stronger, more sustainable planet for everyone - wherever they may be.