VISION:
“One Widow Helping Another to Help Themselves”
To alleviate the suffering of widows and orphans who have been impacted by the aids pandemic, famine and/or the affects of poverty, by improving their standard of living and quality of life.
MISSION:
To identify areas of most critical need and provide practical, financial, spiritual and emotional support to empower women otherwise bound by poverty to improve their quality of life by providing mentoring, encouragement and initial capital to promote income generating businesses, to equip them to make a positive change in their lives and impact the world around them.
GOALS:
Short-Term Goals
The short-term goals involve implementing the “empowerment program” initially on a small, manageable scale by providing assistance to 10 of the most needy widows in a selected town in Kenya. They involve a five-phase strategy which are designed to be implemented within a one year period.
Phase 1 - Planning & Prep Phase:
Develop a support network and support team in Canada, raise required financial backing, finalize the town in Kenya, establish contacts in the target area, develop assessment/planning resources for implementation, as well as personal preparation.
Phase 2 – Candidate Selection Phase:
Selection of high risk widows in most need, yet with personal skills that will help ensure success of the business venture.
Phase 3 – Business Development Phase:
Identify and assess the viability of various business proposals, including development of business plan(s).
Phase 4 – Support Network, Mentorship and Accountability Phase:
Develop a local support network/mentors to provide ongoing encouragement and direction to the widows in their business endeavours; a process to ensure accountability for resource use; and a means for follow-up.
Phase 5 – Review and Assessment Phase:
Periodic assessment and evaluation of the success of the existing projects, provide encouragement and resources for continual improvement.
Long-Term Goals
The long-term goals include:
§ To expand the existing model to new candidates by establishing a system of business-generating loans to more widows with no other source of income;
§ To support the expansion of existing small businesses, where feasible, to provide additional opportunities for employment and growth.
§ One additional long-term goal is the development of an orphanage, with the assistance and involvement of partner-widows, to further give back to the community and meet the physical, social and educational needs of children orphaned by aids/poverty.
