| ANGOLA: Women receive assistance in micro enterprise development |
| Thursday, 19 February 2009 03:00 |
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By Tatiana Resk Gomes And Oliveira Paulo
Felicidade Madia Ngolo earns a living through selling fish in Cabinda. This work entails walking long distances on a daily basis, always announcing her presence with the well known high pitched word:
“Peeeeeeeeeeeeixe!”
This is the common word ‘fish’ in local language, yelled by women to announce the selling of fish wherever they go.
On her head, she carries a bucket filled with the heavy merchandise, under the melting sun light, needing the occasional stop for a quick rest. Her rest cannot take more than a couple minutes, as there are hundreds of women in the battle of selling fish with the hope to bring just enough money back home. It is an arduous work, but it is the only way Felicidade knows to provide for her family. “Before the project I couldn’t dream too high with this business. The income I raise is just enough to eat, to buy occasionally some medicine and pay my boy’s school fees.” Felicidade explains. Felicidade tries to save USD $130 every month to invest in her fish selling business. This investment incurs costs such as buying fresh fish from the fishermen in Lombolombo and storage materials to keep the fish as fresh as possible. As the capital for investment is low, so are the returns. She only manages the recover half as profit. Thus, she lives on less than 2 dollars per day to raise 3 children. Felicidade lives on less than 2 dollars per day to raise 3 children.Micro Enterprise Facilities“I would like to be able to save more money in order to buy more fish, two thermal boxes and afford travelling to high value distant markets. This will be possible with the World Vision PROPESCA PROJECT!” Felicidade explains with a large smile in her face. With the new World Vision Project, PROPESCA, many fishermen and women that sell fish in the informal markets, will be provided with the opportunity to access microcredit and increase business activities. As capital in itself is not the only aspect of running a good business, capacity building and training in business development and management will also be a component of the project. PROPESCA is part of the Government of Angola national strategy and an initiative to support the livelihoods of coastal communities involved in fishing and the informal selling of fish. Implemented in partnership with the National Artesanal Fishing Institute (IPA) and overseen by the Ministry of Fisheries, this new venture is opening doors for communities that have for long been forgotten. World Vision will assist over 40 different communities along the coast of Angola. Through this, over 200 women and 100 fishermen will have for the first time access to micro credit and business training. In return, the increased capacity will yield higher profits and improve income of hundreds of families and thousands of children. The increased capacity will yield higher profits and improve income of hundreds of families and thousands of childrenThe estimated impact is the substantial increase in family income, better ability to engage and manage business activities and mainly improved living conditions for hundreds of families in Angola. In the case of Felicidade, as a project beneficiary, she will increase her capital for investment and expand business activities. She will also learn how to best manage her returns as a business woman and as a mother. “Now that my fishing community is receiving training from World Vision and given access to credit to expand our business, our objective is to create a cooperative of women to better organize our work and improve the management of this informal way of doing business”. Felicidade ends her own story with their hopes for the future. |
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