WAWCAS International is operated as a non-profit organisation. Through WAWCAS’ 16 month educational entrepreneurship programme we support Nepalese women living in poverty to develop and run their own businesses and cooperatives. The women have the opportunity to obtain small loans to start and develop the businesses and experience from the project shows that the women repay the loans as agreed. WAWCAS’ professional team in Nepal supports the women by means of education and supervision both before and after the establishment of the small businesses.
WAWCAS stands for Women At Work, Children At School. Consequently, the children of the women involved are an essential part of the WAWCAS programme. Therefore, it is required that the women’s children must attend school from the day the women enter into the programme. The women’s new source of income enables the children to go to good schools. WAWCAS supports the women in understanding the importance of their children’s education and for the children to have time for both school and leisure with room for play.
WAWCAS International works to help an increasing number of women. In 2014, 450 new women were included in the program and our goal is to enter 550 new women into the programme in 2015 , 650 women in 2016 and 750 women in 2017. Consequently, during the next 3 years, we will contribute to the establishment of around 2000 small businesses and cooperatives.
Many different types of businesses
The businesses within the WAWCAS programme are developed and refined in a way for them to emanate from the interest of the individual woman, meanwhile taking into account local considerations. The diversity is essential, as the capacity for businesses of similar character is limited in the local areas. The businesses include, among others, small restaurants, groceries, clothing shops, hairdressers, the weaving of shawls as well as small pig, goat and chicken farms. In 2013 two cooperative pig and goat farms were established, where 5-10 women work together in developing and operating a larger farm.
