All Projects

Zimbabwe – Social Business

Obwize School

To meet a dire social need, create jobs and generate income to sustain Interweave’s Self Reliance Programs in Zimbabwe, local Interweave leaders initiated Obwize - a profitable and highly effective community school. Years of corruption and economic chaos have created large-scale unemployment for parents and massive government abandonment of public schools. 20,000 teachers have left the country, 90% of public schools have closed, and parents without jobs are struggling for survival as their children’s futures languish. In response to this “no jobs, no schools” crisis, Interweave started Obwize school in Marimba Park, a poorer sector outside Harare where unemployment is extreme and there are no public schools left open. The school provides quality education and fees generate income to support the school and help sustain Interweave programs.

Uganda – Social Business

Pure

This franchise business helps reduce environmental pollution with clean water delivery in reusable containers. Pure water costs less than boiling with charcoal or using pollution-causing bottled water. This lower-cost clean water advances better health, improved environment, 70 local jobs, and profits to help support Interweave education and action programs.

Ethiopia – Partner Project

Nurture Education and Development - NED

This local non-governmental organization works in the Mida Woromo area of Ethiopia’s Amhara District. NED helps members of local women’s organizations including the Mida Woromo Women’s Empowerment and Livelihood Project to access jobs, create their own sustainable businesses and work together to solve problems of health and human rights. NED provides training and organizational tools to help rural women access employment, micro enterprise development and community participation in many work areas including those that are considered non-traditional for women due to extreme gender-based discrimination and cultural barriers.

Ethiopia – Full-scale Project

Community Associations

In three communities near Addis Ababa – Debrezet, Megenagna, and Bekilobet - Amharric-speaking participants develop home and community action plans and prepare to start or expand their own businesses. With such diverse enterprises as mushroom production, computer repair, juice sales, a beauty salon and traditional Ethiopian dresses, grassroots entrepreneurs are increase income and work with neighbors to solving home and community problems.

Ecuador – Full-scale Project

Entrelacer

In 10 neighborhoods within Quito’s sprawling limits, Interweave coaches have helped residents organize self sustaining associations. While learning 6 P business basics, personal Quality of Life principles and community improvement concepts from Neighbors Working Together, association members have initiated efforts to mentor each other’s businesses, be accountable for each others loans and organize community action efforts including support to help street orphans who otherwise harass customers and businesses. Participants find success as they work to enhance the interdependent strengths of home, business and community.

Zimbabwe – Full-scale Project

Harare Self Reliance

From the ashes of devastating inflation, 14 local associations are creating hundreds of thriving businesses and launching high impact community action projects in and near Harare. During inflation that destroyed the economy and generated valueless trillion-dollar currency, families nearly starved. Now with micro loans, business training and mentoring, they’re rebuilding hope and livelihood.

El Salvador – Partner Project

FINCA El Salvador

40 Finca village banks overcome poverty and crime through a pilot program linking microfinance with social action. The first of several innovative collaborations of Interweave, Finca and ProLiteracy, this program combines loans, community action, enterprise training and peer coaching. Participant throughout El Salvador improve their businesses and organize to remove trash, stop crime, teach literacy and obtain clean water.

Haiti – Full-scale Project

Haiti Associations

Rising from overwhelming devastation, earthquake survivors in tent cities and rubble-clogged neighborhoods have formed 15 community associations for self reliance. In Jacmel, Leogane, Petit Guav and neighborhoods throughout Port au Prince, Interweave coaches help those who have lost everything to develop new strength and capacity within themselves and each other. With new businesses, mutual support and community action, participants are rebuilding their lives and homes.

Uganda – Full-scale Project

Kampala Self Reliance Associations

With an equal passion for individual business advancement and joint social action,10 Associations within communities in or near Kampala have developed a potent mix of community problem solving and business excellence. With business fairs, on-site mentoring, and group service projects, Pamoja emphasizes home-grown initiative, ownership and accountability in distributing loans, helping each other with business development and addressing pressing local concerns such as domestic violence, AIDS and delinquency.

Ecuador – Partner Project

FINCA Ecuador

Finca village banks overcome poverty and related social problems through a pilot program linking microfinance with social action. One of several innovative collaborations of Interweave, Finca and ProLiteracy, this program combines loans, community action, enterprise training and peer coaching. Participants throughout Ecuador improve their businesses and organize to remove trash, stop crime, teach literacy and obtain clean water.

Bolivia – Partner Project

La Federación de Clubes de Madres - SIA

Indigenous rural women of 12 villages outside Cochabamba organize village-level mothers’ clubs and work together to advance learning and self reliance. Club members form small businesses, learn to read their native Quechua language, and launch projects to confront domestic violence, gender abuse and ethnic discrimination. Many clubs start village-level cooperative businesses including rabbit and poultry production, bakeries, pottery and tile, and various retail sales.

Bolivia – Partner Project

Serving Women Across Nations

S.W.A.N. – Women in communities near Santa Cruz form solidarity groups to solve problems and improve livelihood. Through micro-lending, training and mentoring, they are empowered to create a variety of individual and cooperative small businesses. They also advance mutual action efforts to improve health, sanitation and family relations.

Brazil – Partner Project

Favelas de Rio - Rede ASTA

Youth escape gang and drug abuse in violent Rio de Janeiro favelas. Through vocational training, small enterprise development, peer counseling and mutual support action projects, unwed mothers gain strength and skills to persevere, young men find responsible and productive alternatives to support themselves and their families, and families generate capacity and confidence to improve health and well being.

Cambodia – Partner Project

Srer Khmer

Locally sustainable Family Life Schools enable rural villagers to own and initiate approaches for preventing and treating AIDS, as well as for growing and selling more commercially successful vegetables and rice. These hybrid forms combine best characteristics of two strains - nutritious and cheap local strains with more marketable, (but costly-to-grow) varieties. Learning to grow new hybrids enables farm families to survive and prosper.

Ecuador – Social Business Project

River Homeland

Quechua communities in the Amazon rainforest develop learning and business alternatives to save their tribal homeland and culture from exploitive oil and timber companies. Youth develop and expand echo-tourism social businesses including rafting river tours to generate income, environmental awareness and restoration of their rich cultural heritage.

Ethopia – Social Business Project

River Homeland

Participants overcome extreme rights violations including domestic abuse, bride abductions and female genital mutilation through learning and action programs that combine business development with human rights. Women gain literacy-based skills, information and confidence to live with dignity as they help their families become self-sufficient.