Interweave’s Methodology

The Interweave Self-Reliance Model

Interweave Solutions identifies areas of extreme poverty around the world and intervenes to create, educate and mentor self-reliance groups. This intervention provides a participatory curriculum, micro-loan access and an operating model that empowers self-reliance groups and their members to achieve success in Education, Business, Home, and Community. Interweave partners with local organizations to ensure that each group remains active, self-reliant, and expanding.

Interweave’s breakthrough business training approach – sometimes referred to as an “MBA for the Streets”- is uniquely designed for small businesses. With its simple and practical 6P’s of Business format, even those with limited education learn to succeed in business.

This unique business training model has pushed micro-credit loan repayment rates to almost 100%. Micro-business owners learn how to manage their businesses better, save and increase profits. With greater earning capacity, families stop relying on government or NGO handouts because they have become self-reliant. They have been given a way out of poverty.

Three Circles

The Interweave model builds on the interrelationship of three key life areas – Business, Home, and Community. When the strengths of these three spheres come together, every circle is made stronger through Education, and people achieve the social and economic self-reliance essential to growth. Successful businesses bring jobs, prosperity, and growth to homes and communities. Healthy communities provide an environment of security, solutions, services and a solid customer base that make it possible for businesses and families to succeed. Stable homes provide reliable labor and civic support that sustain community and business. Education opens the doors to opportunity and better careers. When businesses, communities, individuals, and families work together, everyone thrives.

Curriculum

Interweave’s training is based on the revolutionary teaching method called FAMA (Facts, Association, Meaning and Action). FAMA is a hands-on teaching method that generates learning, group participation, and action. Interweave’s Success! series includes an Education, Business and Home and Community curriculum– the curriculum includes facilitator and participant manuals, flipcharts, and PowerPoints that enable participants to master and apply the concepts that will elevate their lives.

We have online courses that give access to people all around the world the opportunity to become more self-reliant. Click on the word “Curriculum” above to learn more.

The Power of Self-reliance Groups

A self-reliance group allows people to train and support each other. To start, people choose one of the following poverty issues to resolve: economic problems, home concerns, community challenges or educational issues. They start a group or use Interweave materials with an existing group that has a similar cause.

Using Interweave’s revolutionary training methodology the groups learn how to train their own meetings and support each other without a professional teacher or trainer. The groups become self-reliant. Once they implement one of the manuals, they can choose to go deeper into that topic or begin to address some of the other issues that cause poverty in their group.

For example, a group in the Congo met to start a new business. After training each other in business principles, they decided that they needed to solve some of the community problems that hurt their business like the garbage in the street. They also realized that some of the participants had domestic abuse in the home. Their self-reliance group taught about domestic abuse and created a service project for the garbage. Still working together after four years this group is interweaving solutions to income, home, community, and education challenges.