CUFA’s Myanmar Village Entrepreneur (VE) program is open for business and we’ve got high hopes you’ll want to join us in this exciting new initiative.
With a population of 51 million, Myanmar is one of the poorest nations in South-East Asia following decades of isolation. The country held its first democratic elections in 2015 and has now opened its doors to the outside world.
CUFA deputy CEO Rebecca MacFarling said, “Myanmar is undergoing rapid development and CUFA has been there since 2011, focusing our projects on developing village savings banks in ultra-poor communities in several provinces, enhancing women’s economic empowerment and growing teachers’ financial power.
Following the success of the Village Entrepreneur projects in Cambodia and Timor-Leste, CUFA is proud to announce its launch in Myanmar.”
Meet San Oo, a member of Suk Su Family Village Self-Help Group, Taik Kyi Township, Myanmar, and one of the first entrepreneurs to join the program:
“My name is San Oo and I am 32 years old. I have four children aged between 2 and 12 years old. My husband is a firewood collector and I am a fruit seller. Together we earn $2 per day to support the entire family. Because of the demands of family life, my eldest child has dropped out of school in order to help look after the other children. With such a small income, I struggle to ensure my children have enough food. To protect them, I work hard, and try to save approximately $1.50 per month in the village savings bank.
To ensure my children are healthy and have a better future, I would like to establish a pig farm.”
How you can make a difference
Your investment will give San Oo the start she urgently needs to open her pig farm – tools, stock, building materials and of course, her valuable pigs.
It takes just $39 a month – less than half the cost of a daily coffee – to give a young mother like San Oo the opportunity to better support her family and break out of the cycle of poverty.
As a Community Investor, you’ll receive quarterly updates about the progress of your Village Entrepreneur and how your investment is being spent. CUFA partners with you every step of the way by supporting your Village Entrepreneur with the keys to success: training and mentoring in business skills, book keeping, marketing, distribution, pricing strategies, customer service and animal husbandry.
Average profits increase by over 1300%
In just three years, San Oo should have a sustainable business that allows her and her family to flourish. The outcome is not only a successful business, but the chance to completely rewrite her family’s future: she can get her four children through school, give them healthcare as well as vastly improved housing and sanitation.
Please give a Village Entrepreneur like San Oo the opportunity to build her livelihood with a hand up, not a hand out.
