The Female Financial Empowerment program was started by Cufa in rural Myanmar to improve the financial education of women and improve their access to financial services and education. Women are able to not only develop their financial knowledge but also improve their business and encourage their community to be involved.
We discussed the importance of financial access with Daw Hla Mon Win and this is what she had to say!
To start off with can you tell us a little bit about yourself, where are you from?
Hi. My name is Daw Hla Mon Win. I am 31 years old and have two children. We live in Inn Yet Gyi Village with my husband. We own a grocery store and have also recently been able to start farming animals thanks to Cufa’s program.
Why did you join Cufa’s program? What was your situation like before?
I didn’t know much about saving and how important it can be before the Cufa team arrived in my village. I didn’t know why I should be saving and what I should be saving for.
What was the change you noticed after you first joined the program?
After I joined my local community-owned bank as a member I attended some training and have been saving since June 2016. Now I always see my saving amount and the interest in my saving passbook which make me very happy.
How is your situation different now?
Now I am much more clear on the savings process and profits of saving. I can also explain to others in my village about saving, encouraging them to get in the savings habit.
When did you notice all this change taking place?
In June 2016 I joined the community-owned bank with some other villagers after it was established here. We wanted to be a part of owning it and have access to saving.
Have you made a contribution to the project?
I have worked with the bank which makes me happy. I also convey the news from it to other villagers and explain the benefits of saving.
