Microfinance/Women’s Empowerment in Sierra Leone: Civic Entrepreneurship, Advocacy and the Power of Partnerships
Date
2017-04-11
Language
American English
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Abstract
This poster will highlight microfinance/women’s empowerment projects in Sierra Leone, administered by Right Sharing of World Resources (RSWR) and funded by the Rotary Club of Indianapolis. This example of civic entrepreneurship will demonstrate how providing women with the opportunity to start their own small companies contributes to building a support system and sense of community and addresses the need for social, economic and political stability in a country recovering from civil war and devastating disease. The poster will feature the results of efforts to redesign the RSWR website and develop a social media marketing strategy.
Description
This poster will highlight microfinance/women’s empowerment projects in Sierra Leone, administered by Right Sharing of World Resources (RSWR) and funded by the Rotary Club of Indianapolis. The presenters, who love microfinance, have been involved in such civic entrepreneurship for many years, including in Mexico and other countries served by RSWR. Current projects involve dozens of women in Sierra Leone receiving small loans to help them grow crops and raise livestock, but are part of RSWR’s long-term efforts in this country and in India and Kenya. The microfinance process includes training, mentorship and oversight and builds a support system and sense of community among women in a country traumatized by civil war and Ebola. Microfinance is a powerful and proven approach to economic development and it benefits a community overall by making needed goods and services available in the local marketplace, such as fresh, healthy food, which raises the overall health status of citizens. In terms of broader community engagement themes, the poster will emphasize the importance and impact of partnerships with organizations here in the U.S. and the host country, which are essential because no one individual or group can do it all. Based on many years of research and the presenters’ own experiences, the poster will highlight microfinance/women’s empowerment “done right” and the lessons learned through starting, expanding and advocating for their projects. The poster will feature the activities of two graduate students to redesign and rebrand the RSWR website and to develop a social media marketing strategy.
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Cite As
Hook, S.A. and Tonsing, B.: Microfinance/Women’s Empowerment in Sierra Leone: Civic Entrepreneurship, Advocacy and the Power of Partnerships. IUPUI Civic Engagement Showcase, Indianapolis, Indiana, April 11, 2017.
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Poster