VIN conducts Microfinance, Cooperative mechanisms, Group management and Entrepreneurship training

VIN has conducted different types of training for women’s empowerment in Thanti community Kavresthali from February 9^{th t} to 16^thby mobilizing international volunteer. The training course was provided for the first time to a group of women that had recently structured to be part of the cooperative to be launched. It was the first time a training was provided to these women by VIN.
The attendance to the training varied from one day to another, but during the 5 days there were on average 10 women following the class. The 2-hours courses were provided outside on a rooftop by an international volunteer, assisted by a local VIN volunteer. For each class, materials were prepared and taped directly on brick walls to help women understand the key notions.
Class rules were exposed at the beginning on day 1 and enabled to have relative discipline during the whole training course, even if the training starting hour was not always complied with… Women were very interested in the microfinance history and origins, explained in day 2. Even if they believed they had all the necessary knowledge regarding loans and savings, the calculation exercises for both financial products helped to assimilate underlying mechanisms (interest rates, duration, repayment frequency, etc.).
Women were also highly interested by cooperative functioning on day 3, and compared it with initiatives that they currently take part to, or that they heard of.
The highest peak of attention was probably reached during day 4, when an entrepreneurship game (paper houses building game) was performed. Many different notions were understood by the group through experience, and the feedback following the game was highly instructive on business conduct best practices. Entrepreneurship projects pushed forward by the women on day 5 were discussed, challenged, and the training helped women to challenge all the aspects of their business project (clients & competitors, offering, operating model, risks mitigation) and formulate a business plan. Only the financial part of the plan could not be discussed because time was missing.