– Women in Zubza, India, are able to feed their families by granting microcredit. The loans are financed by an aid project in Weisendorf.
Start-up help for a better future: With a microcredit, a poor family in Sechü-Zubza, India, can start a small business. This can be a way out of poverty and give a family a perspective. Microcredits for small amounts of capital are an effective and proven instrument of development cooperation with the approach of helping people to help themselves. In this way, the penniless and dispossessed in particular receive the necessary start-up capital in order to be able to develop a livelihood.
The Zubzas’ aid project in Weisendorf began in 2004, when the mission group of the parish of St. Joseph supported the Don Bosco school in Zubza, India, for the first time. As a result, the Weisendorf elementary school with its religion teacher Ernst Klimek became increasingly involved.
Due to the location in the mountainous region of Nagaland, the Zubzas have been fighting poverty there for years and will continue to expand their commitment. Even in the cities no significant industry has developed and the residents are mainly self-sufficient. Nagaland is located in the extreme northeast of India. The village of Peducha (about six kilometers west of Sechü-Zubza) belongs to the catchment area of the Salesian parish of Sechü-Zubza.
The country continues to fight against widespread poverty and social inequality in large parts of the population, illiteracy and early school leaving. Child labor and discrimination against women and girls are commonplace. Especially for widowed or divorced women in Nagaland, a loan is the only way to start a business to secure an income.
Ten women helped
With small loans, the Zubza aid project helps people to set up a small business and thus free themselves from poverty. Ten women from Sechu-Zubza are now using a microcredit. Horticulture Commissioner Annalena Sato encouraged women to make growing flowers a year-round business. She regretted that the state spends millions of rupees on importing flowers and urged the women to make Zubza town a flower center. She also pointed out that the Sechu-Zubza area is excellent for growing more flowers and there is a great need for different varieties, which can provide the flower community with year-round income. She also talked about the climatic conditions of Sechu-Zubza, which are suitable for the cultivation of numerous agricultural and horticultural crops.
Teacher Roselyn distributes the small loans on site and reports: “The project started in 2019 with 1000 euros and eight women each received around 125 euros. They take this money at the beginning of the year and buy flower plants from which they take the cuttings, as well as plant bags and fertilizer .” At the end of the year after the flower sale, they would return the money with a small amount of interest. That way we can help again next year. There are now ten loan recipients.
Main source of income selling flowers
Borrower Kevirieno Rose says: “My husband is a day laborer and our main source of income for the family is selling flowers.” She says this project helps her family a lot and the income from selling flowers covers basic needs. She is very grateful to the German sponsors.
