-
training and guidance of female (micro-) entrepreneurs
-
training
in business skills
-
guidance in formulation and implementation of business plans
credit facilities: mediation with financial institutions if necssary.
Together with the Women’s Group Foundation and the Credit Union
‘De Schakel’, the Uma Kraka Fund, special credit facility
for women entrepreneurs, was established
-
facilitation
of participation of entrepreneurs in trade fairs in Suriname and abroad
-
organization of braderies (3 annually)
-
organization of the Women in BisNis Tarde Fair (bi-annually –
15000 attending)
-
gender training for female entrepreneurs
-
economic activities at the community level ( examples: bricks production
units by two women’s organizations (Nw.Amsterdam; Naks); Kotomisi
service project (commercial production of afro-surinamese clothing
and traditional dressing of people for specific festivities (Naks
women’s group); production of and trade in compost by the women's
group of Palissadeweg; commercial embroidery project ,i.e. typical
Bushnegro embroidery by the women's group of Mafondo, Bushnegro women
who havemigrated to Paramaribo, etc.)
-
short skills training programmes for grass roots women: handicraft;
sewing classes; flower dcoration, cake decoration (all activities
aimed at income generation)
2.
Programme “Women and sustainable development in the Upper-Suriname
River Area (interior)”
a.
Training in new agricultural techniques
Aimed at: enabling the women to earn money through their agricultural
activities and at increasing their food production. Experimental project
on agro-foresty techniques in one village (Futunakaba)
131 women of 4 villages participating in the project.
Crops: peanuts; peas; cassava and other crops.
b.
Training in marketing skills
Marketing teams established in all 4 villages in order to facilitate
skills development and independent marketing system after few years
Training provided
Marketing activities organized by the marketing teams and guided by
the project team
c.
Equipment and tools
Distribution of agricultural tools to the participating women
Introduction of machines to decrease workload of the women (applied
technology)
(Peanut peeling machine; cassava grating machine; chain saw; University
approached to develop machine to facilitate palm oil production, which
is now produced manually and drying installations for peas and peanut
prodcution
Processing activities: processing of cassava into new products introduced
d.
Capacity building activities:
Coaching the leadership of the women's groups in organization and management
aspects
Coaching the leadership of women's groups in economic aspects
Establishment and coaching of management teams for all machines introduced
and for the coordination of agricultural activities per village)
Establishment of a revolving fund for the 4 women's groups (developed
through payments of women participating, for the tools they received)
Establishment of a credit system in one village (Futunakaba)
Networking activities (joint marketing activities; joint training programmes
etc.)
e
Activities in the sphere of education and health, as formulated by the
women;
Education
Literacy programmes in two vilalges (Malobi and Masiakriki)
Kindergarten estbalished in Masiakriki (training provided for local
child minders)
Health
care
Community Health Workers programme: training of local people in first
aid skills and in the sphere of preventing diseases of frequent occurrence
in all four villages, such as malaria, anaemia, problems related to
pregnancy and deliveries and sexual transmittal diseases;
Study on traditional views and practices on reproductive aspects in
order to develop programme for information of communities
Ininitiatives to establish facilities for safe drinking water (now completely
absent in the villages).
3. Programme Non-Traditional Female Occupations
Training programmes and assistance to women who have interest for non-traditional
sectors of economy and skills involved: maconry; car repairs and services;
computer hardware; electric installation; installation of facilities
for water and sanitation; construction; besides training activities
are implemented in the field of networking;
Consciousness-raising in order to sensitize government, private sector
and society in general (discussions; videos)
Encouraging establishment of production cooperatives
Networking activities: estbalishment of network of women working or
studying in the non-traditional sectors of the economy).
4. Programme “Capacity Building Women's Groups”
Training programme for leadership of grass roots women’s groups
Guidance programme (skills development training )
Areas:
- Leadership, organization and management
- Negotiation
- Networking
- Confidence building
- Sustainable development
20 women's groups in this programme.
5.
Programme on Housing and the Habitat for Women
Cooperation with the government in the Low Income Shelter Programme:
credit scheme for low income groups for self-building of houses
Lobbying with government to remove obstacles for accesss of women to
land
Preparations for collective allocation of land for women and their families
and the establishment of a large scale housing scheme
.6. Women’s Rights Bureau
The NVB established the Ilse Henar-Hewitt Bureau for Women’s Rights
in 1997:
- providing advice and guidance to individual women for their individual
cases;
- providing information on the Surinamese legislation and international
legal instruments in general, especially the rights of women;
- production of several videos and booklets on women’s ad children’s
rights
- lobbying for the change of legislation
Since June 2002 the NVB handed over the responsibility of this Bureau
to a Foundation which was established especially to give the Bureau
the opportunity to develop independently.
7.
Women’s Documentation Center
The Johanna Elsenhout Women’s Documentation Center was established
in 1992.
It is a service center in the field of documentation and information
on gender and development, which is well attended by young women.