Investing in community development programs

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Investing in community development programs

Thimphu, Bhutan
Organization type: 
hybrid
Project Stage:
Established
Budget: 
$10,000 - $50,000
Website:
http://www.readglobal.org/bhutan
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Project Summary
Elevator Pitch

Concise Summary: Help us pitch this solution! Provide an explanation within 3-4 short sentences.

READ Bhutan aims to empower rural communities and create conditions for rural prosperity. We build public libraries in the community;conduct livelihood programs of which women empowerment is critical.

About Project

Problem: What problem is this project trying to address?

The Royal Government of Bhutan provides free education to its citizens, but many families cannot afford to send their children to school owing to incidental expenses. For the same reason, the country has a high drop out cases, especially in remote areas. The drop out rate is even higher with the girls. Many parents stop sending their daughters to school once they complete certain standards. Therefore, many girls marry at very young age, have kids and stay home. Chuzagang in the southern district of Sarpang Bhutan is no different. There are so many girls who have completed their high/Junior high school studies. Without skills, they remain home and solely depend on either their husbands or other employed family members. There are more than 2,000 women in the locality.

Solution: What is the proposed solution? Please be specific!

These women stay at home looking after their kids and depending solely on the income of either their husbands or the other employed family members. Due to lack of jobs skills, they can hardly find ways to earn additional income for the family. Being able to earn one's own livelihood is to bestow someone is to empower her. Realizing this, READ Bhutan in partnership with a local ICT firm - Athang Training Academy will train more than 200 women at Chuzagang village the basic accounting and provide them skills required to work part time in the burgeoning construction companies and other businesses. These women will also be introduced to the latest and modern form of accounting technologies. The training will be held in the READ Center at Chuzagang. The READ Center has a library, ICT section, Women and Children's section and a place where people can watch educational videos. Since the Center is located int the heart of the village, women can easily attend the training.
Impact: How does it Work

Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.

READ Bhutan believes that information is powerful tool of community development. For the same reason, in all our centers we provide information that empower communities. The current project - Empowering Women with ICT Skills will provide women at Chuzagang village with accounting skills. The training will begin from the basics of accounting principles and gradually introduce the women participants to simple balanced sheet, profit and loss account. The training will introduce the participants to more complex accounting tools such as Tally and QuickBook. The trainers from the Athang Training Academy will teach the first batch of women the basics and the first batch of women who have learnt the basics will then pass on the skills to the second batch of women. In the meantime, the trainers will continue teaching the first batch and cover more advanced topics in accounting. This way, the program will continue even without the trainers - women helping other women in the community. READ Bhutan will ensure that these women who have gained a fair level of skills get full time or part time employment in different companies. The three month long training will not disturb the normal work routine of these women as the sessions will be carried out during the off hours when the women are free at home.
Sustainability

Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?

The competitors in this project will be private ICT firms that carry out similar trainings, mostly just the basics. But in this we have the edge because our target is rural women with minimal income source whereas private ICT firms conduct their trainings only for urban people who can afford to pay money to avail the training. Moreover, Athang Training Academy is the foremost training institute in the country.