Created by the Agricultural Cooperative and with the support of RS, the program Women in Business & Development aims to improve socio-economic and food security of poor and vulnerable communities through developing agricultural business. The main need now for the WBD project is the store building and the front space for drying the products. With improved agricultural facilities, family economies can become stronger and women themselves can foster their own independence. The program Women in Business & Development aims to improve socio-economic and food security of poor and vulnerable communities through strength in business and development. RS will provide training on 12 Cornerstones to the SHG’s members and assist each SHG to develop clear group vision, mission roles and responsibilities, and conduct a regular meeting, saving and credit activities for expanding their business and increasing income. Physical inputs such as swine, vegetable seeds and animal feed will be provided to SHG members as starting capital to increase their production and productivity. Agricultural cooperatives will be established by the creation of business hubs to run larger group businesses.

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Agriculture Cooperatives (AC) and Business Hubs: when the capacity of the CAVEs becomes stronger, they will plan for moving to agricultural cooperatives as well as liaise with provincial level service providers and the Provincial Department of Agriculture for capacity building and proceeding with the registration process. The AC will play a critical role in providing linkages with the market and value chain actors, and connecting with micro-finance for further support. It will provide benefits to SHG members and communities as they become AC members and clients. The Agricultural Cooperatives will also serve as business hubs which will provide the following goods and services to their members and communities. The business hubs will be focusing on Swine VC value chain. Swine Value Chain Hubs will serve as service providers and canters that will connect with value chain actors and market, acting in these 3 ways: 1) input supplier: produce and sell low-cost animal feeds to SHG families and community; 2) demonstration farms (breeder and fattener pig raising), 3) collecting and selling swine to collectors/ traders/ slaughterhouse. The formation of SHG-based cooperatives will serve as production Hubs, which will link the participants along the value chain. These Hubs will connect the farmers to extension, credit, marketing and other needed services in order to strengthen their position along the value chain. Each project family will be guided to develop a business plan which will help them to earn household income. All the SHGs will be facilitated to unite into Cooperatives with functioning business hubs, which will ensure input and service supply to producers as well as a collection of livestock from SHGs/farmers and marketing them.

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FOCUS: The major focus of this program is to strengthen the value chain and maximize the benefit to the project participants. A livestock value chain includes several or all of the following factors: farmers (producers), collectors, processors, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers. This program aims to instigate local community initiatives into the production and marketing sectors of a value chain

 

DONATIONS: Donations are welcome all year round 2016-2017. You can join us during the time we do construction as well. Planning Women in Business & Development is granted by Rachna Satrei to Farmers Agriculture Cooperative to use the store building to benefit community members that produce agriculture products for the long-term (10-20 years). AC signs the contract which is monitored by both the Community Chief and Rachna Satrei’s team. AC stores are most important for the local community initiatives involving the production and marketing sectors of a value chain. How much does it cost? AC store building (8m x 12m x h 4.5m) and front space for drying the products (8mx10m): $15,000 total. Payment can be made as follows:

1. Bank Transfer or tax-deductible donation: Full remittance instruction can be found depending on your country of origin.

2. Cash: directly at Rachna Satrei offices Contact For queries and planning arrangements, please email Mrs Phounmaly Nhean, Executive Director: phoungmaly2000@gmail.com rachnasatrei_sr2005@yahoo.com