Our ongoing projects that we are financially supporting in Kenya, India and Nepal

(Stand: March 2025)

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1. Literacy Programs
 

Implementing partner: Institution of Culture and Rural Development (I-CARD), Johrat, Assam, India, https://i-cardjorhat.org

Funded since: 2019

 

The mission of Institution of Culture and Rural Development (I-CARD) is to put the tribals on the development map of Assam through a time-bound program of systematic and intensive sustainable development strategies at all levels. The community is to be educated to develop cumulatively on its own with the help of indigenous resources. I-CARD ensures a successful future for the community through strong youth projects and conducts a holistic campaign to promote health awareness among women and children. The NGO helps to protect and preserve the cultural identity and traditional values, language and literature of the Mising tribes from disappearing. FrauenPower e.V. has been supporting I-CARD in its literacy initiatives for women since 2019. The aim of this project is to empower up to 700 Mising women annually by teaching them basic reading and writing skills over a period of one year. Instructors and volunteers conduct classes in up to 28 different villages. Classes are held in the evenings so as not to interfere with the women's daily work. In addition to these courses, women's development and empowerment courses are also held. These include sessions on women's rights, social justice, health care, family planning, preservation of Mising culture, girls' education, and so on. Women are divided into self-help groups, taught business development skills and encouraged to become financially independent. (Photos of the Project)

 

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2. Tailoring Courses

 

Implementing partner: Institution of Culture and Rural Development (I-Card), Johrat, Assam, India, https://i-cardjorhat.org
Funded since: 2021

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We are implementing a second project with I-CARD in which we train up to 50 women a year to become tailors, so that they can earn an income with these skills by starting their own business or finding employment in this field. Many women in this part of India are illiterate or have limited education. There are also few job opportunities for women in these regions other than agricultural work. Poverty is a major problem and many men have migrated to find work in other parts of the country. Tailoring is one of the few employment opportunities for women as they can do the work in their spare time. In addition, many women in these regions weave their own fabrics, which also need to be sewn. FrauenPower supports two tailors who travel from remote village to village with sewing machines every few months. They spend a few months in the villages to teach the women the necessary tailoring and sewing skills and test them at the end.​ (Photos of the Project)

 

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3. Health Camps

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Implementing partner: Kevin Rohan Memorial Eco Foundation (KRMEF), Kathmandu, Nepal, http://www.krmef.org
Funded since: 2019

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Kevin Rohan Memorial Eco Foundation (KRMEF) creates a healthy, sustainable environment that embodies eco-friendly practices for the wellbeing of local communities in and around Kathmandu, Nepal. Their main objective is to promote health and well-being in the poorest communities by bringing about sustainable change through eco-friendly programs. FrauenPower e.V. supports KRMEF in their health check-up initiative with the aim of improving the health of women and their communities. Between 300 and 400 women take part in health check-ups at health camps that take place 3 to 4 times a year in rural areas. Women are screened for cancer, thyroid problems, gynaecological problems and a range of other issues. After the first camps, health education and awareness of various common women's diseases increased in the community. It is hoped that by improving the health of the women, the standard of living of their families and communities can also be improved. Another aim of the health camps is to create awareness among the women about the environment and healthy living. (Photos of the Project)

 

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4. The Zuri Initiative Women’s Empowerment Program

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Implementing partner: The Zuri Initiative Trust, Nairobi, Kenya, www.zuri-initiative.com
Funded since: 2019

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The Zuri Initiative Trust (Zuri) was founded in 2018 to help economically disadvantaged, unemployed, poorly educated women to improve their financial situation. Zuri's vision is to create a sustainable future in which women and communities are socially and economically empowered. The initiative aims to empower women, promote entrepreneurship, alleviate poverty and transform communities with social capital. FrauenPower supports 60 women per year to complete various training courses with Zuri. Women must first complete a three-month training program - ZIWEP 1 - which covers topics such as group structure, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, personal confidence, and more. Many of these women then participate in the more advanced 3-month ZIWEP II training program, where they receive further training in sales, marketing, bookkeeping, confidence, and more. The women who want to become self-employed then take part in a 3-month business training course in which they are supported in implementing their business idea. The focus here is on business planning, finance and accounting. Around 30 women per year then receive a microloan to set up a small business. FrauenPower supports both the ZIWEP training and Zuri's Social Capital Credits (SoCCs) initiative (a concept developed by Asia Initiatives, www.asiainitiatives.org). SoCCs is a virtual community currency for social welfare. It is a bottom-up initiative that gives communities the power and freedom of choice to share in its success. People engage socially to earn SoCCs, which they can then redeem to improve their lives. Women earn SoCCs by recycling, upcycling, cleaning up their neighbourhoods, volunteering and helping their neighbours. They then redeem the SoCCs they earn for items that are important to them or for microcredits. (Photos of the Project)

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​5. Urumala

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Implementing partner: Action for Community Organization, Rehabilitation and Development (ACCORD), Gudalur, Nilgiris, India, https://www.accordweb.in/
Funded since: 2023

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In 2021, Action for Community Organization, Rehabilitation and Development (ACCORD) supported the establishment of Urumala, a micro-enterprise run by Adivasi women in south India. Women who joined Urumala have received training in business, commercial and technical skills, with the aim of Adivasi women running Urumala business over time or eventually become self-employed. The first product line for which the women were trained was the production of reusable sanitary napkins for an organisation called Ecofemme. FrauenPower supports 30 women a year, to undergo training in tailoring so that they can make products such as sanitary napkins, bags, aprons, patchwork blankets, etc. The women have to make 3,000 reusable sanitary napkins first which are then distributed free of charge to 750 Adivasi women. They also organise menstrual health education sessions for girls and women of menstrual age and also hold sessions on sexual and reproductive health and rights. (Photos of the Project)
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6. Livelihood Support Co-op Bank (savings and credit cooperative)

 

Implementing partner: Centre for Development (CfD), Ahmadabad, India, https://www.cfdngo.org

One-off funding in 2024

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In May 2024, FrauenPower e.V. and our local partner Centre of Development in Ahmedabad, India, established a savings and credit cooperative for underprivileged women in Ahmedabad with a grant of EUR 10,000. One of the key priorities was to help restore or revive the livelihoods of selected households that were unable to recover and stabilise after Covid. Many of these families are or were trapped in a vicious cycle of debt and poverty. Many of those who lost their jobs and livelihoods during Covid had borrowed money from private moneylenders who charged interest rates of up to 60% per annum! So far (as of 12/20/2014), 21 women from this pool have received loans of between 200 and 450 euros. The women are expected to repay their loans at an interest rate of 18% per year, which they set themselves. The money is then used to make loans to other members. Many of the women have used the money to repay their loans from private moneylenders, and almost all have invested the money in income-generating activities, such as setting up a small kiosk, buying and reselling clothes, books, shoes and so on. Many of these women are already doing well (financially) and have already started repaying their loans.

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7. Girls Education Program

 

Implementing Partner: Holistic Approach for People’s Empowerment (HOPE), Pondicherry, Indien, vrhope.org

Funded since: September 2024
 

FrauenPower e.V. has recently started supporting 30 girls, aged between 8 and 20 years, with their education, in partnership with HOPE, Pondicherry. HOPE is a long-standing NGO whose programs focus on Child Rights, Women Empowerment, Environment Protection and Governance, especially for the minority and marginalised communities in India. 30 selected girls (with potential) receive full support every year until they finish their studies. We support their school/college/university fees, their uniforms, stationary, extra tuition for English and Maths, Computer classes, therapy, counselling, transport, food and hygiene articles, rent for a common room, teachers’ salaries, health costs, workshops, outings, and much more. The selected girls are mainly from homes where their fathers have died or disappeared, where girls been abused in some way or the other, and where they try to survive under the poverty line.

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8. ImaraWomen

 

Implementing partner: Green Africa Global Foundation, Nairobi, Kenya, https://greenafrica.ngo 

Funded since: 2025 

 

Green Africa is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that provides education to disadvantaged families in Kenya, particularly in slum areas. The organisation's main aim is to promote sustainable development, environmental protection, culture, health and well-being, as well as access to agriculture and education in Kenyan communities. We recently partnered with Green Africa to give 40 women from the slum where they work the opportunity to start their own small business focused on making baked goods (cakes, biscuits, sweets, bread, etc.). In addition to baking, the women will also receive training in business management, marketing and accounting, and will have access to funding for basic equipment and to set up their small business. The aim of the project is to improve the financial situation of these women, many of whom live below the poverty line and have been dependent on Green Africa's support for years. Many of the women already help out in the NGO's bakery and have some understanding of the subject. This project will provide the women with practical skills as well as financial independence and help build their confidence in their abilities.

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9. Learn to Fly 

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Implementation partner: The Women's Foundation, Nepal (https://www.womenepal.org/ )

Funded since: 2025 

 

The Women's Foundation, Nepal, has been offering training, awareness-raising and empowerment programmes for women suffering from various forms of discrimination and social exclusion for many years. It also provides safe shelter for children and women who are victims of domestic violence, abuse and poverty and promotes the education of poor children. The Nepalese government has enacted a new law that requires all young adults to leave orphanages/homes when they turn 18 or complete twelfth grade. For this reason, the Women's Foundation has started a programme to provide skills or education to the girls staying in their homes so that they can become independent and live on their own. FrauenPower e.V. has decided to support this project, which aims to help the girls move from a ‘safe’ environment, where everything is taken care of, to an environment where they have to stand on their own two feet. The programme extends over a period of 4 years, during which the girls attend secondary school or learn a trade. During this time, the girls are supported in all areas: Accommodation (rent), food, transport, health etc. This support decreases each year, and after four years each girl/woman should have learned a trade or completed her studies and be able to support herself.

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​10. Let’s code! Rajasthan (Girls-led Code Club Initiatives)

 

Ausführungspartner: Vidhyalay Udhyam Association (https://sites.google.com/view/vidhyalayudhyam-makerlab/home) und Mantra Social Services, https://www.mantra4change.org/stem/ 

Gefördert seit: 2025

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For the past 2 years, Vidhyalay Udhyam Association (VUA) has been promoting and teaching STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) to over 1000 girls in 5 villages in Rajasthan, India. In these rural remote areas, girls’ education is often not seen as worth it and when it is, science subjects are often not seen as being important. The government schools these girls attend are also poorly equipped and maintained. With VUA’s help, girls have learnt advanced STEM skills and have so far developed over 21 innovations to solve local problems. The girls are also active in helping set up Maker Labs in their schools. FrauenPower e.V. has started supporting this project so that 500 more girls can participate in this STEM initiative, learn how to code, gain robotics skills, establish a girl-led code club in 5 villages that teach coding and robotics skills. Without such an initiative, these girls would never be able to learn about coding and robotics in their villages.

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