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The lack of opportunities has led some women to either selling their organs or their children for $500. Out of desperation, some will give away their daughters, as young as 10, for marriage to much older men to receive a dowry of £400 ($500).
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Women in developing countries face numerous challenges due to extreme poverty and a lack of opportunities. Many are forced to resort to desperate measures, such as begging or selling their bodies, just to secure one meal a day. From time to time there are laborious jobs where women are required to work 16-18 hours a day for as little as 50p a day, which in many cases is enough to buy basic bread or potatoes for her family.
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The lack of opportunities is fuelling poverty and stealing the dignity of women
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Forgotten Women has encountered many women who, out of sheer desperation, have sold an organ or even their child for as little as £300-£400 ($375 to $500). Some women, facing extreme poverty, have given away their daughters, some as young as 10, for marriage to much older men in exchange for a dowry of £400 ($500). As a last resort, many are forced into prostitution, feeling they have no other option to survive. When a woman is faced with such desperation, she often turns to the only assets she has—herself and her children—leading to heartbreaking decisions for survival.
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We have spoken with women who have said that they buy potatoes for their family, one day they will eat the skin and the next day they will eat the inner content because that’s all they can afford.
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The struggles in these countries are very real and challenging on many levels. Many women have shared with our team that the mental pressure of having to provide even basic meals for their children takes a significant toll on their well-being.
A One-Off Donation:
“Charities should not come into existence to become businesses.” Lucy Rae, Project Director, Forgotten Women
Standard charity models revolve around providing food, medicine, shelter, educational aid etc. All these aid streams require constant feeding of donor capital in order to maintain them. This makes women dependent which could compromise their dignity. Month after month the same person and same causes are drip fed donations collected from the donors. The problem with this model is that it can and will create donor fatigue and it also puts the welfare of the recipient at risk by making them vulnerable on handouts and this not the best strategy and use of funds.
How It Works
Investing in a woman is the fastest way to end poverty, a woman will invest 90% of her money back in to her family and community because she is the backbone of society. Our LIFT model can take a single donation to train and transform a woman to stand on her feet so that she can generate an income which in turn means she can then take care of providing food, shelter and education. Our Model addresses the root cause by tackling poverty and economic issues faced by women.
A one-off intervention will go towards a fully functioning business setup including necessary up-skilling and training. Every woman has a different skill set and passion, this is why it is important and part of a successful project construct that the team sit with each beneficiary and let her draw up her own business plan. We evaluate and cost the business and create a profit forecast. We will then give training on how to handle the particular business and accompany each woman to buy her business components. Support and guidance are always provided as and when the women need it.
Why We Don’t Do Orphan Sponsorship
Orphan sponsorship is very popular, many charities collect donations for orphans which will fund their schooling and meals, this could consist of a continuous donation of £30 – £40 a month for many years which can cause donor fatigue. This typically involves a continuous donation of £30-£40 per month over many years, which can lead to donor fatigue. While this type of donation supports one child, it often doesn’t benefit the entire family. In many cases, the sponsored children are placed in orphanages, leading to separation from their families. Studies have shown that prolonged separation from family can have damaging effects on a child’s psychological development, potentially causing issues with relationships, depression, and long-term emotional and behavioural difficulties.
Quality Over Quantity
As part of our Transforming Lives program, we ensure that every woman receives the best opportunity possible by providing a quality business setup. For example, if a woman chooses to open a shop, we make sure it is well-stocked with sufficient inventory. If she prefers to start a livestock business, we bring an expert to the animal markets and invest a bit more to ensure she gets healthier, more valuable animals, increasing her potential return. Our businesses are carefully designed so that women can start generating profit immediately, without having to wait to build their businesses from the ground up. Women are making between £100 – £350 a month in profit.
Important Factors to Consider
Delivering personalised businesses: With each donation we invest in a woman, factors we consider are as follows:
– Identify capable women who want to make a change in their lives
– Matching the right woman’s skillset to the business
– Exploring creative business ideas
– Business needs to generate an instant income
– Room for growth within her business
– Monthly updates of profits are tracked per woman in each country
What We Are Doing:
We are setting up these amazing businesses in Pakistan, Malawi, Afghanistan and Bangladesh
1. A business set up for a woman and her children (permanent change, instant income, one-off donation) £1000 ($1250)
2. £100 ($125) x 10 months
