Netzkraft Movement

Women For Women e.V.

Kronenstr. 3
78532 Tuttlingen
Germany

Contact person: Christina Schreiber

+49 7461 - 165 999
info@womenforwomen.de
http://www.womenforwomen.de
https://www.facebook.com/womenforwomen.de/?ref=page_internal

Topics

  • Aid organization
  • Women's policy
  • Aid for developing countries

About us

The name of our organization Women For Women is based on the fact that it was a group of women at a birthday party who started to raise money for a charity project in Kenya. In December 2010 the money was used to buy two dairy cows on a local market. These cows were given to two women from a small village called Liavo. Both are single mothers and by supporting them, we gave them a possibility to provide for their children.
After coming back to Germany, we decided to start an organization. Since April 2011, Women For Women e.V. is a registered association in Germany.

Throughout a lot of regions in Africa, it's especially the widows and single mothers who suffer the most from poverty. Along with their children, they live under terribly poor conditions and literally from hand to mouth. With no income, no social security, and no money to pay the school fees for their chldren, surviving another day becomes a serious challenge for these women. Among them there are also a lot of grandmothers who have to step in and take care of their grandchildren, as the parents have died from AIDS.
Women For Women aims to support these women and help them directly, without bureaucracy. For them, owning a dairy cow means a way to provide for their families and a possibility to earn a living. It's a simple but effective way to help them break the life threatening downward spiral and escape from a life in poverty.
In June 2013 the organization was authorized as a registered organization in Kenya. Under the name Women For Women Kenya Community Based Organization.

Why cows?
• From an economical point of view, a dairy cow generates revenues from day one. For our organization, we only buy so called "local cows". While these cows don't produce as much milk as bred dairy cows, they are tougher, undemanding and much easier to handle. This way, they have no problems finding nourishment on dry soil or fallow cornfields. Milk is, next to the traditional Kenyan dish "Ugali", the most important basic food in the country. A typical Kenyan breakfast consists of one big cup filled with milk, black tea and sugar.
• All the women supported by our organization are trained to properly take care of their cows. Apart from that, most Kenyans who weren't raised in cities but in the countryside know enough about stock farming.

Our concept of cattle breeding
• Every woman who is given a dairy cow by our organization, promises to not sell that cow and to give back the first born calf by the end of the nursing period. Every other calf, they are allowed either to keep or to sell on the market. A small amount of the revenues generated by selling the cows' milk is saved for emergencies like giving out interest-free credits to women in need.
• The calves given back to our organization are nursed by our team until they are old enough to be donated to other women. Male cows are sold or traded for female ones. This way our concept is profitable and sustainable at the same time.

Christina Schreiber is the Director of Women for Women e.V..

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.