A new partnership has been established between HFC and the Ministry of Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation.
The partnership is to assist local women groups in setting up their own businesses and income generating through accessing microfinance loans.
A meeting was held in the past week between the Ministry and HFC officials along with the members of Nakaya Women’s Group of Tovata Village in Nasinu to brief them on the new assistance package.
The women’ group will be the first to undergo the programme.
HFC branch manager, Odille King Home, said the women’s group will be assisted through a start-up capital required for their tailoring business.
“We are excited to start this partnership with the Ministry of Women to open up microfinance opportunities for women,” she said.
“We will assist the Nakaya Women’s Group by providing them with a start-up capital for their tailoring business.
“Through the microfinance loan the women will purchase the material and produce sewing items for sales.
“HFC is also assisting them to device their business plans and marketing strategies.”
Mrs King said HFC has helped individual women start their own businesses like canteen, sewing, selling fish and catering to name a few.
“We even helped some of these women to purchase their own homes and properties,” she said.
Backing financial needs
The Minister for Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Jiko Luveni, said the partnership would back up the financial needs of the women’s group who are determined to start their own businesses.
Dr Luveni said that Nakaya Women’s group have shown great potential in sewing and one of the group members have also been trained through the Sewing Centre in Suva.
“Nakaya women’s group is one of the pilot projects for the Ministry where members of this group were given an opportunity to acquire tailoring skills from the Sewing Centre,” she said.
“Following their return from this training the members had shared their skills with the other women and together they have showed great potential and commitment in tailoring.”
HFC’s offer
HFC provides a minimum start of loans ranging from $500 to$1000 to individuals and it has to be paid off in one year.
The women’s groups are given a start-up capital of $2000 and once this amount is paid off they can apply for $5000 which can be paid off in two years.
– MINFO NEWS
HFC Branch Manager, Odille King Home (second front right), the with members of the Nakaya Women’s Group and Ministry of Women at Tovata village in Nasinu. PHOTO: MINISTRY OF SOCIAL WELFARE, WOMEN AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION