Facilitate

The formation and guidance of Self Help Groups (SHGs) has been a long standing concern of H.O.P.E. Currently, 25 SHGs with some 500 women are under the guidance of H.O.P.E. Each group consists of up to 20 women, who share their knowledge and give advice and support to each other. The women gather in monthly meetings, in which social awareness and cultural, social, political, health, and ecological issues are taken up and crisis situations are solved.To enhance economic upward mobility, the SHGs pool and manage their own investments that are contributed monthly by each woman. They can also take loans for productive activities either individually or in the group at 2% interest per month which is significantly lower than a regular bank loan.

In 2010, H.O.P.E started a project for the Senior Citizen in its neighborhood many of whom were poor, abandoned, and lonely. Meanwhile some 150 senior citizens are registered and taken care of. H.O.P.E. attends to their needs through help line and home assistance, provides counseling and guidance, accompanies needy and helpless senior citizens to the hospital, to doctors, and for marketing, ensures that they have Senior Citizens Cards take advantage of Government schemes they are eligible for. Further activities are health camps, festivals, picnics and other social events.

For many women with a low level of education, the production of handicrafts is one of the few opportunities to earn some money and improve their economic situation. H.O.P.E. offers needy women special skills trainings for various handicrafts, guides and supports them to produce, promote and sell their self made products. The project is strictly non-profit. Gains from the sale of handicrafts are re-invested in trainings, working material and wages for the women.