If I Can, She Can
“I never lost hope of being able to stand on my own two feet during my struggles; I always believed there would be light at the end of the tunnel.”
COVID-19 has devastated all aspects of life across South Asia, particularly for women and girls; children are at greater risk of exploitation, the mental health crisis has deepened, education is on hold and livelihoods have been wiped out overnight.
The economic impact of COVID-19 has especially impacted women in the poorest parts of South Asia, with the female poverty rate expected to rise by almost a third to 28 million women this year, as a result of the pandemic.
Without any savings and no form of income, they and their children face a daily threat of hunger - as they cannot afford food, and the danger of exploitation by those seeking to take advantage of their need to earn a living.
Ultimately, without the skills and knowledge to work in jobs outside of the informal economy, women in particular risk being unable to escape the cycle of poverty.
But there is hope
The British Asian Trust will deliver our vital programmes that enable people in the poorest parts of South Asia to be free from poverty.
This includes our innovative Livelihoods programme that equips women with the new skills, knowledge and confidence needed to earn a decent living in a post-COVID world.
Our success lies in collaborative working with trusted and expert local partners on the ground and combining approaches that are traditionally used in isolation, including skills-building, improving financial literacy, increasing access to funding, linking candidates to employers and linking businesses to suppliers.
In a post-COVID world, evidence-based solutions like this are needed more than ever, to enable women to escape the cycle of poverty, feed and support their family and keep them safe from exploitation.
Your donation will be doubled!
Give before 31 May 2021 and your donation will be doubled by the UK government.
Your generous support will enable the British Asian Trust to deliver all our vital work across South Asia, so that we can support people in the poorest parts of the region, particularly women, whose lives have been devastated by COVID-19.
Match funding from the UK government will be used to fund our innovative Women’s Economic Empowerment programme in Pakistan, which will equip women with the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to find a job or start their own business in a post-COVID world.
- £30 could provide a woman with a supply of seeds to grow and harvest food for market, helping to form the beginnings of a sustainable farming business.
- £50 could pay for one woman to attend our business and entrepreneurship workshops, equipping her with basic skills needed to run her own business.
- £100 could help a woman in a rural community start her own business, by equipping her with a solar dryer to dry spices that can be sold at market.
“I feel happy making my own decisions and no longer having to rely on others. My training has helped me build my confidence, develop a successful business as well as support other women to succeed in life, which is something I am passionate about.”
With your support, we can double our impact and transform more lives together.
Thank you.