"We have a voice"

"We are weavers. We used to have to borrow from moneylenders to purchase raw materials or to pay for any repairs to our loom.

The group loans have meant that we can now buy our raw materials from the market at the price they are worth, and not at the moneylenders' loan price. We are also now free to sell our saris directly to the traders for a better price.

Before (FYF partner) HWA came to our village I didn't know what a meeting was. Now through these meetings I feel as though we are all united and have one voice. We've seen other villages build schools and roads and now we would like to do the same." Sukha Devi, India.

Thanks to the lobbying efforts of an association of weavers not only are they registered as a formal sector of workers under Indian legislation, they have also achived a Geographical Indicator for their beautiful saris. Read more.

We are currently supporting 30,429 people to participate in community organisations. As a result they are developing a voice in their communities and are starting to have more of a say in the policies that affect their lives.

By 2011 we aim to support a further 29,571 people to participate in community organisations so that 60,000 people are having their voices heard at a local and a national level. Will you help us to do this? Donate now.

Read more about what we've achieved.