Women grasp business chances

By Ilia L. Likou 27 May 2016, 12:00AM

More than 50 small businesses under the South Pacific Business Development (S.P.B.D.) scheme showcased their produce and crafts in front of the Government building yesterday.

S.P.B.D. is a microfinance organization in Samoa dedicated to providing women with real opportunities for self-employment. 

The two day event that ends today generates income for the members and enables them to substantially improve their way of life.

Falanisisi Sipaia from Safotu Savai’i said that the programme gives so much in developing her family financially.

“I would like to thank the S.P.B.D., creating my own handcrafts or recipes at home with a hope of getting a profit from it for my family to survive is something that I am now looking at continuing,” she said.

“There are lots of women in our village who benefit from the programme. They create their own small businesses now.

“We’re so grateful for the opportunity given to us to develop our own skills on how to deal with selling and earning profits.

“The programme helps us to produce so many magnificent stories of hope and success in our families.

“Thank you so much for all you've done, S.P.B.D. to help me, we appreciate your support.

South Pacific Business Development is a network of Microfinance institutions working in Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga to eliminate poverty. 

The S.P.B.D. provides its members with unsecured credit and training for starting very small businesses based around existing livelihood skills. 

Its aim is to provide women in poor rural villages with the opportunity to start, grow and maintain sustainable income-generating micro-enterprises, build assets through saving as well as finance home improvements and childhood education. 

S.P.B.D. also provides its clients with a range of training, financial services and ongoing motivation so that they can climb permanently out of poverty.

By Ilia L. Likou 27 May 2016, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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