1. Port Sudan Association for Small Enterprises
Development
GALS as an empowering process for the
poorest women
Evidence and impact, the case of PASED MFI
Global Microcredit Summit, Valladolid - Spain 14 - 17 Nov. 2011
Rogaya Hamza Osman
LEAP program Manager
PASED - Sudan
LEAP activities -
presentation

2. Women empowerment activities in PASED
SEDP: Small Enterprises Development Program for microfinance provision
annually extend around 5000 loans from which women represent over 60%
with total portfolio of USD 12,962,960
PASEDs’ LEAP program (ON funded program):
●Support and encourage potential women entrepreneurs to
initiate or refresh their small enterprises through graduation
system to SEDP or directly.
● Ensure gender friendly credit policy with flexible conditions
for poorest women
● Focus on building women confidence and skills for future
service and institutional sustainability
LEAP Learning for Empowerment Against Poverty

3. Applying Gender learning System (GALS) evidence and impact
LEAP is focusing on empowering the poorest women through
forming them into local CBOs/ women associations through
using the GALS process
Poverty diamond; The module assisted the women centers in
● Assessing poverty levels among center members
● Setting poverty indicators and identifying needs
● Understand existing indigenous saving & credit systems
● Better product design of the centers poverty loan fund
● Identify skill gaps and training needs
LEAP activities Learning for Empowerment Against Poverty
presentation

4. Women centers skills upgrading for proper financial management and reporting
Implementation
Formal bookkeeping of the centers’
training accounting
system
Committees training to Formation of credit
work applying the centers committees at the women
credit policy & procedures centers
Women centers financial management
LEAP activities -
presentation

5. Innovative market led skills training
Silk screen through CorelDraw program
provided for women with very little
knowledge of computer and some even
are illiterate
LEAP Learning for Empowerment Against Poverty

6. Participatory diamond; help in
●Ensure inclusion of the poorest and disabled women
● Promote center members’ participation in neighborhood committees
and political participation too (number of 3 women are elected in the
local council in the last national election)
Inclusion of disable women in various centers activities and enabling marketing linkages
Women centers political participation
LEAP Learning for Empowerment Against Poverty

7. Consolidating & integrating sustainable Non-financial services;
Ministry of Health
SNAP HIV/AIDS – First aid and nursery training - Preventive health
department – health insurance – High nursery college
Ministry of Education
Literacy programs - School fees
Legal rights organizations
Women legal rights – paralegal cadre - gender based violence - justice -
saving women property – women in market committee, premises,
business license
National child welfare council
Inclusion of youth and school children
LEAP Learning for Empowerment Against Poverty

8. Empowerment map; led to
● Personal critical analysis for change
● Strengthening women leadership
● Understanding relations win-win
● promoting of networking and alliances
● Women property rights (access & control)
● Relationship with family
LEAP activities Learning for Empowerment Against Poverty
presentation

9. Women centers members membership in local administrative
committees
Discussing their center location
with the area committee
e.g. School committees
LEAP Learning for Empowerment Against Poverty

10. Lesson learnt
● Group dynamic skills help the women centers to;
- Strengthen group cohesion, peer learning, experience exchange & mutual support.
- Promote the initiative of collective actions for communal issues.
- Manage group enterprises and bigger investments.
- Increase women access and control over H/H and community assets.
●TOT programs maximize coverage, efficiency and future sustainability.
● For MFIs to maintain their social mission, there must be a parallel intervention for
the poorest with service led agenda.
Challenges : Resources and funding for;
● Up-scaling and expansion (urban to rural intervention).
● Wider inclusion of youth and programs for adolescent girls.
● Replication of LEAP program in other parts of Sudan
LEAP Learning for Empowerment Against Poverty