OneVillage Partners

Image: Fatu Blake and her husband calculating their budget in her workbook  the Gouma NOW family sessionAt OneVillage Partners, we partner with rural people and communities to develop sustainable solutions to their most pressing self-identified challenges. We envision a future where Sierra Leoneans amplify their collective power to lead transformational change in their communities. 

The Nurturing Opportunities for Women (NOW) program empowers rural women with basic financial principles, provides tools for saving and tracking their resources, and teaches them  communication skills to achieve personal and financial goals. 

The resources used in the NOW program are entirely picture-based, so learning is accessible to all, regardless of their level of literacy. These picture-based workbooks (pictured left) allow women to log and track their household finances, income, financial needs, and savings by shading in the figures. Participants like Ms. Hawa, who lives in the community of Nyandehun, show that knowledge leads to independence and resiliency. 

Before joining the NOW program, Ms. Hawa spent her days doing chores, like cleaning, fetching water, and cooking for her family. When OneVillage Partners introduced the NOW program to Nyandehun, Ms. Hawa realized that it was never too late to pursue her dreams. Ms. Hawa graduated from Phase 1 of the NOW program, which focuses on strengthening household finances. She can’t wait to continue to learn and start tackling more goals for herself and her family. 

Women achieved amazing results in the NOW program last year, including:

• 100% of participants reported an increase in income

• 154% increase in women with improved confidence after the NOW program

• 46% of speakers at community meetings are women

• 98% of women are involved in household decision making and finances

This Give to the Max Day, we are raising funds for the NOW program, so that more rural women can participate in the picture-based program.  When you give a gift to OneVillage Partners, you are supporting the work of individuals like Ms. Hawa who are driving change in their communities.

Learn more about NOW and our other programming here.