Partners

Arlington Academy of Hope

http://www.aahuganda.org

Arlington Academy of Hope, a model school in Bumwalukani, Uganda (Bududa District) that is supported by donors in Arlington. VA, is assisting the Bumwalukani borrowers in the Mayi Agiri loan group. AAH is providing access to its computers and offering budgeting assistance and funding for the loans. In addition, AAH will provide resources to facilitate the recordkeeping and business skills necessary for the loan program.

Bududa Development Center

http://www.bviuganda.org | http://www.bududaprojects.org

Bududa Development Center maintains two programs: the Bududa Vocational Institute (BVI) and Our Children of Peace Program. BVI is a full-time school that offers training in teaching, carpentry, and masonry. BVI will provide resources, materials and finding for loans for the women in the local loan group being formed in Konokoyo village.

Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications, LLC, located in Silver Spring, MD, supports WMI through a program to raise funds to add solar panels to the WMI building in Buyobo. With electricity, the newly constructed building will be able to offer a variety of new services for the community. Discovery has also donated 15 lap tops to start an Internet Café in the meeting room in the building in summer 2010. This will provide WMI's borrowers and all of the local villagers with a much needed connection to the world community.

Eastern Africa Center for Progressive Development

http://www.eacpd.org

The Eastern Africa Center for Progressive Development, operating in both Kenya and the USA, empowers women through community development, entrepreneurship, and leadership. WMI is partnering with EACPD to support the loan program administered by the SIKABU Women's Development group in villages surrounding Siaya, Kenya. EACPD will provide resources and support to the women throughout the loan program.

Foundation for the Development of Needy Communities

http://www.fdncuganda.org

FDNC, located in Mbale, Uganda, aims to create jobs, improve income and increase investment in eastern Uganda. FDNC takes a grassroots approach to development that supports self-reliance and sustainable growth in needy communities. FDNC provides logistical support to WMI. WMI collected donated instruments for the Mbale Youth Band that were delivered in January 2008.

Hope for Ugandan Students

http://www.hugsuganda.org

Hope for Ugandan Students (HUGS), headquarted in New York City, is an organization formed of volunteers working to identify the needs of orphans and vulnerable youth in Uganda working to satisfy those needs. The organization was founded by volunteers who had traveled to Uganda to work with FDNC in Mbale. HUGS provides student sponsorships, special education needs, health initiatives, and other services to help youth gain the skills they need to support themselves and develop their community. WMI directors support HUGS through student sponsorship and WMI has helped HUGS raise funds through the Parade Magazine Giving Challenge. HUGS provided WMI with organizational and web site advice.

Laikipia Community Empowerment Centre

The Laikipia Community Empowerment Centre (LCEC), located in Kenya, works to improve education, health, environmental protection, and economic development. LCEC is working with WMI to provide logistical support for the ladies in the OL Moran Women's Heroes loan group in the village of Ol Moran. The village is remote, about 4 hours northeast of Nairobi, and LCEC's assistance is helping the village women get their WMI loan program up and operating.

La Ceiba

http://www.twodollarchallenge.org/laceibabank

La Ceiba is a microfinance institution based at University of Mary Washington in Fredricksburg, Virginia. Its vision is to provide microfinance opportunities to people in developing nations, particularly in Central America. Its first goal is to open a micro-loan and savings program in Siete de Abril, a community located in Ceiba, Honduras. It seeks to establish a group based lending program while also providing entrepreneurial training to borrowers. La Ceiba has promoted WMI at Mary Washington University. WMI has provided La Ceiba with loan documents and training materials to help them with their initial program launch.

Mpambara-Cox Foundation

http://www.mcoxfoundation.org

The Mpambara-Cox Foundation has set up a variety of programs to partner U.S. schools with schools in Kambale, Uganda. In addition, they collect backpacks, school supplies, and donations to provide children with the opportunities and resources to attend school. In August 2010 the WMI high school interns will spend a day working in the Ugandan schools that Mpambara-Cox supports.

Andrew Stevenson, Architect

http://www.aksarchitect.com

Mr. Stevenson designed and supervised the construction of the WMI office and community center in Buyobo, which was completed in 2009. The building provides a much needed, centrally- located venue for village activities. Subsequently, he designed and prepared the drawings for a private residence in Buyobo which WMI will be able to access to provide housing for interns, trainers and volunteers. His firm is located in Washington, D. C.

UVa Student Entreprenuers for Economic Development (SEED) - The Bluefields Project

The Bluefields Project is a microfinance initiative being launched by a team of UVa students in Bluefields, Nicaragua in partnership with a group of businesswomen who have recently developed the Caribbean Women's Credit Cooperative. Funded by a Davis Peace grant, the project will be underway this summer when team members head to Bluefields to help develop business and health promotion trainings and workshops, as well as issue the first round of loans. WMI has provided documents and consulting services to help the project get off the ground.

Wellness Corporate Solutions

http://www.wellnesscorporatesolutions.com

Wellness Corporate Solutions (WCS) is a consulting company based in Cabin John, Maryland that focuses on improving health and well-being of company employees in businesses and non-profits around the country. WCS is working with WMI to introduce simple health initiatives for borrowers in the program. The first project will be blood pressure tracking which can be done every time loans are issued. WCS has generously provided a blood pressure cuff and simple instructions to educate borrowers about the importance of maintaining a normal blood pressure. WCS also provided educational information on ways to combat high blood pressure through diet, and borrowers with high blood pressure can begin taking steps to address this problem.