Women’s empowerment group receives passbooks

By LUKE KAMA
Women’s Micro Bank presented 114 new passbook accounts to women from Ward 10 in Morata Settlement in the Moresby North West electorate last Friday.
The women are members of Urban and Rural Development Foundation, a non-profit organisation that aims to economically empower women and youths in Morata and Moresby North West.
The passbooks were presented by Women’s Micro Bank general-manager Gunanidhi Das and witnessed by NCD Governor Powes Parkop.
Parkop said he was pleased with the work the women were doing and pledged his support to partner with the bank and the foundation to give economic empowerment to women and girls from Morata and Moresby North West.
Executive director Janet Banebo told The National that the foundation has a total membership of 600.
The first batch of 114 received their passbook accounts on Friday while rest will receive theirs once necessary financial literacy training and processes were completed with the bank.
“One of the things I’ve see over the years is that there is lack of women empowerment in our society and the country,” Banebo said.
“We have done a needs identification survey with 600 women who are members, and have found out that they have a lot of dreams and ambitions to venture into small businesses but the problem is lack of seed capital for them to start.” Banebo said after seeing this, she felt for the mothers.
She decided to resign from her job and start up the foundation to help and empower women.
“Mothers can do bigger things to change the society they live in as well as the country,” Banebo said.
“The problem is lack of economic empowerment.
“That’s why, the foundation is aiming at giving economic empowerment to women and girls.”