Our Program

Starting sustainable, income-generating businesses to reduce poverty

Village Enterprise plays a unique role in the poverty reduction and microenterprise development fields, focusing on the rural poor and providing those who do not have an income with all of the tools they need to start an income-generating business. Our program builds successful, long-lasting, small businesses with a complete package of support.

The Village Enterprise Model

Business Training & On-going Business Mentoring

Local leaders recruited and trained by Village Enterprise deliver business training and ongoing mentoring for one year to business owners. Village Enterprise’s training and mentoring curricula builds crucial skills in business planning, profit analysis, operations, marketing and record keeping. Starting in 2011, we have also added key financial education topics to our training, including savings, loans, and banking basics for the rural poor.

Start-Up Grant

Village Enterprise provides qualified participants, who have completed Business Training and written a viable business plan with seed capital in the form of start-up cash grants or non-cash asset transfers. These allow people living below the poverty line who cannot access loans to get an income-generating business off the ground.

Business Savings Program

To increase the sustainability of businesses, reduce the risk of households falling back into poverty and increase Village Enterprise businesses’ access to savings and loans, we empower our businesses to set up Business Savings Groups. These groups also support Village Enterprise’s sustainability strategy, as they provide essential peer/moral support and financial services to businesses as they grow.

Leveraging Village Enterprise’s model to increase business sustainability and overall impact on the community

Village Enterprise leverages its model to provide additional programs and services, in areas where there are significant barriers to
business success and sustainability, further increasing our impact on a community: