Project Title: Empowering Rural Women through Entrepreneurship, Education and Economic Opportunities

Location: Bhutan

Grant Amount: $48,701

Grantee Website: readglobal.org

Areas of Impact: Economic Sustainability, Gender Equality

Mission of READ Global
READ Global empowers rural communities to alleviate poverty. In South Asia, where 264 million people live on less than $1.90 a day and only 58 percent of women are literate, READ Centers serve as platforms for social and economic transformation, collaborating with rural communities to build community-owned and managed centers and launching for-profit enterprises to sustain the centers’ operations.

Summary
READ will enable over 300 Bhutanese rural women to gain valuable financial literacy skills and income generating livelihood skills, plus access to savings programs through advanced training programs at READ Centers.

Why We Love This
We love the holistic center and grassroots approach (including training and access to computers and the internet) that focuses on local needs, as well as the components of vocational skills, entrepreneurship and the focus on food processing and bees. The project pairs centers with for-profit enterprises to help sustain the centers and provide economic opportunities.