Africa-Press – Liberia. Diaconia, a Microfinance Deposit Institution, in its celebration of the International Women’s Day, has encouraged female students of the Netlib Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) to prioritize business and make financial saving a habit to help them have a sustainable future.
Diaconia MDI was set up to promote the creation jobs through the provision of its microfinance services to urban and rural areas to contribute to solving the lack of financial services to the needy with the purpose of improving the livelihood of the poor by developing inclusive financial services to micro, small and medium sized enterprises in order to transform lives, build communities and expand opportunities.
The workshop, which brought over 75 female students from different departments at the NVTI educated those participants how to start a small business, setting a financial goals and to make saving a mindset that would allow them get rid of unnecessary spending.
Speaking during the program, Jonathan Eastman, deputy manager and head of credit, said this year’s theme “Gender equality today for sustainable tomorrow” indicated that women have the power to participate in various works of lives but those powers have been limited due to biases and discriminations
According to Eastman, financial exclusion has undermined the leveled playing field for women moving forward. Said Eastman, “Many of these women have been excluded from mainstream of the financial system. They don’t have access to finance, so we thought it wise to plan a program that will enhance access to finance for women.”
Mr. Eastman explained that the institution has developed products that women, especially the young ones who are learning various disciplines can participate in these financial products to inculcate the knowledge into themselves.
Furthering the conversation, the head of credit noted that through these teachings participants can learn about the consequences of unplanned decisions.
“From our statistics, 60 percent of our client population has been women. So if we have able to empower more women, we are assured that the young women of this country will have a better future.”
“In term of having access to finance, in term of empowerment, in term of financial independence, in term of freedom, where they will have to make choices as to their level of education, the number of children to have and even marriage.”
Speaking in an interview, one of the participants, Mrs. Marion Flomo Boakai, from the Pastry and Catering department, thanked the institution for the impactful knowledge. Mrs. Boakai who said that she is an owner of a small business, promised to utilize the knowledge gained to make exploit into her business.
Mrs. Boakai, however, said that women have been marginalized and limited because it is believed which is embedded into their mind from the past as their failure to do certain things.
Said Mrs. Boakai, “I want we women to inform men that are marginalizing us to be able to wake up and do sometimes with our hands.” Another participant, Keabah Porkpah said that she learned a lot about importance of business and savings through Diaconia training workshop on the International Women’s Day.
Ms. Porkpah revealed that her business has been inconsistent but will use the knowledge to manage her business properly for the benefit of the future.
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