Project Tres - securing stability for women in India + Kenya

In India, men are more likely to be employed than women: 25% of women are currently employed, compared with 75% of men, according to the National Family Health Survey report-5 (NFHS 2019-21). Meanwhile, Kenya ranked 126 out of 162 on the UNDP’s 2019 Gender Inequality Index (GII) with a score of 0.52. The index measures gender inequalities in three aspects of human development: economic status, reproductive health and empowerment.

Project Tres is a nonprofit organization that supports women artisans through education and skills-training in India and Kenya.

Michelle Obama once said that "when girls are educated, their countries become stronger and more prosperous.” In fact, according to the International Monetary Fund, in countries with a lower female workforce, closing the gender gap could lead to GDP growth as high as 35%. The economic gains of stopping gender inequality are more significant than most people imagine.

We contribute to women so they can have a sustainable income, and gain financial and emotional independence for themselves.

We have impacted 120 women since the start of our work in India in 2016 and the establishment of our organization in Germany in 2020.

To continue to invest in leadership, female entrepreneurship, professional training, personal growth, skills training, and group activities. In doing so, the women and the communities impacted by our work will become stronger and more resilient members with the capabilities to become future transformational agents of their own communities, with a direct impact in their communities and a potentially global impact.

The first goal of this campaign is for ANNUAL ESSENTIAL EXPENSES. The money raised will be used to cover:
Rent and maintenance costs of our both centers in India and Kenya;
The centers are spaces we have had since 2018 in India and 2019 in Kenya, that serve as our women’s workplace, meeting point, and emergency shelter (when someone is going through a violent situation, for example). It is also a place where the kids from the communities can play. All the programs, visits, and experiences take place in those spaces.

Salaries and commissions;
Currently, we have ten women that receive a monthly salary for working on our project, while the remaining twenty are paid on a commission basis. This money has taken them a long way already, giving them stability and financial independence, as well as the ability to actively make decisions in their household.
In 2023, we want to be able to pay salaries to another 5 women. This number would represent 50% of the women who attended receiving a sustainable income, something surprising in the area the project operates. These women are responsible for all the management of our organization in both countries, being the ones responsible for our finances, accountability, training of new members, running social cases, as well as the quality control and stock management of the products made there.

The second one is for SOCIAL AID, covering:
Therapy costs of our mental health program for all 30 women;
The therapy program is an initiative we started in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. The women in our project were struggling with their mental health, in collaboration with 2 local organizations we started this program, providing them with group sessions and individual sessions. The results so far are amazing, helping them go through hardship and individual challenges, and strengthening and developing the teams.

Health, school, and rent support; We offer support for those who can't bear the costs of health and school charges. Especially in Kenya, the costs for what is considered basic in the Global North, are stratospheric. In both countries, school fees must be paid all at once, so the kid can continue their studies. We also cover medical expenses in case of emergencies for Project Tres’ women and their families, as well as pregnancy and postpartum care.

The third one covers PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT costs, meaning:
Workshops, classes, and materials to develop our women's skills, such as computing classes, that help them gain autonomy and opens new possibilities to their learning; English classes, so women in India can communicate with tourist and generate more business for them.
Field trips. Over time, we have been learning how impactful and fulfilling field trips are. It's a chance, not only for the women but also for the volunteers to interact, connect and develop new skills. We want 3 members of our team to have the opportunity to meet our amazing team in Kenya and work on impact measurement, to have meaningful data to make improvements, and seek out grants and funding.

Last, but not least, our fourth goal will be covering BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT:
Everything related to marketing, such as photos to promote our products, stationary, digital ads, and research. Also, it will pay sales-related expenses, like events and fairs, our online store, and our website.

Since the beginning of our work, we have mainly received support from individuals. Being founded by a Latina woman in Germany, it is still quite challenging for us to understand the funding scenario and navigate the bureaucracy. Up to this point, we never received any government funding to finance our work.

We still use crowdfunding because we believe that people have the power to change things, especially by choosing where they want to put their money.

We don’t have unnecessary administration costs, and most of the funding we get, either from donations as well as from the sales of our products, is used to run our projects in India and Kenya. The people responsible for management positions, in both countries, are the same women who once joined the organization looking for support and better opportunities.

CAMPAIGN BREAKDOWN FOR IN+KE
ANNUAL ESSENTIAL EXPENSES 15.000€
2 x Centers’ rent, Salaries + Commissions, Centers maintenance, Food, Costs related to transport.

SOCIAL AID 4.000€
Health Support, School Support, Rent Support, Mental Health Program.

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT 2.000€
Kenya trip March 2023 for 3 members of the team.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT 4.000€
Events and fairs, Ads, Online stores fees, Website, Stationery, Packaging, IT systems.

CAMPAIGN TOTAL 25.000€

In case we exceed our total goal of 25.000€, the remaining funds will be used to cover the operational expenses we have with the organization in Germany.
The administrative expenses of the organization in Germany during 2022 were 41.000€.