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The Murulle Foundation
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Updated: December 27, 2007

Current Projects

TMF is partnering with a non-profit group in Ethiopia, the Association for Sustainable Peace and Social Progress (ASPASP), to carry out the Women's Small Business Loan Project (WSBL) for groups of poor women in the village of Dinsho, home to the headquarters of Balé Mountains National Park. TMF is providing the funding and ASPASP is managing the project.

Women in many areas of Ethiopia play an important economic role in households. However, they are affected by the cultural dominance of their male partner. They are deprived of land and livestock assets, the main assets of traditional communities, so they have no collateral to qualify for loans or credit. TMF is the only non-profit organization working in the Dinsho area to improve the economic standing of women through small business loans.

ASPASP began laying the groundwork for the project in 2006 by meeting with community leaders in the Dinsho area who enthusiastically embraced the project. After receiving permission to proceed, ASPASP hired Workaferhu Teka (pictured at top right) as the community facilitator/organizer for the project. In July 2006, Workaferhu, assisted by community leaders, selected 50 women to receive introductory training on the objectives of the program. From this group of women, 20 were chosen to receive loans, not only on the basis of economic status, but also on their business abilities, assertiveness, and willingness to adhere to the guidelines of the program.

Workaferhu gave the selected women in-depth training using the self-help development approach. Each one identified and analyzed their intended business activity and prepared a plan of action, including loan size (not to exceed $50); savings; period of loan, interest, and modes of repayment; market outlets; and assumed risks. Also during this time, ASPASP sent an expert in micro-finance to Dinsho to give them additional training. The women were divided into two self-help groups and given bookkeeping materials.

At the conclusion of the 3-month training period in October, the trainees received their loans. One more woman also received a loan from the remaining money in the fund.

In December 2006, Karel Waltermire, project coordinator for TMF in the U.S., traveled to Ethiopia and met with Wodajo Senbet, a director of ASPASP who is coordinating the WSBL project for TMF, and with Workaferhu. She also met with several of the women in the project. The women were grateful for the opportunity to become economically independent and were enthused about the businesses they had started. They also looked forward to mentoring the next group of women who will be selected to receive loans in summer 2007. They sent heart-felt thank-yous to all the people who have made donations to the project.>

The total expenditure for the first year of the project was $2,000; however, the women in the first group advised TMF that a $70 loan, instead of a $50 loan, would be more realistic. The funding for the second year will be $2,500, which includes the increased cost of transportation and salaries as well as the loan increase.

It is anticipated that after three years of funding, this project should be self sustaining. The estimated cost of the third year will be $3,000, which may include additional training for the women.

If anyone is interested in participating in this worthwhile endeavor, please send your donation to TMF and mark it for the Women's Small Business Loan Project.

For more information on this project, please contact Karel Waltermire.