Provision of follow-up Business Development Services (BDS) Project

Project Title: Provision of follow-up Business Development Services (BDS) Project

Implementing Organizations: Training Centre Nepal, World Vision Advocacy Forum

Funding Support: UN Women

Project Duration: August 2017 - January 2019

Project Location: Three districts in Nepal (Sunsari, Kavrepalanchowk, Kailali)

Target Beneficiaries: 1,840 excluded women, including:

• 427 Migrant Worker Returnee Women
• 1,113 Home-Based Workers
• 300 Women Living with HIV/AIDS

Overall Objective: To provide excluded women who graduated from the Vocational Development Training Centre with business development services for improved and sustainable livelihoods.

Specific Objectives:

• Identify and analyze the needs of up to 2,000 excluded women for business start-up or job placement support.
• Provide up to 2,000 excluded women with business start-up or job placement and further development of technical skills.
• Support and facilitate a linkage between 2,000 excluded women and locally available business development resources, markets, and job opportunities.

Planned Outputs:

• 1,000 excluded women provided with business start-up support (in-kind worth NPR. 10,000 per person).
• 1,000 excluded women provided with job placement support.
• 800 excluded women were provided with support to appear at the skill test examination under the National Skills Testing Board (NSTB), Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training.
• 1,000 excluded women were provided with the opportunity to interact with financial institutions on procedures to access financial services.
• 400 excluded women were provided with support to have access to financial services.
• 1,000 excluded women were provided with the opportunity to interact with private sector associations.
• 400 excluded women get registered with private sector business associations.

Achievements (By the End of 18 Months):

• 692 excluded women provided with job placement support, including interactions with potential employers and filling up job application forms.
• 1,000 excluded women were provided with material support to start businesses in various sectors.
• 410 excluded women received 7-10 days of refresher vocational skills training in off-season vegetable farming, tailoring, beautician, cooking, animal husbandry, and hand embroidery.
• 622 excluded women submitted applications for NSTB Skill Testing examinations, and 496 completed skills testing examinations.
• 1,000 excluded women interacted with private sector associations, and 411 were facilitated to get registered with them.
• 1,001 excluded women were facilitated to interact with financial institutions, and 346 were linked with them.

Impacts:

• Positive impacts on the status of targeted women in families and communities.
• Increased involvement in employment and business activities to enhance their incomes.
• A quick impact assessment and 50 success case stories revealed the project's positive outcomes in improving the lives of the targeted women.