In partnership with Casa Congo, a social enterprise based in Astillero, Nicaragua, an investment has been made for the second time into the Women's Collective of Astillero. The founding members of the Collective, The Tejedoras are a group of local women in Astillero who started an up cycling business over 11 years ago.
In the summer of 2017 Rockflower partnered with Casa Congo, a fast growing international conservation movement with a social enterprise and based in Astillero, Nicaragua, to provide funds and expertise to expand The Women's Collective at El Astillero. Las Tejedoras or "The Weavers", a group of women established in 2007, are the founding members of this Collective and have proven their skill and ingenuity in creating a business that to date has recycled over 400,000 plastic bags discarded on the streets and beaches of Astillero to create beautiful bags, hats, wallets, and other products. Their slogan, “Una Bolsa Más, Una Tortuga Menos” translates to “One More Bag, One Less Turtle.”
Casa Congo has a vision to empower the local community through environmental and cultural conservation, through the four pillars of Ecology, Ocean Advocacy, Built Environments and Place Making.
The Rockflower/Casa Congo partnership will act as a gardener to facilitate the growth of The Women's Collective through the provision of access to credit and micro loans, educational workshops and collaborative endeavors. In order to learn, gain confidence and expertise, and increase their potential for economic empowerment, the women need support' not only through investment, but in developing business and marketing models to maximize their amazing entrepreneurial spirit.
This campaign is raising funds to build upon an earlier investment in The Tejedoras Juice and Smoothie Bar, an idea which this determined and inspired group of women brought to life in December of 2017.
Now they are ready to take their vision to the next level. The expansion will consist of:
Bicycle powered juice blenders ("Blender Bikes")
Solar Panel System
Expanded venue size and outdoor seating area
Refrigeration, water filtration, and composting systems
Cash register
Support the Women’s Collective of El Astillero by visiting our campaign page.
This fundraiser is being led by Rockflower Youth Advisor and Casa Congo team member Francesca Ward and assisted by Casa Congo volunteers Cobo Alvarez de Toledo, Hannah Rikeman and Bianca Acland.
Rockflower Partners is partnering with The African Youth Alliance to empower women and girls in North West Cameroon through mentorship programs and training. The goal of the campaign raise $4,550 to fund a 12-month pilot project.
Rockflower is pleased to announce a new partnership with African Youth Alliance, a grass-root, community-based organization addressing issues related to women, youths and children, especially those in remote communities.
On July 6th, Community Services Pakistan began a three month training of 25 young women in the art of Kashmiri Pehran. The objectives of the Pehran Project are to establish a women's handmade Gurase Valley brand to increase the visibility and value of female hand-made products and to increase the skills and opportunities for the young women, many of whom have only a primary level education.
The Society for Participatory Research and Integrated Training began implementing the women's empowerment project among the single women headed families in Manamelkudi block in the month of March 2017. Starting with 25 women in Palkudi village, the objectives of the project were to create a platform for economic empowerment, to increase self confidence and self dependency and to provide viable credit assistance to create employment opportunities.
Rockflower has partnered with Casa Congo and the Tejedoras to develop a pilot project to kickstart a Women's Collective which will allow these women an opportunity to further expand upon their business ideas with access to credit. The first phase of the pilot project began in late July with an early stage investment into a juice and smoothie bar. The Tejedoras will be trained in all aspects of juice, smoothie and ice-cream production and will be responsible for the day to day running and management of the venture.
Bringing much needed training and economic opportunities to women living in rural Afghanistan was made possible through a fundraising campaign supported by Rockflower and The Community Service Program, a multi-disciplinary non-governmental organization working to generate and revitalize Kashmir's rural economy.
In February of this year, Rockflower funded a pilot project to support the economic empowerment of deserted women living in coastal villages in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu. The fundraising campaign was part of Rockflower's partnership with the Society for Participatory Research and Integrated Training (SPRIT), which focuses on creating sustainable economic development for female headed families after the loss of a spouse or desertion.
As part of the "Empowering Women and Girls to Overcome Injustice and Poverty" partner project, Rockflower and Hope for the Future Organization completed a campaign to fund vocational training and economic opportunities for 100 young women in Namasuba Village, Wakiso District of Uganda in East Africa.
Early in the New Year, we completed a campaign to fund training of women in Kenya, through Rockflower partner, Cherehani Africa. Subsequently, Robert Mboya, Cherehani's COO & Co-Founder, sent a few pictures of the young women who, as a result of our fundraiser, are receiving training in the tailoring trade.
Rockflower completed funding of an initiative to extend opportunities to young women to launch a tailoring business in Kenya.Building on the success of this fundraiser, Rockflower plans to raise funds for an additional 130 women as part of the Rockflower's Cherehani Project.
Rockflower is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Rwenzori Women's Initiative for Community Development (RWICOD). The RWICOD was started in Uganda by a group of women who saw a need for women to join hands to fight the injustices of poverty, disease and violence.
Rockflower is pleased to announce a new partnership with Cherehani Africa, a social enterprise that pursues financial inclusion through asset financing of sewing machines and provision of business loans to asset-less but skilled women in emerging and under-served markets.
Today, Rockflower launched a fundraiser to promote financial independence for young women in Kenya. The goal of this fundraiser is to provide funding for 40 sewing machines and technical training of young women in Kenya to facilitate them launching a career in tailoring. A sewing machine costs $100 and the training materials approximately $25.
