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Programs & Impact

For Women Programs & Impact

Powered by C-Quest Capital

For Women Foundation (FWF) works directly with NGO partners and communities in-country. These partners and community members identify areas where support is most needed and develop projects to fill these gaps.

While open to supporting projects in different communities, FWF primarily focuses its efforts on communities in which C-Quest Capital (CQC) has well-established carbon transformation programs. FWF-supported programs can thus build on the time and energy savings that women have received through using fuel-efficient stoves and expand existing networks of connections and trust in communities. These valuable connections enable FWF to gain strong insight into women’s priorities, community needs and enhance project launches and implementation.

The program’s supported by For Women, help women and their families to take full advantage of these opportunities and provide a crucial support towards greater prosperity and resilience.

Recognizing both the opportunity and importance of these wider ranging social programs, For Women will continue to provide and increase access to services and opportunities for women and girls.

By working with successful local and international partners, from NGOs to hospitals, For Women’s programs currently support

Improved health outcomes for women and their infants through supporting the construction of a new maternity clinic and engaging with existing fistula programs. Establishing sanitary clinics drastically reduces the risk of infections for newborns and ensures an adequate number of rooms for expecting and laboring mothers.

Increased community access to reliable water sources through supporting the construction of boreholes in areas of acute water shortage. Dependable water sources eliminate the need for women and girls to walk miles for clean water and ensure water will reach areas prone to frequent droughts.

Access to education for girls from Secondary School to University by providing scholarships and other essential needs, such as school uniforms, books, cash stipends, blankets and sanitary products.

Enhanced food security for women and their families through providing drip irrigation kits and training that allow for food to be grown throughout the dry season.

Improved opportunities for women to expand their livelihoods through supporting programs that train women to master new skills and start new businesses (i.e., creating sanitary pads and liquid soaps) that inspire entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.

Contribute to girls’ empowerment by supporting programs focused on increasing self-esteem and changing perspectives about gender roles. School clubs, for instance, give a space for girls to share and process their lived experiences, and have been instrumental in igniting a sense of empowerment among girls from varied backgrounds.

Construction of New Maternity Ward at Mwamlapa Health Center

Location: Tanzania

Mwamlapa village in Tanzania has a population of 13,211, of which 36% are of childbearing age. Currently, the community lacks access to medical facilities, sufficient labour, and resting rooms for expectant mothers, resulting in infant mortalities. Additionally, mothers with HIV/AIDS are required to walk long distances to get access to medication which has led to a low uptake of life saving medications.

For Women Foundation has partnered and funded Alliance Ginneries to construct a new maternity ward at the Mwamlapa Health Centre to enable women to access routine medical checkups and to educate the community about the spread of infection to combat the risk of pre- and post-natal fatalities. Once completed, the facility will be transferred to local health authorities for the provision of medical equipment and utilities. Enhancement and supporting of HIV and AIDs programs within and around Mwamlapa community will be a part of the project.

Project Impact:

✓ Increased access to a modern medical facility
✓ reduced mortality rates
✓ reduced walking distance to receive medical services
✓ Increased number of expecting mothers going in for routine medical check-ups
✓ Reduced pre- and post-natal deaths
✓ Increased beneficiary awareness of HIV/AIDs prevention and caring of infected persons

Construction of Boreholes for Reliable Water Kitui Community

Location: Kenya

Women in Mwingi North in Kitui are in one of the most underserved communities in Kenya. The area is prone to frequent droughts and the residents rely on the little rainwater they get for survival. This acute water shortage greatly impacts the lives of women and girls daily. To meet their water needs, during the dry season women and girls must walk a minimum of 10km for a 20-liter jerrican of water and during the rainy season they fetch the same water from muddy pools that are left behind.

For Women Foundation has partnered with C-Quest Capital to construct two reliable boreholes for two communities in Mwingi. This will impact 3000+ people that will benefit from these reliable clean water supplies, including two nearby schools. In Mwingi North, drilling a borehole will positively impact the lives of ~500 households and reduce the burden that women and girls have been left to carry over the years. It will also provide a clean water supply to two primary schools each with a population of ~280 students. The second borehole will be drilled in Mwingi West and is expected to serve ~1000 households and one school of ~300 students.

Project Impact:

✓ Provide constant supply of water to ~3,000 people in two communities in Kitui
✓ Reduce drudgery for 1,500+ women and girls
✓ Reduce number of school days missed by students by providing reliable source of clean water

As CQC’s programs build to implement new projects in agroforestry and sustainable agriculture around the globe, For Women will be there to enhance the opportunities for women and their communities.

Creating female-owned micro-businesses through producing soaps and sanitary pads

Location: Uganda

Poverty is a major problem for women and girls in Uganda, especially for rural women. As of 2022, female-headed households represented 31% of total households in Uganda (UBOS Report 2022). Most women work in the informal sector and are responsible for most of the unpaid care work in the country and is a serious setback to women’s economic empowerment. Additionally, in remote areas, high numbers of teenage girls drop out of school because they cannot afford to buy sanitary towels every month.

For Women Foundation has partnered with C-Quest Capital to train 2,100 women and girls in Lira and Kisoro who are direct or indirect beneficiaries of the improved cookstove program on how to make reusable sanitary towels. Each woman will leave the training with 10 reusable sanitary towels. Funding will also be used to equip groups of women and female youths in the central remote areas of Wakiso district with skills of making liquid soap. The women will be taught how to make liquid soap as a group, how to sell the soap, and how to manage the profits.

Project Impact:

✓ Over 95% of beneficiaries to improve their menstrual hygiene
✓ At least 90% of teenage beneficiaries able to complete primary education
✓ Improved household sanitation
✓ At least 60% of the women groups become economically stable by end of 2023

Educational Scholarships for 35 boarding students

Location: Zambia

Girls from disadvantaged backgrounds struggle with school attendance despite school fees being free (since 2022), many families still cannot afford boarding fees, meaning that many need to walk vast distances, and often must complete chores or remain at home to support parents in labouring in the field. They also cannot afford the basics such as school uniforms, pens, pencils, or shoes.

For Women is funding “Project Luangwa” which will support 35 disadvantaged children to attend school. They are the best and the brightest of their grade with the highest test scores and the highest chances to succeed. The children are vulnerable, most having lost one or both of their parents and the sponsorship provides them with the opportunity of a better life. FWF is aiming to raise the number of scholarships to 45 in 2023, with 35 directly supported by FWF and 10 from private donors.

Project Impact:

✓ Provision of all uniforms, shoes, MHM products and transport
✓ Mitigate the likelihood of early marriage and teenage pregnancy to maximise school attendance

Supporting Gender Equality Clubs at Mfuwe Secondary School

Location: Zambia

Under the “Project Luangwa” umbrella, For Women has supported the development of Gender Equality clubs at local secondary schools. Gender clubs have been instrumental in changing attitudes, and we notice a marked difference in improving understanding and respect between genders after only 6 months. Currently, approximately 400 children attend the regular group sessions, and can potentially reach over a thousand school students during events as well as community members of all ages.

For Women is providing project funds to provide improved training for 15 volunteer mentors through more regular workshops, enabling and improved offering to students; improved village outreach; increased alumni activities; upskilling the Gender Support Manager by assisting her to study and MA in Business Management; provision of 500 reusable menstrual hygiene pads to 100 girls.

Project Impact:

✓ Improved training for mentors via 4 workshops in 2023
✓ Improved village outreach via 4 community outreach activities in 2023
✓ Increased alumni activities in the form of 3 alumni events per year
✓ Completion of MA by Gender Support Manager
✓ Provision of Ufulu pads to 100 girls in the clubs

Ponesai Vanhu Girls Empowerment Project

Location: Zimbabwe

During the COVID-19 lockdown, most districts in Mashonaland Central province recorded more than 25% increase in teenage pregnancies. The problem has been fueled by continued lockdowns and the presence of small-scale miners in the province. Adolescent girls in the province remain at high risk of child marriages due to several factors that include poverty, harmful beliefs and practices, peer pressure, poor access to Sexual Reproductive Health Services and low access to education among others.

For Women Foundation has partnered with Development Aid from People to People (DAPP) to support 30 adolescent girls and young women, including students with disabilities, with scholarships to enroll at Ponesai Vanhu Technical College to receive developed tailored Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) funded by the project. Additionally, these girls and young women will receive training and products related to sexual reproductive health using project funds to mitigate the risk of early pregnancy and combat further sexual reproductive health issues afflicting young women in Zimbabwe.

Project Impact:

✓ Improve overall sexual reproductive health
✓ Increase women’s economic mobility

Classroom Construction at Mutasa Training Center

Location: Zimbabwe

Gender inequality and discrimination remains a major obstacle to development particularly for young women in Zimbabwe. Women and girls continue to face numerous challenges, including limited access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities.

For Women Foundation has partnered with Development Aid from People to People (DAPP) to construct a Women Training Centre fitted with solar for lighting and a toilet block which will be used for vocational training and adult education. Each classroom will accommodate 25 people, making 50 places for the entire classroom block. Women will have access to use the infrastructure for adult education and vocational training, which will be coordinated by Machirahondo Village Committee. The training centre will be used as a center of development activities which includes adult literacy, financial literacy, training in Sexual Reproductive health and rights for young women and girls.

Project Impact:

✓ Improve access to education for young women

Girls Education Fund  

Location: Malawi 

Girls from disadvantaged backgrounds struggle with school attendance and many families still cannot afford school and boarding fees. The girls from these disadvantaged homes may also be obligated to remain at home to support their parents in both domestic labour and farmwork. They also cannot afford the basics such as school uniforms, pens, pencils, or shoes. 

For Women Foundation has partnered with C-Quest Capital to provide tuition, living allowances, sanitary items, warm blankets, and tutoring services to 99 girls. The girls attend a mixture of boarding and community day secondary schools. Girls who attend community day secondary school often face additional barriers to attend school given the long distances they must walk and the harassment they face during the walk. Starting in 2022, CQC began renting houses near each community day secondary school. Each house has a guard and a matron. Matrons maintain the house and cook all meals for the girls.    

Project Impact:  

✓ Weekly tutoring sessions
✓ Provision of all school examination fees
✓ Housing provided for all girls not covered in boarding schools 

Drip Irrigation Kits 

Location: Malawi 

Household gardens play a pivotal role in ensuring food security for impoverished households in Malawi. These small-scale gardens represent a vital source of locally grown crops, offering households a consistent supply of nutritious food even during times of scarcity. Additionally, the food grown from these gardens are a potentially vital source of income through the sale of surplus produce. 

For Women Foundation has partnered with C-Quest Capital to provide drip irrigation kits to increase food security during the dry season, improving water efficiency, evaporation and reducing runoff. Household resilience is improved through the availability of nutritious food and provides a modest revenue stream by selling food in local markets. It also builds synergy between a nutritional food source and reliable, clean energy products to ensure continuous access to healthy food. 

Project Impact: 

✓ Provision of drip irrigation kits
✓ Increased food security
✓ Potential source of income
✓ Increased household resilience 

Fistula Surgery Patient Program 

Location: Malawi 

An estimated 2 million women and girls in Africa are suffering from obstetric fistula caused by prolonged, obstructed childbirth and lack of access to maternity care. This devastating condition arises primarily due to inadequate access to quality maternal healthcare services, particularly during childbirth. The prevalence of early and forced marriages, coupled with limited access to comprehensive sexual education, compounds the issue, leaving many young girls and women vulnerable to obstructed labor and subsequent fistula formation. 

For Women Foundation has partnered with C-Quest Capital, and Freedom for Fistula who are helping these women and girls by providing free surgeries to heal their fistulas and free maternity care to prevent fistulas and ensure safe childbirth. We also train local healthcare workers, provide primary health care to children and teenagers, medical care, and rehabilitation to sexual and gender-based violence victims and provide opportunities for income generation projects. Additionally, women are also provided with TLC rocket stoves and Jet-flame kits free of charge. Approximately 150 women benefit annually from the program by receiving these life-changing tools that help them regain their independence, self-confidence, and improve the health outcomes for both them and their children. 

Project Impact:  

✓ Provision Jetflame total energy kit (forced draft accessory, solar panel, battery)
✓ Provision of TLC Rocket Stove
✓ Transition to clean energy technology
✓ Improved access to information via women’s health specialists

Programs to be supported in the next phase of operations of For Women include

Expansion of programming to Southeast Asia is a priority in the next phases of the Foundation’s growth. A pilot program will be developed in Cambodia where field visits will identify areas of opportunity for impactful projects. Countries of focus beyond Cambodia will include Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam.

For Women will continue to support existing multi-year programs in Sub-Saharan Africa, such as educational scholarship programs, while also striving to reach communities in other African countries.

“

With my profits from selling greens, I have been able to buy chickens to raise - then I sell them in the market. Before, my family could never afford to have meat with our relish and nsima now we can eat chicken at least once a month.

Sibelia Batani, 65 (Drip Irrigation Beneficiary)

Area 25 Health Centre

At the Area 25 Health Centre in Lilongwe, Malawi, we’re providing expectant mothers with training prior to giving birth as well as a clean cookstove and bamboo seedlings.

Women using a clean cookstove regain their health and time, enhancing productivity and strengthening their role within communities.

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