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Yallingup, Western Australia
Email:
viti@bearfruit.com.au
Website:
http://www.bearfruit.com.au
Considering that there, “…is an estimated 17.6 million people in Nepal lacking access to financial
services…”
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these earlier private led NGO’s establishment methods pioneered by the
microfinance model were necessary. Yet given the vision of ONUSCCL is to, “…improve the
quality of life of the people and the nation by providing access to international quality
cooperative financial products and services”
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their solution was to establish SNUsacc. The
ability of HwH cofounders and staff to harness people globally and implement projects in the
manner they do all goes well for ONUSCCL’s overall aim.
Jutpani V.D.C.4., - Chitwan District Microfinance Cooperative Projects
This small-scale study involved nine rural participants. The seven women and two men came
from four villages within Jutpani, V.D.C.4. Their ages ranged from 24 to 57. All had accessed
microcredit loans from HwH, within the last five years. The original 1
st
phase loans were (5,000
rupees) and 2
nd
phase loans were (10,000 rupees). Initially, as mentioned earlier, loans were
issued to members in their village homes.
When Shila KC took me to the local SNUsacc branch it
was being operated by a young local woman, Ishwati
Chayzagain (pictured far right Figure 1). Aided by her
sister Narmakala Chayzagain (second from the left),
these two young women adequately covered the needs
of the loans recipients with Shila’s support if on hand.
Narmakala, was also studying business management
part-time, and considered her voluntary help as ‘work
experience’. Narmakala also continued to assist with
the family business and was the only English-speaking
participant in this study.
When I visited the SNUsacc their membership numbers
totalled 263. Yet, recent conversations with Kira Kay
indicate that the establishment of a new cooperative within the district has grown membership
numbers even higher.
At this point, it is pertinent to acknowledge just how crucial Shila KC (coordinator of HwH
microfinance cooperative projects) and her husband Ramchandra KC input was to the project.
Without their valuable insight on cultural aspects affecting my fieldwork, their numerous
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BWTP Asia Resource Centre for Microfinance, (Nepal Country Profile, (2011), p.1
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ONUSCCL brochure
Figure 1: SNUsacc branch: Ramchandra KC,
Namakala Chayzagain (work experience),
Shila KC coordinator and Ishwati Chayzagain
office personnel.