Women's Empowerment 

Grace felt alone. She didn't have a plan for her small business or anyone to turn to when things weren't going well. Everything changed when she joined Plant With Purpose's Village Community Bank, VICOBA, with her husband and two sons.

VICOBA offered a supportive business community, training and accountability. Instead of operating her business without a goal or plan in mind, she now has a vision of what she wants to achieve and an encouraging network of people who are committed to helping her goals become reality.

Before, she had no hope of compassion or low interest loans if she stumbled upon hard times. But now she is an integral part of a thriving business community that supports instead of competes. Not only is she learning invaluable business skills, she is sharing her new knowledge with her neighbors so that they too can experience the benefits.

Grace and her community continue to grow and learn together, empowering each other to transform their lives. With the encouragement of Plant With Purpose and VICOBA, Grace is improving her economic situation and finding joy in knowing that she isn't alone.

Ways to Get Involved

  • Start a book club and read a book on women's empowerment in developing countries. As the host, explain what PWP is doing to help empower women in the 6 countries where we work.
  • Have an educational curriculum for students that teachers or Sunday schools can share.
  • Start a blog about this issue, or if you already have one, consider highlighting what PWP is doing. Or, Tweet about how we help women to become empowered.
  • Make a pledge. Every time you feel empowered or see or hear about a woman succeeding in her business or every day life, make a pledge to donate $1 to help a woman in a poor rural village achieve this same success.

"I'm involved with an organization called Love 146 that helps victims of sex trafficking and modern day slavery in Thailand and Southeast Asia. Plant With Purpose's work with the hill tribes in Thailand helps eradicate the issues of trafficking by combating the root cause: poverty. Addressing the social, economic and environmental issues plaguing these groups helps fight against these traffickers. Fewer families, in Thailand and many other places, are faced with the choice between eating/surviving or believing the traffickers lies...because of Plant With Purpose."