WEEP

The Women Economic Empowerment Program (W.E.E.P)

The WEEP program is an initiative to save HIV-positive women from their life of rejection and poverty through empowering them to live sustainable livelihoods. It consists of 3 phases, each 6 months long:

Phase 1: HIV Intervention
Phase 2: Skill Building
Phase 3: Business Plan Development

 

Phase 1: HIV Intervention

The first phase aims to help the women heal mentally and physically by providing:

  • Nutrition
  • Shelter
  • Access to Anti-retrovirals (ARVs)
  • Home-based Treatment for diseases
  • Reproductive Health Services
  • Psycho-social support

 

Phase 2: Skill teaching

After healing, the women are then enrolled into the WEEP center where they learn many skills such as:

  • Tailoring
  • Mat-making
  • Beadwork
  • Candle-making
  • Baking
  • Mosquito Net making

 

Phase 3: Development of business plans

In the final phase the women develop their business plan, this process follows the following steps:

  1. The women choose a business based on skills and interests
  2. Consultants help them build a business plan
  3. The women are taught economic and business principles
  4. The women start their business and are supported throughout the process
  5. Financial support is slowly reduced and then removed completely

WEEP Graduation

At the end of the third phase of WEEP, the women celebrate with a graduation ceremony to celebrate 18 months of very hard work and growth.  Graduation is a very exciting time for everyone at LPK and an opportunity to acknowledge each participant and wish them well moving forward.  By this point each woman’s business is working independently and they are prepared to support themselves and their families with their new found skills and confidence!