ISOS Micro-Enterprise Empowers Women in India l Kerusomen Gospel Ministries

The ISOS  Women's Micro-Enterprise Class helps single, married and widowed women alike. It serves women of all faiths.

A women's leader at the KGM Kerala headquarters in India, Stelin, is forming micro-enterprise groups to help women learn how to handle money, save, and even start small business enterprises.

Women are poorly treated in India. The preference for boys haunts Indian girls all their lives. Girls receive significantly less education and nutrition than boys. From childhood to widowhood females are considered a financial burden to their families. Considered as less valuable than a cow, they are often sex trafficked or abandoned. Millions are lost every year to sex-selective abortions or midwife infanticide right after birth.

But thanks to Stelin's leadership that's all changing. The women in her classes are gaining freedom, self-confidence, and the tools they need to become self-sufficient.

Overview of Isos India

The class merges micro-finance training with effective, holistic support including health, hygiene, nutrition, and Bible lessons. To join the class, each woman invests $25 in a joint savings account with the other students and commits to add $1 each week to the account. After a short waiting period, during which time the woman learns basic banking, accounting and accountability skills, she is eligible to borrow from the account. The Kerusomen Charitable Foundation oversees the account transactions and loan repayments, safeguarding the women's investments. They are not charged for this service. Many women save money to pay for their children's school fees and emergency funds. Other women use the loan option to open a business.

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Daisy, one of our rescued widows, makes and sells pickles at the local market, an enterprise that not only earns her extra income, but also earns her respect at home and in society. Her success has encouraged other women to do the same.

Many Widows Are Anxious to Join Isos

Many widows in our Rescue Program want to work but for health reasons cannot do the labor or number of hours required to keep a job in the public sector. They also lack the education and work skills for less physically demanding positions.

Isos is a wonderful option for them. They can learn farming, tailoring, and hen rearing. Or take classes in making paper bags, jewelery, pottery, and umbrellas. These are opportunities they can work part-time from home. Perfect for the elderly and disabled.

So why aren't they participating?  The simple truth is they don't have the $25 initial investment to join. For them, saving $1 a month is difficult. That's more than two years of saving before getting started. 

KGM has helped nearly 60 women.  But you can help us start a new class for widows.  A one-time $25 gift enables a woman to participate.