CARE and Mars’ Women for Change program works with women and their families in cocoa-growing communities to improve livelihoods so that communities can thrive. The program started in Côte d’Ivoire in 2016, founded on CARE’s Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) approach. The program aims to increase gender equity in households and communities, while supporting increased savings, improved skills, income growth and diversification, improved school enrollment rates and increased nutrition. The program also works to shift social norms and reduce gender-based violence by engaging men to encourage joint saving and decision-making. This innovative approach uses a smart mix of solutions to reinforce women’s role in the cocoa supply chain.
In the first half of 2024, CARE Uganda launched a social behavior change campaign (SBCC) targeting discriminatory gender norms that limit women’s and girls’ access to and use of technology, particularly smartphones. Media-based messaging is a widely-adopted approach for shaping community behaviors and attitudes and promoting public and financial health practices in front of a broad audience. CARE Uganda used this strategy to encourage communities to reflect on their beliefs regarding technology, especially those that restrict who can use and benefit from mobile technology. Read More
This report is a summary of CARE's activities in Poland and the Central and Eastern Europe region in 2023. 2023 marks second year of CARE's activities in Poland after its return because of the escalation of war in Ukraine. The Polish office is also active in Slovakia and Hungary, and supports CARE's efforts in Ukraine. With no end to the conflict in sight, CARE Poland has continued to provide humanitarian assistance, support integration efforts, and optimize our programs to better adapt to a protracted crisis. In 2023, we’ve reached more than 800,000 people with our 34 programs. Read More
The "Mudzi Wathu Village Bank" brief outlines an innovative digital financial platform tailored for Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) in Malawi. Developed through a collaboration between TNM Mpamba (Malawian MNO) and CARE Malawi, the platform enhances financial inclusion by integrating digital technology with traditional financial practices. Key features include the expansion of mobile money agents, affordable feature phones, and secure transactions through the *444# USSD service. Read More