Enterprise Value Chain (EVC) is an initiative, which aims to benefit the micro and small entrepreneurs by improving their business quality and services, along with an increase in their incomes and generation of employment opportunities. CEIP has implemented EVC through a funding grant received from Pakistan Microfinance Investment Company (PMIC). Almost 1700 women entrepreneurs were targeted through several interventions, including provision of larger size micro credit loans amounting PKR 110,000 and conducting special trainings on skill enhancement, bookkeeping and business development. CEIP also facilitated the EVC clients in strengthening their market linkages with local factories for purchasing raw material and selling manufactured products at competitive prices.
Beautician Training
Two-day long beautician trainings were held under EVC on innovative beauty trends in parlour work. We provided an exclusive working opportunity of becoming a beauty trainer to our expert client Zahida Shehzad, who has been working as a beautician for the past 10 years and has set up her own parlour with the help of CEIP’s microcredit loan. Zahida enlightened women clients about different types of new facials, hairstyles and gave them tips to improve bridal makeup. After the initial demonstration, the participants were divided into groups of 7 each in which they practiced what they learned.
One of the participants, Saniya Danish said:”This training has polished my skills tremendously and I feel confident that these will add a great value to my business”.
Stitching Training
Asiya’s words of encouragement were: “If we teach a woman to stitch, we empower her financially for a lifetime”.
Financial Literacy Training
Financial Literacy training equipped the women entrepreneurs with financial knowledge and skills. They were taught basic financial concepts such as saving income, investing in profitable business and opening a bank account to secure their funds. All of this has been carried out to help marginalized communities become a financially inclusive part of the banking system of Pakistan.
CEIP conducted 65 trainings under EVC project which benefitted 1707 clients and disbursed almost PKR 122 million to 1034 clients in 2019. These efforts have rendered a positive impact on the businesses of our clients by enhancing the quality of their services and products.