Prosperity Catalyst

In 2013, not long after the earthquake, pcat started working in haiti, by providing business management training to 100 women in cap-haitian and launching a women-led candle production and export company called fanm limye (women illuminated), a for-profit business, which is 97% owned by Prosperity Catalyst with each of the remaining shares owned by two pcat board members and the current executive director. Fanm limye is also registered in haiti as a local nonprofit. In january 2015, pcat moved the operation to port-au-prince (pap), where there would be easier and cheaper access to supplies and to both local and export markets.the group of women trained in candle-making in pap found that their production was hampered by high quality beeswax, so pcat decided to work with local beekeepers starting in 2016. To date, we have trained 1,108 beekeepers, 62% women in 5 communes of the west department and 3 communes of nippes department. This year we added agroforestry training to the 32 beekeeping communities and planted another 25,000 trees. We are also launching a maternal child health and nutrition component.

Our work in iraq has a special emphasis on supporting and providing economic opportunities for female heads of household, war widows, internally displaced persons (idps), and other vulnerable women. In 2013, Prosperity Catalyst launched an innovative and market-driven model in baghdad, iraq, with the goal of creating economic opportunity for hundreds of iraqi women. We have supported operations in erbil, dohuk, mosul, baghdad, basra, dhi qar, muthana, and hilla. To date, we have provided technical training to 1,695 iraqi artisans, 93% women; provided business feasibility and planning training to 1,428 entrepreneurs909 artisans, 9285% women; and provided business expansion or start-up kits to 154 142 artisan businesses employing more than 505 people. We have also trained 103 tour guides and 150 tourism entrepreneurs, 55% women.