Success Story

New Perspectives for Women

POULTRY INCUBATION BUSINESS INITIATED
Viorica Burlac, an unemployed mother of two, decided to establish an egg incubation business as a result of her participation in the NPW-conducted entrepreneurship training program. Combining her in-kind grant of $800 from ICS with $120 in her own borrowed funds, Viorica was able to purchase an incubator with a 500egg capacity. In May, she launched her operations and has since hatched 3 batches of chicks, resulting in 1050 live chicks. Vioricas incubator is not only the largest in her village, but she is the rst to offer chicks for sale to the public. She sells them at the market price of 3.5-4 lei (27-31 U.S. cents) apiece. In addition, she sells chicks at the two markets closest to her village. As a result of the renement of her incubation techniques, Viorica has improved her yield to 85% from an initial 66%. She also is using the incubator to hatch ducklings and goslings, which garner an even higher price and are more protable . Luckily, Vioricas neighbors are happy for her success. I dont feel any jealousy from people, she says. On the contrary, all my neighbors and buyers tell others not to go into the city, but to buy birds from me, because they are cheaper and of higher quality. Next year, Viorica will be able to make a greater prot, since she will hatch her rst lot starting in February, which will enable her to sell them in March for 10 lei (77 cents) apiece, or nearly three times the summer price. Already looking to the future, Viorica is currently saving up for a small feed mill, as well as a generator, so that she can ensure a steady power supply through the winter months and prevent the major losses that an unexpected electricity outage could cause. Viorica is clearly very proud of her success. Now I have my own source of money, she says, so I can take care of my children. I feel a deep responsibility for the quality of my product in my customers eyes, because (their satisfaction) is essential to my success.
About the Winrock - Italian Consortium Entrepreneurship Activity

August 2006

New entrepreneurs from Antonesti share their stories

In September 2005, the USAID-funded New Perspectives for Women (NPW) project signed an agreement with the Italian Consortium of Solidarity (ICS) to collaborate on a project to help vulnerable and at-risk girls and young women in the Moldovan regions of Causeni and Stefan Voda, including the village of Antonesti, to generate additional income. Through this collaboration, NPW conducted intensive, long-term entrepreneurship training for 67 girls from Causeni and 60 girls from Stefan Voda. From this initial group of trainees, 58 girls who had developed business plans for new start-up operations were selected to receive $800 in inkind grants. The grants were made possible by funding from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and were provided in the form of equipment required for the start-up of these new businesses by ICS. In addition, participants beneted from extensive follow-on training and consulting assistance facilitated by both Winrock and ICS.