Submitted by Julie Royce on Thu, 02/25/2010 - 21:58
Cairns (pronounced Canes like assistive walking devices), with a population of approximately 150,000, is miniscule compared to Sydney; its laid-back, sun-loving, playful personality provides even sharper contrast.
It started with 18 women. They came from three villages outside of Jaipur, in the State of Rajasthan, in Northwestern India. These women were part of a Self Help Group (SHG). These groups came together on a monthly basis in a desire to learn more about health, hygiene and gender education. They were supported by the NGO, Vatsalya (www.vatsalya.org). Vatsalya coordinated training and helped them learn the basic concepts of microcredit.