The Village Cooperative

The Village Cooperative is a charitable organization dedicated to the creation and support of income-generating projects in the developing world.

Vision: To empower villages around the world to become self-sustaining through the implementation of handicraft projects, micro-financing enterprises, small business development, and vocational skills training.

Projects: 1. The Village Cooperative sent Indiana University Art student, Matt Steele to Kenya this past summer to train over 200 people in the rural areas of Nakuru, Eldoret, and Mbita on a new fair trade product. A grant issued through the Efroymson Family Fund, a CICF Fund, provided the resources to send Matt to Kenya.

2. The Village Cooperative is currently seeking funding and creative trainers to train groups in Guatemala and Jamaica on fair trade production. Cost to send a trainer to one of these destinations for 2 months is $5,000.

3. The Village Cooperative has recently sent funding to train 20 women in Mwariki Village in Kenya on the production of recycled paper jewelry. Training only costs $10 and there are many more women anxious to learn this skill.

4. The Village Cooperative is currently fund-raising to build homes for women and children in IDP resettlement villages in Nakuru. Each 2 bedroom home costs $600. We have sent funding for 3 houses and hope to build up the entire village.

5. The Village Cooperative is accepting donations of the following items to distribute to our partners around the world: twin bed sheets first aid items band aids ibuprofen children's vitamins backpacks markers, crayons, colored pencils, pens, and pencils children's socks and underwear children's pajamas laptops for new handicraft projects

6. The Village Cooperative is developing a micro-loan project to begin small businesses in Kenya, Thailand, Uganda, Ethiopia, and India. Our focus is on starting small gardens, chicken coops, rabbit hutches, fruit stands, and small restaurants. A loan as small as $200 can start one of these new businesses.

7. The Village Cooperative has just supported the creation of a sewing training center in Mbita, Kenya. Only three more sewing machines and money to purchase fabric are needed to complete this project!

8. The Village Cooperative is currently the proud supporter of a new chicken coop in Mbita, Kenya. With bikes and travelling cartons, the eggs can be distributed to neighboring areas. We are seeking funding for a secure fence costing around $300 and a few more lights for the coop costing under $100 each.

9. The Village Cooperative is currently fundraising to create a garden plot that would support 27 widows in Mbita, Kenya. Each widow has her own plot as well as working a collective plot as a part of this $1500 project.

10. The Village Cooperative is helping the community of Mbita start its own orchard. Fifty more trees are need, but for $3 an income generating tree can be added to this new project.

11. The Village Cooperative is raising funds to provide rice to an orphanage in Khao Lak, Thailand that was nearly destroyed by the Tsunami of 2004. $50 will provide enough rice for the 60 children for a week.

12. The Village Cooperative is partnering with Vamos Adelante in Guatemala to provide eco-friendly stoves to rural families. These stove cut down on wood consumption, burn accidents, respiratory diseases, and eye disease. $100 will provide a family with one of these live-saving stoves.

13. The Village Cooperative will have more microloan projects in the near future as plans for a party rental company, goat company, and reconstruction of a school are already underway!

For donation and funding inquiries, please contact our Executive Director, Kelly Campbell, at info@thevillagecooperative.org or 917-862-9236. We welcome your support! We are officially tax exempt: 26-4098400.