PROSPERITY CATALYST INC
9 WATERHOUSE STREET, CAMBRIDGE, MA 02138 www.prosperitycatalyst.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: PROSPERITY CATALYST DEVELOPS AND STRENGTHENS WOMEN-LED BUSINESSES IN DISTRESSED REGIONS, PROVIDING BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL TRAINING, CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN TO ACHIEVE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL EMPOWERMENT.

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 97% OWNED BY PROSPERITY CATALYST. 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 A SHORTAGE OF HIGH-QUALITY BEESWAX, SO PCAT DECIDED TO WORK WITH LOCAL BEEKEEPERS STARTING IN 2016 TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THEIR WAX. IN ADDITION TO WORKING WITH OVER 600 BEEKEEPERS IN HAITI, FANM LIMYE HAS WORKED WITH 42 ARTISAN GROUPS, PROVIDING THEM WITH IN-DEPTH BUSINESS FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS, PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT TRAINING AND DESIGN INPUTS. FANM LIMYE PROVIDES BOTH FACE-TO-FACE BUSINESS TRAINING AND INDIVIDUALIZED SUPPORT TO EACH OF THE ARTISAN GROUPS THROUGH MENTOR VISITS TO HELP THEM APPLY THE THEORY OF THE TRAINING TO THE REALITY OF THEIR OWN BUSINESS. PCAT ENGAGES EXPERT DESIGNERS TO VISIT HAITI TO WORK WITH ARTISAN GROUPS AFFILIATED WITH FANM LIMYE TO HELP THEM DEVELOP NEW PRODUCTS FOR THE US MARKET. WE PURCHASE AND SELL ARTISAN PRODUCTS THROUGH OUR ONLINE STORE AS WELL AS TO RETAIL STORES IN THE US. WITH CONTINUED SUPPORT FROM OUR MAIN DONOR, UMCOR, WE WILL BE SERVING AN ADDITIONAL 30 ARTISAN GROUPS IN HAITI THIS YEAR.

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. WHAT STARTED AS A SUCCESSFUL PILOT PROJECT HAS NOW GROWN INTO A DYNAMIC SOCIAL BUSINESS VENTURE. PROSPERITY CATALYST IS MAKING STEADY PROGRESS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE HUB FOR THE PURPOSE OF CREATING PROSPERITY FOR HUNDREDS OF ASPIRING IRAQI WOMEN ARTISANS AND ENTREPRENEURS. IN 2016, WE EXPANDED OUR OPERATIONS TO SERVE IDPS IN KURDISTAN IN NORTHERN IRAQ.IN 2019, OUR WORK HAS EXPANDED THROUGHOUT IRAQ WITH A FOCUS ON ERBIL, DOHUK, MOSUL, BAGHDAD, DHI QAR, MUTHANA, AND HILLA. THIS YEAR, WE WORK WITH ARTISANS AND ENTREPRENEURS ALL ALONG THE VALUE CHAIN TO IMPROVE THEIR HANDCRAFTED PRODUCTS, UPGRADE THE QUALITY OF RAW MATERIALS, AND STRENGTHEN THEIR BUSINESS SKILLS. WE HAVE ENGAGED THE KNOWLEDGE AND ENERGY OF 40 YOUTH MENTORS WHO HAVE HELPED US MAP THE ARTISAN VALUE CHAIN THROUGHOUT THESE REGIONS AND IDENTIFIED TALENTED ARTISANS AND ENTREPRENEURS TO ENROLL IN OUR WORK. WE HAVE IDENTIFIED EMBROIDERERS, PYROGRAPHERS, BASKET WEAVERS, CROCHETERS AND OTHERS.

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