AMINA – Associação de Mulheres Independentes na Ativa

As Marruás Pantaneiras e Seus Doces Caseiros

Income generation for women victims of domestic violence in the Pantanal region

The Associação de Mulheres Independentes  na Ativa (AMINA) was created to promote the social, economic, and cultural development of individuals and families ordinarily excluded from society and who live in a condition of vulnerability and risk (principally women who have suffered from domestic violence) in the neighborhoods and villages of Anastácio, MS.

AMINA works to restore the self-esteem of women who have suffered domestic violence but have escaped the situation and must now provide for themselves. These women have often received little formal education. AMINA offers training courses in cooking, sewing, information & technology and baking.

IMPACT

With support from BrazilFoundation, the project will:

• Create income-generating opportunities through the baking of homemade sweets that will improve the family budgets of 20 women who were victims of domestic violence;
• Renovate the organization’s kitchen for it to pass health inspections;
• Teach nutrition courses to 200 women from the low income communities;
• Produce packages for the commercialization of the sweets and baked goods.

“When I first came to AMINA, I suffered from depression because I had been a victim of domestic violence. AMINA changed my life. Today I am happy, I teach and I can support myself.” – Maria José, AMINA associate