We increased the average income of our group and put it into savings

Sh. Enkhtuya, a resident of Sukhbaatar, Selenge aimag, used to make knitwear, custom-made clothes and felt products at home. On September 8, 2006, she learned about the GER Initiative from a friend and registered as a customer.

  She became actively involved in the activities organized by the project. In order to attend the business trainings organized by the project and find a partner, she organized three “Knitting Trainings” in cooperation with the project.

   As a result, she found people to work with, and GER Initiative project group training provided a clear understanding of how to work as a business group. Thus, on April 1, 2007, she and others founded the Chandmani-Erdene group. This was followed by a meeting with Kady, a GER Initiative project volunteer and Peace Corps staff member, whereafter she received two sewing machines and a knitting machine with a grant from the World Peace Corps. People with disabilities and hearing impairments make up the majority of the group. As of February 11, 2009, the Chandmani-Erdene Group has 12 members. In September 2008, the group obtained a loan of MNT 1,000,000 from XacBank through a project to increase its working capital and income, as well as to create savings and expand its product range.

   Now the members of the group produce felt, knitwear, various souvenirs and household products from straw, as well as make and sew custom clothes to order. There have also been some organizational changes. As a result of their group work, they organized their own solo exhibition for the “White Cane Day '' in Sukhbaatar soum, Selenge aimag, and presented their work to the people of the aimag. She won an award for her work called “Chinggis” and participated in an exhibition organized by the Business Incubator Center in Ulaanbaatar in December 2008 and won the “Best of the Year'' award.

   Now, these artists are planning to participate in the Lunar New Year fair organized by the GER Initiative on February 14 and 15, 2009 in Darkhan and on February 21 and 22, 2009 in Selenge aimag. Furthermore, they want to re-engage in project loan brokerage services to increase the profits of their business group, and the project aims to support their business and work together to market products and services through business connection services.