BOMA Project

BOMA implements a data-driven high-impact poverty graduation program, specifically designed to meet the needs of ultra-poor women in the ASALs of Africa. We work in the arid and semi-arid lands of Africa where residents suffer from some of the highest poverty rates in the world.
BOMA’s target area, the ASALs (40% of the African continent), represent the true last mile of extreme poverty and economic isolation. The region’s low population density and lack of infrastructure mean there are no large employers and livelihood choices are minimal. Many of the villages where BOMA works are miles from the nearest trading post, paved road, public transportation, school, health center and financial institution. Low population densities, geographic remoteness and transportation challenges has meant that residents are largely forgotten by their own government, and only a few NGOs are willing to make meaningful investment beyond food aid or short-term humanitarian relief in times of crisis.
BOMA gives women seed capital, training and two years of mentoring, so they can start a small business and establish sustainable income and savings. BOMA’s holistic program helps ultra-poor women to build a pathway out of extreme poverty by addressing the three inter-related elements that contribute to the cycle of poverty and aid dependency in the ASALs: low incomes, inconsistent cash flows and inadequate financial services for the rural poor. Profits from each REAP business provide a new and diversified income; personal and business savings help women manage cash flow (for daily needs); and BOMA savings groups help women to plan for future expenses (such as school fees and medical care) and respond to shocks (such as drought or emergencies).
Shor
BOMA’s unique adaptation of the poverty graduation model, REAP, is designed for the specific purpose of economically empowering women living in extreme poverty in the drylands of Africa.