Biennieal Progress of Eec

BIENNIAL REPORT 2008-2010

The Economic Empowerment Committee (EEC) of Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamaat (previously known as the Economic Upliftment Committee) is the committee that finds ways to help the economically disadvantaged members of the community by empowering them to perform better economically and with the long-term objective of reducing the number of persons falling into welfare due to tough economic conditions.

Realizing the inertia among members of the community to take up the programs established, the committee invests in and establishes programs that are:

• Pro-active: we reach out to the people needing assistance, rather than expecting them to come to us.

• Incentive-based: programs that would be a win-win for all stakeholders.

Keeping with the view that EEC was a body that provided tools and assistance to empower economically disadvantaged persons in the community, EEC set its direction on these fronts for the term:

i. Provide training for those employed at low salaries and those unemployed, to increase income capacity.

ii. Provide for assistance through micro-loans for small businesses.

iii. Encourage trade within the community.

iv. Move to work with IU employment section for jobs once employees of the community are trained to a satisfactory level.

The above was to be achieved by a number of programs over the term. The programs that were carried out were (details below):

1. Employee Training Program

2. JIBA Business Loans Scheme

3. Mabrook Community Discount Card

4. ClimB – Career Building Workshops

The programs that were in the pipeline, that we hope the next team will work on:

- Micro-finance project with World Federation, through which micro-businesses and home-based businesses would be facilitated with a quick, small loan in the range of $250 - $1,000.

- Arrangement on jobs placement with IU employment

- A non-binding “Tender-Board” to...