RAY OF LIGHT LUX*©

Ray of Light is a CSR initiative introduced in line with the Sustainable Development strategy of LUX* group. It provides a platform to enhance integration, involvement and participation of different stakeholders for the enhancement of the community. The focus is on building the capacity to provide an enabling environment to meet social projects’ targets. Through involvement of resources such as Team Members, Business Partners and key stakeholders, the Ray of Light initiative is aimed at improving the quality of life of community through support of projects in the field of education for marginalised persons, health, and poverty alleviation, amongst others.

Women empowerment project in collaboration with Gender Links

Strengthening and Empowering Women with Low and No income
The Project is to contribute to the poverty alleviation through the development of Women Entrepreneurship in Mauritius as well as strengthening the entrepreneurship capacities of women in situation of poverty through an effective mentoring system. The project was also backed by financial support of the Decentralised Cooperation Programme (DCP) of the European Union (EU). Through this programme 95 families are coming out of poverty.

The programme focuses on an integrated approach of life skills and entrepreneurship training including confidence building; decision making, business management, use of IT (especially for mentors to help with the Business Plans), networking and addressing the underlying structural inequalities between men and women. Informed by the ecological theory of change, the project aims at addressing power relations at an individual, personal relationship, community and societal levels.

This programme has shown success as in 2013 and 2014 Gender Links worked with 195 survivors of GBV (Gender Based Violence) in 10 Councils. 81% of them completed their business plan and 64% followed through on the plan while 29% added new projects and 28% found new markets. The monthly income of these women increased by over 300%.

Project target
The target of the project is to help the beneficiaries to get out of poverty through the implementation of the Entrepreneurship training. They have been encouraged to believe in themselves through the first phase of the training that was on self-esteem. The beneficiaries came out with their own plan for personal development.