origin
is a movement from the heart.
More than 300.000 women worldwide, different in culture and background, united by the wish to take control of their own lives. To get behind the wheel of progress. Connected through their inner strength and solidarity.
2011
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Our founders Uthara Narayanan and Dave Jongeneelen started the Buzz journey in 2012 with two questions:
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1. How do women get out of poverty?
2. How can we make education accessible to them?
And one rough idea: starting a school on wheels.
2012
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With help from Suresh Krishna, founder of a micro-credit bank in India, Uthara and Dave started out in good spirits. Equipped with all kinds of ideas and concepts, but the reality of everyday life proved to be more different. The feedback of the first groups of women was clear: we do not need concepts but money. 'If our financial worries decrease, we will be open to learning other things'.
2013
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The first school on wheels was an oversized bus that got stuck in the mud every so often. Yet this bus instantly showed what Buzz Women was all about: bringing transformation within reach. Women suddenly only had to leave their homes to gain new knowledge and skills. The bus, with a local trainer on board, chairs and learning materials brought a new perspective to their own environment.
2016
To handhold the behavioural change post training the Anchor Women program was introduced. Supported by Buzz, the Anchor Women would lead monthly learning meetings with their trainingsgroup called a Beehive. The Beehives are the beating heart of our movement. It’s where the learning and action takes place. We call the 15000 operating Beehives our ‘Heart Quarters’ and The Anchor Women our ‘Chief Energy Officers’.
2017​
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Initially, Buzz Women's ambition was to train 20,000 women. In the first year we had 1 school on wheels and reached 64 women. In 2017 we reached the 20,000 goal, 3 years ahead of target time. We revised the goal to 100,000 women by 2020. Now almost 10 years after the first bus hit the ground we've reached over 300,000 women with 15 buses on the road. Reaching over 1.000 women a day!
2018
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Where we initially focused on financial literacy and self-confidence, we have now added fantastic learning programs on entrepreneurship, climate action, health and solidarity.
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In 2018 we also set foot on African ground in The Gambia, where Fatou Cham leads the daily operations.
2019​
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Buzz Women in Georgia is a fact. Due to the pandemic Buzz Georgia starts up online reaching women from all over the country. Georgia is our first social franchise country, we partner with micro-finance organisation Crystal.
2021​
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The first Buzz Women training in The Netherlands has taken place.
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Globally we have passed the milestone of 250.000 trained women.
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Start of the Shakti Fund, building the regenerative model towards a financially sustainable future.