Mission and Principles

PHOTO 6 MISSION AND PRINCIPLES - TRUSTEE AND READA ED HELPING WITH RICE DISTRIBUTION

Our Approach

Lotus’ Mission Statement

Lotus’ goal is to help communities improve their quality of life and to achieve sustainable independence, where families no longer depend on external donations but are resilient through their own initiatives and collective actions. 

To date, the Rice Banks and Small Loans Projects have been the most beneficial projects to the participating families.

This long-term transformation begins with a mindset change. The dedicated Lotus-READA staff work closely with community members to encourage a belief in self-reliance. From there, projects are created based on the needs of the communities, including Rice Banks, Small Loans and agricultural and livestock projects.

Our goal is to enable families to thrive in their own villages by helping to increase the participating families’ income (through various projects).  This enables them to also become stronger members of their communities contributing both economically and socially.

Principles of Operation

— Long Term Commitment

We remain engaged with the same communities over many years, ensuring trust, continuity, and improvement in quality of life. 

— Self Help

After years of providing direct donations, Lotus and READA created a more sustainable model based on income generating projects financed through interest free loans. These projects are developed in close co-operation with the communities and the village elders, and are managed by committees elected by the communities themselves. Income from the projects provides additional income for participating families; the extra income is used to improve family life and repay the project loans, it also allows the families to continue the income generating activities on their own after the projects end.

The repaid interest from all interest free project loans is used by Lotus to fund future projects with new families. 

This change demanded significant community commitment and capacity building, but once embraced, it transformed the overall thinking. Families now feel proud to be able to contribute to village life creating a much happier community.  We at Lotus could not be happier. 

— Emergency Relief

While our focus is on improving the quality of the lives of the communities ongoing, we are also able to respond to local emergencies such as drought, floods, etc., ensuring fast support when it’s needed most.