MamadaV

Context

Most Chinese mothers decide to stay at home for the first 3 years, thus are not able to contribute to the household income. As many families rely on a single source of income, this becomes a large burden for the household, especially for low-income families who suffer from lower living standards and financial instability. Stay-at-home mothers tend to have a higher risk of social isolation and disconnect, which could lead to depression and lack of self-esteem. Furthermore, mothers have limited access to education and self-development and lack access to reliable and trustworthy products for mothers and babies, especially in rural areas.

Solution

MamadaV is a mobile e-commerce platform that enables individual mothers to open their own online stores through their social media networks. Mothers can generate additional income by referring and reselling educational and maternity products to other mothers. Apart from increasing household income, MamadaV provides courses, trainings and workshops to educate mothers through an online and offline community. MamadaV benefits Chinese mothers by providing them with technology, training and sustainable business opportunities.

Impact depth

With MamadaV's help, stay-at-home mothers run their own online stores to increase household income, are better engaged in their community by expanding their social network, and get empowered through training and knowledge sharing. MamadaV reached 150’000 mothers in 2015 and targets to benefit more than four million by 2020.

MamadaV allows mothers to:

• Increase financial resilience: Increased disposable income from online sales improves their financial situation. Mothers are encouraged to spend additional income in productive ways, e.g. health and education for their children.
• Promote women's empowerment: Increased choices in life due to higher financial freedom and access to high-quality products and information, training courses, self-education, and learning sessions organized by MamadaV or its members help mothers gain confidence and take more control over their future.
• Increase community engagement and social cohesion: MamadaV encourages communication and socialization by connecting mothers and creating a strong community. This especially addresses the problem of some stay-at-home mothers who suffer from social isolation and depression.