Building Relationships With 20 New Microfinance Signups
March 8, 2024, is an eventful day for us and our Manila team as we celebrate 20 new signups to our Honor 1000 Microfinance Program!
Kamala did not have the opportunity to attend school due to poor economic conditions. Her family struggled even just ensuring they ate at least one meal a day. She got married at the age of fifteen with a man more than half of her age, and who was alcoholic and abusive. Her husband left her after she gave birth to her baby girl.
Being a young single mother, she had to work hard just so she can support her daughter. She worked as a housemaid, washed clothes, cleaned dishes, and did whatever work she was offered. Still, her income wasn’t enough to fulfill their basic needs. But she was determined to give her daughter a proper education so she won’t have to experience the same vicious cycle of poverty.
She eventually learned how to make clothes and continued to work as a domestic helper. After a few years, she was finally able to buy a tailoring machine but still needed to purchase fabric so she could make clothes to sell.
In 2019, she came to know about the My Business, My Freedom program. Using her first micro loan, she was able to start her sewing business, buy an additional sewing machine as well as more clothing items for her shop. As her shop expanded, she was also able to provide employment to a fellow single mom. Now that she’s earning significantly more than what she used to earn working in other people’s homes, she’s more encouraged to expand her business.
The people in her community who used to doubt her and would not entrust her with a loan of even just a thousand rupees (USD 9), now respect and look up to her for exhibiting such courage and hard work. Her daughter now also studies in high school and aspires to become an engineer. This mother and daughter will continue to change not only their world, but also the world around them.
Our Partners
March 8, 2024, is an eventful day for us and our Manila team as we celebrate 20 new signups to our Honor 1000 Microfinance Program!
The Chicken Breeding Project in China is dedicated to improve the livelihoods of 90 rural families residing in remote regions of Sichuan, China.
We continue to empower more women through our microfinance program in the Philippines. We opened a new microfinance group in Bayan-Bayanan, one of the barangays in Dinalupihan, Bataan.
Grishma Rai is one of the Nepali girls that we support in the Captivating Village Program. In 2023, the Captivating Village Program initiative reached 18 villages in Nepal, and one of those that we have reached is Grishma's village.
Jennelyn’s mom and sister got pregnant during their teenage years.
The Chicken Farming Project in China continues to enable more women to run their chicken businesses successfully.