Empower 300 women in Africa to increase their living standard from $1-$2 a day to pull themselves out of poverty through micro-loans. $10,000 in each village allows the program to be sustainable. Funds are used to expand small businesses and learn new skills. Money will keep being reinvested every four months; building up loan fund for others, and contributing to the ongoing program management of business training courses to teach literacy and business management to the women borrowers.
Nearly all of the women living in the 3 villages we serve in Ghana and Kenya are living on less than $1 a day. Most of them are illiterate. They help provide for their families by selling simple goods or providing services such as hair styling, jewelry making, or dressmaking/tailoring; but they are unable to expand their business and increase their income enough to pay for their children's school fees or medical needs, or save money for the future.
The funds raised go directly to The Village Net micro-lending programs. In addition to receiving micro-loans, the women are given training in literacy and business management which help to empower them to lift themselves out of poverty.
The micro-loans the women receive will allow them to purchase more items to sell, or expand their product line. A woman selling charcoal may also begin to sell dried beans and yams. The interest from the loans allows The Village Net to provide literacy and business management training, which teaches the women how to plan for the future and increase their profits in order to provide for their families education and health needs.
