International Poverty Alleviation
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Investing in Women’s Leadership Around The Globe
Powerful women are everywhere. They are rebuilding countries, demanding peace, educating the next generation, breaking down barriers between religions, rejuvenating economies, and bringing dignity to themselves, their families, and their communities. They are calling on everyone to abandon old myths on what it really means to be poor. It doesn’t mean helpless. It doesn’t mean invisible nor weak. It means that if given the opportunity, women will lead the way out of poverty. We are inspired by them and are privileged to join them.
Focusing on Asia, Africa, and Latin America FTHF joins this movement where women are realizing their dreams and rebuilding lives. We are investing in their collective power by funding organizations that employ microcredit as a means to harness the strength of people coming together for positive change.
FTHF has partnered and funded in the following areas:
Liberia:
A person buys a large bag of charcoal, breaks it into pieces, and puts it into smaller bags to sell from her lap. It is heart aching to know that this is her sole source of income. Yet only months ago, this same disabled woman was begging on the streets in Liberia, lacking a wheelchair. But for the vision and the compassion of Guegbeh Peal who gave this woman and others in her community small loans, we would not have witnessed this woman’s face filled with dignity and hope. We would not have seen a disabled community be uplifted.
We are joining Guegbeh’s movement to rebuild her country by making a loan to the Foundation for Women Liberia so that they may make approximately 500 more loans to those living in poverty with limited access to electricity, water, roads, garbage collection, or schools. Liberia has nearly 85% unemployment and illiteracy. It’s the first African country to have elected a woman president and is slowly recovering from 20 years of civil war. The backbone of this country is the women, particularly the courageous women borrowers that we met.
Inner Mongolia, China
We have also made loans to an organization in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, to support poor rural women who lack access to traditional loans based on their gender and lack of collateral. With a loan of $150 USD, one woman that we met became the first person in her village to send her child to college. Another expanded her small dry goods stand into the village grocery store.
Sierra Leone:
In Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa, FTHF partnered with Salone Microcredit Trust, an organization that makes loans, provides training to its borrowers, and collaborates with others to provide education to children as well as to their mothers. Our loan allows 400 women to receive agricultural loans.
Nepal:
When rural women in Nepal could not access capital, they started savings groups that slowly began to lend money to their members. Organized under Women’s Awareness Center, Nepal, these cooperatives have allowed a widow who was a day laborer to now own land and grow mustard, lentils, wheat and goats; another who started by borrowing $7 to now secure a loan for $700; a mushroom farmer to diversify into goats, buffalos and bees; and thousands of women who used their thumbprint as their signature to now be literate linguistically and financially. A FTHF loan allows Nepali women to rise out of poverty and assume a more equitable role in their society.
Nicaragua:
Mano A Mano is a women’s cooperative founded by widows of the civil war. By women who had lost their families in the violence and who could not read. Today their passion, commitment, and unrelenting belief in the strength of women has resulted in successful agricultural businesses that provide them with income, food, and housing. They have over 800 members who are thriving and building a strong community.