Microfinance is changing minds - and lives



© CARE/ Emilie Bailey

For a negative story about aid, you don’t have to look far. The media is quick to cover stories of piracy, corruption and misplaced money. Such stories encourage the public to accept that development fosters dependency, lacks accountability and wastes money. The British public can be misled by the prominence given to stories that generate such controversy. But many positive stories are there, and rarely given the coverage they warrant. One story almost unheard of in the public sphere is the story of microfinance.

Small Initiative, Lasting Impact

Vasantamma © CARE/Hema Padmanaban

A Guest Blog from CARE India

Meet Vasantamma: a feisty 45 years old woman from a small village in Andhra Pradesh and a successful entrepreneur. She has found an equal footing in her family. After patiently bearing years of hardship and domestic discord she can now hold up her head high. Her opinion is now sought in her family and she is looked upon with respect in the family and the community. Just five years ago, her husband would beat her up after drinking alcohol. Many times they could not even afford two square meals a day.

I Lend Therefore I Am

A New Blog Series

© CARE/Emilie Bailey

If we identify ourselves through our thoughts, how much more do we through our actions? We are always inspired to find out why our lenders take action and lend. One such lender said quite simply ‘I lend therefore I am’. Catchy phrase it may be, but there is a philosophy behind this that resonates with our lenders.

People choose to lendwithcare for many different reasons. For some it is an act of humanitarianism or a matter of combatting materialism, others are driven by their faith. Women want to help other women; entrepreneurs want to help other entrepreneurs. In this blog series, we hope to discuss some of these and would love to hear from you if you would like to as well. If you are interested in writing a guest blog about why you lend, get in touch.