By Georgia FreeFriday 2 Jun 2023Hope DriveSocial JusticeReading Time: 2 minutes
India is the fastest growing country in the world, with the largest population – and yet, more than half of the country live in poverty. But Opportunity International Australia is aiming to turn that around.
Opportunity International Australia is an international not-for-profit network which provide microloans for women across Asia to build their own businesses and support their families.
“Microloans allow women to use their skills and talents to grow their own small businesses,” National Marketing and Communications Manager Nicole Clements told Hope Drive.
“It’s small, it’s sustainable and scalable,” she said.
“These women are often very good at repaying their loans… that money is then recycled to help other women and families.”
Manti’s story
Opportunity International Australia has assisted 6.5 million women and families in the last year with small loans and financial services. One of those women is Manti – a woman in her 40s who lives in northern India with her six daughters.
Manti and her family have no bathroom and share the rooms of their house with animals. All of Manti’s children attend school, however, they can only afford to eat one meal a day. Additionally, Manti’s daughter Mohan was born with a tumour in her eye, which creates additional challenges for the family.
But with a microloan from Opportunity International, Manti is now growing crops – and has hopes that the financial security from the business will help pay for education, medical bills and food for the family.
Source: Supplied / Manti and Opportunity International Australia’s Nicole Clements
A call to generosity
Although many Australians are financially stretched, Nicole encouraged people to give what they could to families in deep need.
“When you support a woman, you support a family.”
“Typically, people in low-income countries spend two thirds of their wages on groceries, compared to Australia, where the average person spends only a quarter,” Nicole said.
“If we can be generous hearted, it really does make an enormous difference.
“When you support a woman, you support a family.”
Listen to Nicole’s full interview on Hope Drive in the player above.
To find out more information about Opportunity International Australia, visit their website.