Some 550 million people in sub-Saharan Africa – more than the entire population of the United States, Canada and Mexico combined – live on less than $2 a day. For them, each day is a struggle. They simply do not earn enough to meet their needs.
Though the problem may be stated simply, the solution isn't a quick fix. In countries with little or no industry, private sector jobs are extraordinarily rare. Women have to create their own opportunities and, as we all know, it takes money to make money.
In 1991 in a village in southern Niger, CARE developed a way to harness an ancient African practice of group savings, in which community members pooled together their resources to create a kind of village bank.
CARE knows from experience that investing in the earning power of women yields large benefits in terms of family income and well-being. When women earn, everyone benefits. Invest wisely today with a tax-deductible donation to CARE!
- $69 can provide a village savings and loan group with a lock box, ledger and other materials.
- $115 can provide a community mobilizer with a bicycle to reach remote village groups.
- $740 can help start a village savings and loan group, and support lending and business activities.