They may try to sell shoes in the market or start a sewing business. But without collateral or credit history, traditional banks won't provide the small loans they need for their business to succeed.

To break out of poverty, the enterprising poor require the same resources as every determined entrepreneur — access to capital and practical training.

Fast Facts

• Only 4 percent of the world’s enterprising poor have access to the small loans they need to work their way out of poverty.
• On average, poor women entrepreneurs use 92 cents of each dollar of extra income to improve their children’s health and education.
• Microenterprise opportunities can help an entire community do things like rebuild after a disaster and reduce the devastating toll of HIV and AIDS on families.
  
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• Community lending | Loan circles of 20 to 30 borrowers allow the poorest entrepreneurs to obtain credit by guaranteeing each other’s loans. Members develop their leadership and sense of pride in weekly meetings that offer training and prayer support.
• Larger loans | Successful repayment of smaller loans makes clients eligible for larger individual loans, helping them to grow their businesses and employ others in the community.

• Business coaching | World Vision’s staff provide eager entrepreneurs with coaching in accounting, marketing, and management, based on biblical and ethical business principles.
• Community needs | To truly escape the cycle of poverty, poor entrepreneurs need access to clean water, stable food sources, health care, and education for their families. World Vision offers microloans along with these life-saving interventions in more communities each year in order to bring lasting change.

• Local and international markets | World Vision advocates and finds partners for poor entrepreneurs so they can overcome rural isolation, unfair trade practices, and logistical barriers to wider markets.
• Technology | World Vision identifies tools and technology that may not be available locally — such as new plant varieties — and helps business owner s purchase what they need using microloans.
• Information | Just like any business owner, the poor need information to run their small enterprises well. World Vision helps launch other small businesses and partnerships, such as cell phone co-ops and Internet cafes, that can provide access to information.
  Thanks to generous donors like you, World Vision has provided more than 1 million small loans to help poor entrepreneurs build a better future for their children.
  
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• $100 puts strength in the hands of an impoverished mother with a small business loan she can use to start or expand a business. She'll use her income to feed, clothe, and educate her children.

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"You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours."
— Psalm 128:2 (NIV)

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