Sherida Mkama lives with her husband and their ten children in Kamanga, Tanzania. Since 1995, all the money she made selling tomatoes at a local market went toward tuition and uniform fees for her children. Trapped in the cycle of poverty, Sherida had no reason to hope that things could get better.
Then Sherida learned of FINCA from a friend and she joined the Tugeme Village Banking group. She took out a first loan of $50. Sherida used her Village Bank loans to purchase spare parts for her bicycle so she could transport her tomatoes to the market and to buy seeds and fertilizer so she could grow her own tomatoes. After investing in her business and paying for her children's school fees, Sherida can now set aside savings for her family, and has a newfound sense of hope and confidence.
Of the 1.3 billion people living in extreme poverty worldwide, 70 percent are women. Poor women are the least able to access credit, and yet they often provide a substantial portion - or all - of the family's income. This method of providing small loans, called microfinance, gives them the opportunity to build or expand businesses that become crucial sources of income and economic vitality.
You can play pivotal a role in this extraordinary effort to provide a hand-up to poor working women around the world. If you have the means, a small loan can forever change the life a poor woman seeking an opportunity - not a hand-out. Right now, you can send a message of hope to a woman who is struggling to provide herself and her family with a better life.
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4:24 pm PDT, Sep 18,Name not displayed, Austria
I really appreciate your efforts to enable your family a pleasant life! You are an excellent example therefor that women also can manage everything they want to.
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8:43 am PDT, Sep 18,Matt Kelly, Massachusetts
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9:52 pm PDT, Sep 17,Pam Boland, Georgia
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9:54 am PDT, Sep 14,Yvonne Brandhorst Jan�en, Germany
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8:33 am PDT, Sep 11,Brittany Solak, Connecticut
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9:08 am PDT, Sep 8,Jeff Lester, Texas
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5:36 am PDT, Sep 8,Name not displayed, Greece
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11:54 am PDT, Sep 3,Georgiopoulou Antigoni, Greece
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3:35 pm PDT, Aug 28,Noelle Cruz, California
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12:10 am PDT, Aug 28,Juan Francisco Martinez Saura, Spain
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4:30 am PDT, Aug 16,Maria Gonçalves, Portugal
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5:39 am PDT, Aug 14,Patricia Cannell, Canada
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1:10 pm PDT, Aug 12,Luke Charles, United Kingdom
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4:18 pm PDT, Aug 9,Samantha E. S., Minnesota
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9:20 pm PDT, Aug 7,Name not displayed, Kentucky
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1:19 pm PDT, Aug 7,Jacklin Brice, South Carolina
jacklin brice
12:40 pm PDT, Jul 20,Baturina Ann, Russian Federation
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10:49 am PDT, Jul 20,Elissa Robertson, Canada
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6:54 pm PDT, Jul 17,Marion White, New Zealand
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4:31 am PDT, Jul 17,Alfiya Topchiy, Russian Federation
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3:01 am PDT, Jul 17,Claudia Ioannidou, Cyprus
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8:05 pm PDT, Jul 16,Adrienne Wade, Australia
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6:30 pm PDT, Jul 13,Nebiahlia Anderson, New Mexico
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11:48 am PDT, Jul 12,Jo Liz Lehikoinen, Finland
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5:38 am PDT, Jul 11,Name not displayed, Ukraine
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7:34 am PDT, Jul 9,Jennie Halen, Sweden
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4:20 pm PDT, Jul 7,Veronica Benson-Moore, California
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9:10 pm PDT, Jun 28,Noelle Cruz, California
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1:59 pm PDT, Jun 23,Daile O'Connor, New Jersey
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8:32 pm PDT, Jun 21,Tatiana Costa, Brazil
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3:02 am PDT, Jun 20,Jayne Russell, United Kingdom
Such determination in life will create chances and hope for your children. What an example to set for them. They too will achieve more and more in life.
Keep at it.
Jayne
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3:57 pm PDT, Jun 17,Gail Holladay, Ohio
You wome in other countries are very strong-minded ad must feel proud! We here in usa do not ralize how good we have life. My heart goes out to you! Keep the faith!
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1:56 am PDT, Jun 17,Emily Valdespino, Arizona
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10:47 am PDT, Jun 14,Guido Van Genechten, Belgium
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4:57 am PDT, Jun 14,Niroz Zaito, Lebanon
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4:40 am PDT, Jun 14,Pettina Aouad, Lebanon
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6:01 am PDT, Jun 13,Name not displayed, United Kingdom
Well done on all your hard work, you are an inspirational woman.
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3:13 pm PDT, Jun 11,Rhea Forester, Texas
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9:01 pm PDT, Jun 10,Alejandra Pizarro, Peru
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6:09 pm PDT, Jun 8,Name not displayed, Texas
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9:47 pm PDT, Jun 7,Crystal Overland, Louisiana
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3:17 pm PDT, Jun 7,J Roberts, Oregon
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4:17 am PDT, Jun 4,Anton Koifman, Israel
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12:31 pm PDT, May 22,Alison Lambert, Florida
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10:49 am PDT, May 22,Julia Alcock, United Kingdom
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4:47 am PDT, May 19,Yew Wah Ng, Malaysia
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7:21 am PDT, May 15,Name not displayed, Norway
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2:45 am PDT, May 7,George Azzi, Australia
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10:51 am PDT, Apr 27,Jackie Charbonneau, Canada
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2:14 am PDT, Apr 26,Michele Wilkie, Texas
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9:53 pm PDT, Apr 25,Name not displayed, Illinois
Bless you, your hard work, and those you love.
I hope that peace, love, and happiness be with you.
Your determination and spirit inspires me.
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7:30 am PDT, Apr 24,Gaily Belusconi Ring, South Africa
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1:47 pm PDT, Apr 23,Aleasha Casaretto, Texas
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6:55 pm PDT, Apr 19,Name not displayed, Canada
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5:36 pm PDT, Apr 19,Safiya Baker, Texas
This load should be no interest...or she will stay in poverty.
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7:25 pm PDT, Apr 18,Name not displayed, Australia
HOPE this is what this world is missing
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10:55 pm PDT, Apr 16,Nichole Long, Alabama
I am so happy for you, Sherida. I wish you and your family all the best!
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9:26 am PDT, Apr 16,Mary Jane Crawford, Canada
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3:45 am PDT, Apr 14,Jon Corlett, Florida
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1:59 pm PDT, Apr 9,Mekeah Penny, California
MY MOM HAD SIX KIDS WHEN MY FATHER LEFT US... HE LEFT MY MOM WITH 2 DOLLARS IN THE BANK, AND MY YOUNGEST SISTER WAS 6 MONTH OLD... NOW MY MOM IS A NURSE AND IS ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF US... PLEASE TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GET WHERE YOU WANT TO BE IN LIFE!!!! BLESS YOU ALL FOR DOING YOUR BEST, THAT'S ALL ANY OF US CAN DO IN THE SITUATIONS WE ARE PUT INTO.... I WISH YOU WELL IN YOUR JOURNEYS...
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11:46 pm PDT, Apr 8,Catherine Gaspard, Belgium
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12:55 pm PDT, Apr 4,Shannon Sultan, Wisconsin
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9:37 am PDT, Apr 3,Name not displayed, Italy
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11:15 pm PDT, Apr 2,Amanda Thompson, Pennsylvania
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7:53 pm PDT, Apr 2,Justine Lloyd, Wisconsin
These women like Sherida are working to support their families and are, often single-handedly, working the family out of poverty. Who wouldn't support them?
