Invest in Hope: Bank on Africa

The African continent is home to 24 of the world's 25 poorest countries. Up to 75 percent of Africans live on less than $2 per day. When people lack access to even the most simple financial tools, they cannot break out of the cycle of poverty.

Many communities in Sub-Saharan Africa need access to economic opportunity. Basic services, like a safe place to deposit money, affordable insurance to protect against unexpected expenses and a chance to get capital to start or grow a business must be available to everyone.

There is hope. We live in a time of unprecedented knowledge and information, with access to the technology and tools that make it possible to fight poverty and help communities -- even isolated ones -- use the hard work and ingenuity of their citizens to grow. But we need to make sure everyone gets access to them.

It's time for all of us to invest in hope in Africa. Support efforts to expand banking throughout Sub-Saharan Africa so that all people can have a chance to succeed.