Meet Entrepreneurs Around the World Empowered by Microloans

The best part of funding microloans to small business owners through Kiva is the many success stories we get to read—stories of people all over the world doing the best they can to secure a future for themselves and their families.

To date, Lendio Gives has lent a total of $161,400 through 6434 microloans. Each of those loans represents someone out there chasing the entrepreneurial dream. While we can’t share every story that’s made its way back to us, we can share a few of our favorites.

Pictured on the right is Joseph of The Sani B Group in Tanzania. He’s the married father of 7 children—all are still in school. He’s pictured here with his latest business investment—a new red motorcycle (called a “boda boda” in his native language). Joseph has been in the transport sector for 10 years and works daily from 7 in the morning to 8 at night. He’s very grateful to everyone who helped him purchase the new bike. And we’re grateful he’s out there hustling to take care of his family.

Here we have the Maravillas De Tacagua (Wonders of Tacagua) Group, an organization of women who offer myriad products and services. They run a beauty salon and meat shop, sell jackets, vests, shoes, blankets, food, and clothing, and operate a transportation service. The loan they received has enabled them to buy cosmetics at wholesale prices to sell in their salon. The profits from these sales will vastly improve the finances of these hard-working women.

In fact, 93% of the loans funded by Lendio Gives go to supporting female entrepreneurs. Many are single mothers, primary family earners, or young entrepreneurs. All are trying to build a promising future for themselves and their dependents. In a world where barriers are still a problem for driven women, we do what we can to knock ‘em down.

Up next we have Dianna from Armenia. She’s a young entrepreneur investing in her family’s farm business. She lives with her parents and helps them take care of cows, calves, a bull, lambs, sheep, and chickens. She was recently awarded a loan to finance the purchase of a new cow for the family farm. Another cow will bring a significant amount of extra revenue to the business.

While improving revenue is always great, what really makes a loan like this one special is its empowerment of a young business-minded woman. She reached out to Kiva, pitched her business idea, and was able to secure financing.

Dianna’s making a difference for her family, and the best part is that you helped make it happen. A portion of every financial product you’ve ever received from us has gone to fund entrepreneurs around the world. And when we say around the world, we mean it. We’ve supplied microloans to small business owners in 79 different countries and counting.

And we plan to keep going until the sun burns out. Or until every entrepreneur reaches their dreams. Whichever comes first.