Opportunity International Australia Blog

The village on the outskirts of Varanasi can only be described by pictures. It comprised of mud huts with dirt floors, straw as bed, basic agriculture and animals everywhere – even in the bedrooms. I felt like I had walked into the stables where Jesus was born! The only resemblance of the 21st Century were mobile phones and one florescent light bulb!

We were visiting this village with Cashpor, Opportunity International Australia’s microfinance partner in Varanasi. Cashpor serves women living in extreme poverty, in one of the poorest states of India – Uttar Pradesh. The state’s population exceeds 180 million which includes more than 90 million people living on less than $2 per day. In most cases, the women that Cashpor serves are making less than A$1 per day.

We sat down in a community group meeting and the level of excitement was high. The first thing the women did was sign their name on the loan register. These women are illiterate, yet Cashpor has taken the time to teach every one of them to sign their own name – no finger print; no X; but their own name. This seems insignificant to us, yet for the women of this village it represents dignity and empowerment.

This year Cashpor is launching a new service focused on community health. Opportunity is supporting this initiative. Microfinance is more than lending, it’s about helping communities to prosper in a number of ways.

You can help by providing a donation of just $200 to help women like this to educate their children and to progress out of poverty. Click here to donate today.

Stephen Robertson
Opportunity International Australia
www.opportunity.org.au

Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh and the most populous state in India, is home to over 180 million people. Reportedly, there are more than 90 million people in the state living on less than $2 per day. Many of them run small businesses to expand their income and to provide a better life for their families. Although opportunities for employment are scarce, people are creating and expanding new businesses every day.

Today our touring party visited two of Opportunity International Australia’s microfinance programs around the city. Rahul, the CEO of our partner Mardgarshak, (Click here for the latest overview of our programs in India) hosted our visit to a rural village 40 kilometres out of town. As usual, the car trip was hair raising and I sat in the front passenger seat (nick-named the ‘suicide seat’) as our local driver sped, dodged and weaved his way through the local traffic for nearly two hours. After many eye-closing experiences, we arrived. It was hot, dirty and very poor. (See the photo) 

We met 20 women who are actively working to create a new life for their families. They were enthusiastic, enterprising and willing to learn .The women have created their own businesses making toys, incense and candles (see photo). Margdarshak provides them with enterprise training and skills development together with microfinance, including small loans. Our discussion with the women revealed that as a result of their business growth, their income had increased and they can now afford nutritious food, a better education for their children and can be a greater contribution to the household budget. Although they are progressing, they clearly want to do more. They have even asked their local loan officer for larger loans to help them expand their business and grow their income.

With the shortage of funding for small enterprises in India, we need to fill the gap and continue to provide funding and opportunities for people to break the cycle of poverty.

What’s clear to me is that although poverty in India is complex, our programs are making a real difference to people and their families. I love the way our programs not only provide small loans but support our clients with skills training. I love the way we work beside them.

But more is required and so much more can be done. As one person on the trip said to me today, “I love the way my donation is multiplied and ends up helping people to help themselves.”

On Wednesday we are visiting more clients and I can’t wait. Being in India and meeting our clients is inspiring, but I can’t escape the need. A parking meter in Sydney makes more money in one hour than what the majority of people in India make in a whole day! It challenges me to reconsider what I can do. I know that together we can (and are) making a difference.

Stephen Robertson
Donor Relations Director
Opportunity International Australia

If you would like to make a difference and help empower 3,500 women living in India with microfinance and support services, please click here.

This week Ant Clark (Opportunity International Australia’s Donor Relations Manager in SA and WA) and I are hosting a trip with six Opportunity donors to visit clients in the slums of Delhi and in the villages around Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. We’ll be visiting two of Opportunity’s awesome local microfinance partners and seeing some of the microenterprises they’ve helped people living in poverty start. I’m really excited to be visiting these places again.

As I sit at home watching France beat England on my plasma screen TV, in my lounge room - living in comparative luxury, over 800 million people in India are earning around $2 from their entire days work! It’s hard to believe the difference between our respective worlds, but I am about to be confronted by the contrast again with this trip.

What amazes me is that the people we visit are so creative, enterprising and willing to work hard to give their families a better life. Even though our worlds seem different, their desires and skills are very similar to ours. The major difference is a lack of opportunity and access to assistance. In many cases they need capital to help establish or expand their small businesses, but they don’t have access to formal banking services. That’s where Opportunity steps in. Through our local partners we provide them with small loans to help them grow their business and improve their income. But what I like about Opportunity’s approach to microfinance is that it’s more than just lending money. Opportunity has a social focus and wants to see people transform their lives.

On our first few days we’ll be visiting Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh – India’s most populous state – to check out our programs in that city. We are meeting the local team at Lucknow led by Rahul Mittra from one of Opportunity’s microfinance partners, Margdarshak. These guys are a great example of social microfinance – they provide credit and a wide range of services to transform people’s lives. I can’t wait.

You can follow our trip via this Blog or on my twitter – www.twitter.com/srobertson65 

Stephen Robertson
Donor Relations Director
Opportunity International Australia

You’ve seen India’s slums depicted on the big screen in Slumdog Millionaire – now you can do more than just watch.  Help us empower 3,500 women – click here to make a difference today.