Small village banks aren't just helping Africans to save money and invest in their communities, they also empower women and help families break the cycle of poverty. This film profiles two microcredit success stories from Malawi.
A financial program aimed at Fijian women who want to start small businesses is helping to generate income, create jobs, and, ultimately, increasen their self-sufficiency.
Kutch Mahila Vikas Sanghathan is a "Women's Bank" NGO based in Kutch district in western India. This award-winning, locally-run microfinance project has not only helped village women achieve financial aptitude, but it has also boosted their confidence, helping them overcome social problems.
Women in the Pacific Island of Fiji are being helped to start small-scale flower-growing businesses to supplement their income, which in turn provides extra food and housing improvements for their families.
More than five million people in the fishing villages and rural towns of the Philippines live in poverty. The government, in cooperation with the United Nations Development Program, is helping people lift themselves out of poverty through classes for aspiring entrepreneurs and microloans.
Nine entrepreneurs from Latin America attended Milan's international trade fair, where they marketed their goods and built relationships for future trading opportunities. The International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD, was instrumental in organizing the group.