Micro Loans For Women Impacted by HIV/AIDS, Zambia

Here is an exciting update: In June 2025, women from the community received a Safe Water Filtration System (SWFS) and training on how to use, maintain, and disease prevention. The provision of the SWFS and training was provided to families who do not have access to clean drinking water. These durable systems (lasting 10+ years and requiring no electricity or chemicals) include a high-quality membrane filter, pre-filter, bucket, and stand.

The goal of these SWFS is to prevent waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery and diarrhea. Over the last five months, families have been using the SWFS and maintaining them as per the training received. As a result, there were significantly fewer clinic visits, and children stayed in school while adults were able to keep working - stabilizing education and household income. With your continued support, we hope to provide these life-saving systems to an additional 300 women in the next cycle.

As always, we at Power of Love are deeply grateful for your continued support. Your generosity is saving lives and transforming the futures of more than 1,500 families every single day.

Thank you!

Links:

• About our micro loans program
• Stories of Women Running Successful Businesses

We are proud to share that in the next two months, 611 women will receive training in business and entrepreneurship. Post training the women gain confidence running a business and join our current group of entrepreneurs.  Almost all women attribute their business success to the training and ongoing support they receive as they go through multiple loan cycles. 

The goals of our women's empowerment program are: (i) equip women with the tools to run a successful business, (ii) create conditions for women to be socially empowered, and (iii) ensure that the women have gathered enough capital and savings so they can continue to operate a profitable business even after graduating from the program. Trainees get an opportunity to discuss business issues and external challenges with mentors in the same line of business. All modules are supplemented with hands on exercises, work sheets, real world examples, and group discussions. Social issues, possible challenges and how economic independence can lead to empowerment are also discussed. Business training modules include: simple business concepts, costing, pricing, saving and banking, and creation of a simple business plan. Training is participative, hands on, and in the local language as most women have never been to school and many do not know how to read or write. In addition, most women are single and care for multiple children with few resources.

Upon completion of business training, the women are better equipped to run diverse businesses such as groceries, live chicken, sausages, soft drinks, dress stores, hair salons, photocopying services, used shoes, used clothing etc. Earnings from these businesses help pay for necessities and school expenses. In the short/medium term, there is an improvement in diet and health, fewer missed days from work, higher school attendance, and more children in school. In the long run, there is a reduction in poverty, an improved skill set, higher earnings potential for families, and an improvement in gender inequality.

Thank you for making a significant improvement in the lives of Zambian families.

Links:

• About our micro loans program
• Mechanics of this program
• Stories of Women Running Successful Businesses