By Jess Littman | Social Media Intern
This January, the Women's Microfinance Initiative celebrate its five-year anniversary. Since our humble start in 2008, we've given over 8,000 loans to poor women in rural East Africa. The women are using these loans to start and grow small businesses so that they can support themselves, send their children to school, and gain standing in the community.
Our local director in Uganda, Olive Wolimbwa, discusses WMI's progress over the last five years in this video. Olive notes that borrowers are purchasing land and building houses, using formal banking services, enjoying more peaceful households, and learning business skills from WMI trainers.
A few months ago, WMI launched a new loan hub - a village where we partner with a community based organization to start a loan program - in Ngarendare, Kenya. Read the inspiring story of a woman who grew up there in our spring newsletter.
In April, WMI helds its first countrywide conference in Mbale, Uganda. Leaders from each of our Ugandan loan hubs attended to share ideas and best practices. They also participated in panels led by microfinance experts.
As WMI grows, we need your support more than ever to ensure that we are doing our best in every community we work with.
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