Client store enhanced with 2012 challenge grant
Friendship Bridge received a generous challenge grant from the SG Foundation for $15,000 (a potential total of $30,000)! Make your gift this week and it will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the SG Foundation. There is no additional work for donors as your gift is automatically matched. Simply visit our donation page, select an appropriate gift amount and we will handle the rest!
What the challenge grant will fund:
Monies received from this challenge grant will provide women in the Western Highlands with the skills and knowledge they need to create a better future through our Microcredit Plus program. The Microcredit Plus program is not a short-term fix but helps to build a foundation for lasting social and economic change. Friendship Bridge clients who participate in the Microcredit Plus program also participate more in the economy, gain confidence and benefit from the network of support a Trust Bank provides. Access to credit allows clients to expand and grow their businesses, generate more income and begin working their way out of poverty.
Veteran Friendship Bridge clients are more likely to invest in their children’s education and tend to dedicate a much larger percentage of their household budget to education. The families of Friendship Bridge clients are healthier and they are better prepared to weather economic setbacks. Results of an independent evaluation conducted by FINCA demonstrated that Friendship Bridge loans create jobs for other members of the borrowers’ households and communities. The evaluation also showed that a one-year increase in time spent with Friendship Bridge is associated with a 44 percent increase in the proportion of the household budget devoted to education.
In the Western Highlands, our program is often a woman’s first exposure to education of any kind and the monthly lessons provide an opportunity to gain skills and knowledge they would otherwise not have access to. The interactive lesson plans help the women build confidence and acquire skills that help them grow as leaders. For more information on Microcredit Plus, click here.
DOUBLE YOUR DONATION TODAY! (remember your gift is matched automatically)
