Not too long ago in the Indonesian village of Holoama sat a makeshift structure – sheets of corrugated iron fixed to planks of old wood. No more than a few metres square, for years this tiny room was home to a young family.
Delfiana and her husband grew up in poverty. When they got married and started a family, he worked as a driver in town, but their income was so small that they had to go without the most basic of necessities – even proper shelter.
“We rolled out a tarpaulin on the ground to sleep,” says Delfiana. “When it was raining, we had to try to not get wet because rainwater seeped in. Sometimes the children would get sick with fevers from mosquitoes.”
Desperate to provide for her children, Delfiana offered to wash her neighbours’ clothing for extra income, but there wasn’t enough of a market. In the region where Delfiana lives, poverty is endemic – more than 86% of families don’t have access to water in their homes and have to travel to a river, spring or well to get it, while 49% don’t even have access to a toilet. There is little money to spare.
But then Delfiana had a different idea… rice. Everybody ate rice. If she bought sacks wholesale, she could divide them up into smaller bags that people in her community could afford, adding a slight mark up on price to earn her a steady profit. The problem was that she didn’t have any capital to commence her enterprise.
That was before she applied for a small loan of Rp.1,750,000 (A$181) from Opportunity International Australia – a loan made possible by someone like you.
Today, that rusty, makeshift structure has been replaced with a concrete home, complete with separate rooms, toilet, front porch and beds with nets to protect them from mosquitos. Their entire old home now forms the kitchen where Delfiana prepares nutritious meals. Their eldest child Firsa is now 12, while Sean is six – both are in school. Baby Alista is one.
“I make a daily profit about Rp.175,000 (A$18). I pray I can continue to grow my business and improve the life of my children… I hope they will have a great dream for their future.”
The dreams are already starting – Firsa wants to be a teacher. Delfiana is even able to help her own younger sister, too, offering her a room to live in while she finishes school.
THIS IS THE POWER OF MICROFINANCE
One small loan can create ripples that will be felt for generations. Parents like Delfiana know what to do when they are given an opportunity…
- Shelter becomes safer
- Meals become nutritious
- Children are educated
And, because 98% of Opportunity’s loans are repaid and recycled, the cycle repeats, helping more and more families over time.
IT’S SMART, SCALABLE AND SUSTAINABLE. AND IT ENDS POVERTY, ONE FAMILY AT A TIME.
Please, are you able to give a very special gift this Christmas to enable us to reach out to more families with the tools they need to leave poverty behind?
PLEASE DONATE TODAY
EXPLORE DELFIANA'S VILLAGE IN ROTE, INDONESIA
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