Manzi, a mother-of-one from India, lives in the rural town of Nagod in the Satna district of Madhya Pradesh, where 31.6% of people are reported to live below the poverty line.

Sadly, Manzi has lived in abject poverty her entire life. She is unable to read or write and was denied the opportunity to attend school and receive a proper education. As a young girl, Manzi supported her parents and siblings by learning the traditional craft of broom-making, using whatever materials she could find.

For poor and illiterate women like Manzi, having a skill or craft is one of only a handful of ways to put food on the table. Working from dawn until dusk, Manzi’s livelihood depends on the income she earns from selling her handmade brooms at the local market. Until recently, she could not afford the raw materials she needed to expand her business and barely made enough income to feed her son.

With the help of a loan from Opportunity International Australia, Manzi was able to buy a variety of materials, such as bamboo and date palm, to increase sales and expand her business. Manzi says:

When I first heard about microfinance, I thought that other financial institutions have never given me a loan, but I may get a loan from here because they help poor women like me.

When I first met my loan officer, I thought that no one else from any other institution had ever stopped to ask me if I needed any assistance, but this loan officer has been asking me about what I need.

Manzi is forever grateful for the loan she received. Her daily income is now six times higher than it was and she can afford to save money every day after meeting all her household and business expenses.

Now on her second loan cycle, Manzi dreams of selling her brooms in an even bigger marketplace which will give her a greater income. She also hopes that one day she and her husband will be able to afford a buffalo and a plot of land to grow their own food.

Manzi’s story is testament to the life-changing impact a small loan can have. Empowered with her own business, she has become an active member of her community and feels respected by the other microentrepreneurs in her loan group. Manzi believes that small loans have created a feeling of togetherness in her community. She attends fortnightly loan group meetings and is learning how to manage and save her money. Most importantly, she can now give her son the greatest gift of all – an education. She hopes this will give him a better future and empower him to break the poverty cycle for the generations to come.

Sources:
http://www.livemint.com/Home-Page/BH4Yupc3zGc2gs067s6eKN/Spatial-poverty-across-India.html

Lucinda Needham is the Communications Intern at Opportunity International Australia. Presently studying her Postgraduate Certificate in Social Impact, she generously offers her time, skills and experience to assist in a range of communications activities.