In a small village in rural India, where few women own businesses and most live without formal employment, Vali is quietly transforming the narrative.

After losing her husband in 2013 to an illness they couldn't afford to treat, Vali was left to raise her young children alone. As her husband was her household’s primary source of income, she had no support — and no one to turn to.

“There was no one to support me... I passed days without food. I used to stay hungry at night so my children could eat,” Vali says.

^{Life hasn’t been easy for Vali, who lost her husband over a decade ago}

Her cows died. Her home was broken. Her children were hungry. Life, as she put it, was unbearable.

“Even my neighbours wouldn’t help. I begged for food. That’s how we survived,” Vali explains. But Vali had something that couldn’t be taken away: resilience. She knew she needed capital to start a business and through her hard work, she could provide for her family.

Through one of Opportunity International Australia’s local partners, Vali received her first small loan of Rs.20,000 (approx. A$365). With it, she bought a cow and began selling milk. Slowly, her life began to change.

With the milk from that one cow, I raised my children and ran my living."

^{Vali lives on a farm outside of Ahmedabad in Gujurat, India}

She repaid that loan —  24 instalments over two years — and went on to take a second, larger loan of Rs.46,000, which she used to fund her daughter’s wedding and buy another cow.

Her third loan helped her buy a sewing machine, and soon, she was earning additional income stitching clothes for others in her village.

“The train of my life got on the tracks after the loan. Now, I fill five litres of milk in the morning and five in the evening. I run my life with that, and by sewing.”

Today, Vali owns five cows and three calves. Her children are much older, and they are educated and married. She’s built her future with her own hands  —and the right tools.

^{Small loans have helped transformed life for Vali’s neighbours too, including Bhikhiben.}

“I used to do any labour work to feed my kids — collecting potatoes, daily wages, anything. Now, I’m a businesswoman.”

Vali’s story isn’t just about hardship — it’s about the power of access. The power of someone believing in your potential. The power of flipping the system.

With 98% of loans repaid and reinvested, Vali’s success is just one link in a growing chain of change. This is what financial inclusion looks like. This is the future we’re building, together.

Find out how you can help flip the system for more women like Vali by donating to our 2025 end of financial year appeal.