SowHope

During a field visit to Bangladesh this past April, a SowHope team witnessed firsthand the transformative microfinance work of our long-term partner Nelson and his very capable team. In June, there was a student-led protest in Dhaka, the capital city, which culminated in the collapse of the government in early August. Students were protesting what they felt was an outdated job quota system that unfairly benefited the descendants of soldiers who fought during the 1971 liberation war with Pakistan, among other political and economic issues. Interestingly, when the Prime Minister stepped down, the protesters chose Muhammad Yunus, famous for starting microfinance in Bangladesh, to be the head of the interim government and the Army supported that choice.
The very first project application SowHope received in April 2006 was just three months after opening. Mary went to visit and since then, we have funded 12 projects impacting nearly 800 new microfinance groups with over 11,500 women. All the microfinance projects are still operating and self-sustaining. One woman we met, Sufina, used her microloan to open a small pharmacy. It was such a need in her community and has grown so much. She is now one of the most successful people in town. She says, “I just love my role as the health agent in my village, providing medicines and checking people’s blood pressure and temperatures. I love caring for people.”