Proudly supporting MicroLoan Foundation Australia since 2015 and has raised more than 50,000 AUD to date.

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In this way, the initiative is sustainable as when sales are slow, the donation is smaller and when sales are fabulous, so is the donation!” explained Carol Haffke, owner of The Shoe Garden. “It was really important to me that giving back is embedded into the DNA of my business and I regard myself as a not-just-for-profit.

Carol Haffke

“And my customers absolutely love that their shoe purchases help women in regional Africa gain financial independence and stability. I recently started a pre-loved range where I sell shoes on consignment for customers and many are choosing to donate their share to MLFA, which is just so wonderful.”

The Brisbane-based women’s shoe shop, which specialises in longer sizes, donates anywhere from 25c to $2.50 every time a pair of shoes is sold in-store or online. A donation is made each month based on the previous month’s sales and recorded on the shop’s website for full transparency.

Having lived and travelled extensively in Africa, Carol was determined to support a charity that was making a real difference on the ground.

As soon as I read about MicroLoan Foundation Australia’s work, I knew it was the right charity for my business to support,” she said. “I appreciate the idea of giving small loans to women, but what I love more is that this is accompanied by mandatory training in business. That just makes so much sense and sets the women up for success from the beginning., especially as they lend in groups and support each other throughout the process.

Carol Haffke

Carol was fortunate to travel to Malawi and visit a lending group in the Mulanje region in early 2015. Through an interpreter, she asked one of the women what difference the loan had made to her and the woman’s response confirmed why she continues to support MLFA to this day.

“The woman said: ‘I used to have to beg my husband for money. Now he comes to me’. That says it all really. I also met another woman who bought two bicycles with the profits from her business. She uses one herself and gave the other to her son who started his own taxi business.

“It really is true that when you support women, you support the entire community.“