For more than two decades, we’ve worked alongside women living in rural communities across Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and, more recently, South Africa, helping them build sustainable businesses that can lift their families out of poverty.
Yes, we provide small loans. But lasting change doesn’t happen through finance alone. It happens through knowledge, confidence, relationships, and ongoing support.
Because for the women we work with, the barriers to building a business go far beyond a lack of capital.
The women we work with are among the poorest in the world.
Today, 83% of new MicroLoan Foundation clients are living below the poverty line, surviving on less than $2.50 a day. Many live in remote rural communities where access to banks, financial services and business support is almost non-existent.
Many also left school early. Generations of poverty mean opportunities for education were limited, leaving many women with low levels of literacy and few formal employment prospects.
Yet these women are resourceful, determined and full of entrepreneurial potential. They don’t lack ambition, they simply lack opportunity.
That’s why we’ve designed every part of our model around the realities of the women we serve.
Unlike many financial institutions, we don’t require collateral, previous business experience or savings before someone can receive a loan. Our Loan & Training Officers travel by bicycle and motorbike to reach isolated communities, ensuring women aren’t excluded simply because of where they live.
Our smallest loans begin at just £25.
For many women, this is the first time they’ve ever had access to formal finance.
That initial investment might buy seeds for a small farm, fabric for a tailoring business, stock for a market stall or equipment for a hair salon.
As businesses grow, women can access larger loans to continue expanding, often progressing over many years.
Alongside our core business loans, we also offer tailored lending for agriculture, irrigation and more established businesses, ensuring women can access finance that reflects both their ambitions and the realities of their livelihoods.
Before receiving a loan, every client completes seven practical training sessions and has access to monthly training sessions once she has her loan.
These training sessions are one of the most important parts of our model.
Because many women have limited literacy, our training isn’t delivered through lengthy manuals or written exercises. Instead, women learn through visual aids, role-play, song and dance.
It’s practical, memorable and accessible.
Training covers everything from budgeting and saving to market research, pricing and understanding profit.
MicroLoan Foundation client Edwick says “The budget sessions have been particularly helpful, it helps me keep track of income, expenses and see if I’m making a profit.”
The aim of our training sessions isn’t simply to prepare women for their first loan. It’s to equip them with the knowledge and confidence to build businesses that last.
We ensure that women don’t build their businesses alone.
Our clients form groups of five women, choosing friends and neighbours they already know and trust. Together they encourage one another, solve problems and share advice.
If one woman faces unexpected challenges, her group rallies around to help keep her business going.
Anna Tembo, who joined MicroLoan in 2022, finds her lending group a great source of support as she builds her hair salon business. “I like it because when I have a problem, I share with my friends, they will help me. For instance, if I don’t have enough savings, I will talk with my friends and they will lend me the money,” says Anna.
Every month, groups come together in larger centres for further training, mentoring and peer learning.
These meetings create something just as valuable as finance. A community of women committed to each other’s success.
Growing a business is rarely a straight line.
Families face illness. Crops fail. Markets change.
That’s why we help women develop savings habits from day one.
Clients receive training on budgeting and financial planning, are encouraged to build emergency savings and, where available, can access insurance that provides protection during some of life’s most difficult moments.
These services help families withstand shocks and reduce the risk that one unexpected event pushes them back into poverty.
Ask our clients what has changed, and many won’t start by talking about money. They’ll talk about confidence.
Edwick joined MicroLoan Foundation after experiencing significant personal loss. A widow, she used her first loans to grow a tailoring business before diversifying into baking. Today she has doubled her income and dreams of opening a grocery shop.
But Edwick feels she’s gained so much more than just financial stability. “I can now do bookkeeping and am now the Treasurer of the whole Centre.”
She says the budgeting training has transformed the way she runs both her business and her household.
Anna’s journey tells a similar story. What began as a small loan to grow a fish-selling business has evolved into two successful clothing boutiques. She now earns enough to invest back into her business every day while ensuring her children can stay in school.
These aren’t isolated success stories.
They’re examples of what happens when women receive the right support over time.
When women succeed, entire families benefit.
Research from the World Bank shows that women reinvest around 90% of their income into their families’ education, healthcare and nutrition.
That means every thriving business creates opportunities far beyond its owner.
Children stay in school. Families eat more nutritious meals. Communities become more resilient.
Like many women in her community, Roselinah, a single mum of three boys, faced the daily struggle of providing for her family. The family often had to go hungry and when her eldest son fell ill, she couldn’t take him to the doctor.
In July 2025, with a small loan and financial literacy training from MicroLoan Foundation, Roselinah started to invest in her business, strengthening her family’s financial security.
With hard work, determination, and support from MicroLoan Foundation, her profits doubled in just a few months.
Roselinah’s sons now have enough food to eat, they are healthy, in school and thriving. And she’s not just supporting her own family; she’s building a foundation of hope for her entire community. Her growing business provides work for her neighbours, creating stability, dignity and opportunities.
It’s created by combining finance with knowledge, support, mentoring and community.
Because when women are given the tools to succeed, they don’t just build businesses, they build brighter futures for generations to come.
If you’d like to find out more about supporting our work and be kept up-to-date with our latest news and success stories, please subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter using the form near the bottom of our homepage.
Subscribe to e-newsletterPublished on: 06/08/2026
