An opportunity is often what a person needs to take control of their future: with the dedicated Microcredit Fund, we are committed to giving trust to those who ask for help.
The Opportunity Fund is named for two reasons: it gives those receiving the loan the chance to develop their own business, enabling them to become self-sufficient, and for the association, it represents an opportunity to develop targeted micro-projects that, after the initial investment, become self-sustaining. For this reason, it is an ongoing project not tied to a single country. Currently, we have active projects in India and the D.R. Congo.
In 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, to respond to the imminent worsening of poverty due to the prolonged lockdown, we returned to India after a successful initial experience in 2009. This time, we focused on Tamil Nadu, in the southeastern part of the country: we began by providing one cow and one calf per family, and the project grew steadily.
From the initial 4 families, we reached 18 families by February 2022. These 18 families became self-sufficient, able to earn for themselves and gradually fund the microcredit fund to help new families achieve independence, not only through livestock purchases but also by developing skills, such as tailoring.
Observing the success of the first microcredit project, and recognizing that many more families were in need, AGAPE decided in September 2020 to launch a second microcredit project, starting again with 4 families and reaching 13 families by February 2022.
Over the years, AGAPE has often encountered situations where young people with a desire to succeed needed to start their own business to build a future. In some cases, microcredit has been used as a tool, such as giving a young man the opportunity to finish his nursing studies and open a clinic on the outskirts of Kinshasa, or financing the launch of a small business for another young man. In all cases, the microcredit tool does not require the repayment of the loan, but rather, the money is used to provide job opportunities for other young people.
Thanks to the donations collected by our group in Sardinia, it was possible to create a restaurant, designed as a work opportunity for families in difficulty and reference point for the local population.
The restaurant not only offers a refreshment service, but is also a real opportunity for employment and training for those involved in its management.
Part of the revenue also contributes to a micro-credit fund, intended to support new small income generating activities and promote autonomy paths for other families.
The project aims to help the intrinsic potential of each individual emerge and flourish, in order to create a sustainable and lasting change in the lives of all the beneficiaries. Microcredit provides people with the opportunity that is often denied to them in complex environments like those in which we operate.
