“I used to earn as little as 50p per day and was desperate to increase my income to feed my children. I took out a loan of £50 which I invested in my groundnut and shea butter businesses. Now I have a steady income and take home around £3 per day.”
Zileatu, Trust Group client, northern Ghana

Latest figures 

• Loan clients:            1,243,906
• % women clients:   84%
• Loan repayment:     98%

Why do poor people need credit?

To survive, many poor households run small businesses that operate on the margins of society, trying to sell what they can. However, these poor entrepreneurs lack capital to give their ambitions a chance.

Traditionally, commercial banks consider them to be ‘unbankable’ because they don’t have any collateral or they live in isolated rural areas. Local moneylenders provide credit, but often at high cost to the borrower.

There are millions of people like Zileatu who have the skills, creativity and work ethic to develop a profitable business and become increasingly self-reliant.

How does Opportunity help?

Opportunity International provides small loans and training, which help clients to generate profitable businesses and increase their income.

This finance is not a ‘hand out’ but a micro loan at a market rate of interest and a fixed term of repayment.

Opportunity founder Al Whittaker made the first loan to Colombian entrepreneur Carlos Moreno in 1971.

Since then, Opportunity has played a significant role in the microfinance revolution that has been quietly taking place around the globe.

In response to client needs and demand, we have developed a range of loan products and other financial services to help people increase productivity, manage risk, smooth consumption and work their own way out of poverty.

Trust Groups – small business loans and training

• No. of Trust Group loans:  1,145,693
• Average loan size:               £138
• Repayment period:             4 months

Zileatu, along with most of our loan clients, is taking part in our group-lending programme. Up to 30 people join together in a Trust Group and receive small business loans, business training and mentoring.
Each person acts as guarantor for the other members.

Most client businesses are retail businesses, where clients buy and resell goods like fruit, vegetables, clothing and soap. Others work in agriculture, raising chickens, pigs, fish, bees, or crops such as groundnuts and mushrooms. Other activities include food preparation, sewing, knitting, weaving and basket making.

Other loans 

Opportunity also provides:

• larger loans to promote business development
• loans for children’s education
• loans to cover an emergency
• loans to farmers like Grace
• loans to establish schools, (see Vivian's story)