We are very pleased to report that our UUCS Microfinance fundraising in November has raised a total of $6,071 to date! Of this amount $1,337 resulted from our sale thanks to the very generous donation of eleven beautiful handmade quilts by Lorna Youngs and Elenie Smith’s handcrafted pendants, pins and magnets. We are also thrilled that our donation to The NEO Fund will be matched, thus magnifying our contribution.

Why is our project important? Our Microfinance projects are focused on empowering very poor women and helping them boost their standard of living so they and their children can have better nutrition, schooling, healthcare and housing. To date, our projects have benefited people in Laos, Peru, Nicaragua, Kenya and India.

Your donations have helped women like Madaleyne who lives in Nicaragua and supports four children and four grandchildren. She started her small grocery after suffering a spinal injury at the company where she had worked for thirteen years. She could only find loans from loan sharks whose interest demands consumed more than her earnings. When she obtained her first NEO Fund loan of $200 and a subsequent loan of $700, she was able to expand her business so her income jumped from $2.50 per day to $30 per day. The NEO Fund also provided her with coaching and business training to ensure her success.

Thank you so much for making such a big difference to women and their families struggling to be free of poverty in Nicaragua!