Micro-Loans Make a Difference

By Laura Manship – Executive Director

Laura and Team visiting Alba's Hen Project

Laura and Team visiting Alba’s Hen Project

In early December, I traveled to Honduras, to visit our project.  Mostly, I wanted to get to know some of the women who are raising the hens — to lay the eggs — to provide to the children in our project.Our project covers 20 communities, and Gisela and Sandra found one woman, in each community, who had the desire to raise  hens.  However, in about half of the cases, the women needed some funds to help get the project started.  We offered no-interest loans, of up to $250 per woman. The women will pay back the loans over the course of six months, through a reduction of the amount we pay them for the eggs we purchase for the children.

The loans allowed the women to puchase wire and wood (needed to build fenced cages for the hens); to purchase laying hens; and to purchase the feed for the hens.  With these funds, the women were ready to start the project!

It was such a pleasure to see the joy on the women’s faces.  They are so excited about becoming “Business Women.” Some of the women have experience raising hens and eggs; others are brand new at it.  But, they are all excited…and all are including their daughters in the project.

In the photo above, our team is visiting Alba, and her new hen project (Alba is new to raising hens).  In the photo below, you see the smiling faces of Carmen and her daughter (Carmen is more experienced with hens and eggs).

Carmen and her daughter

Carmen and her daughter