in her own words - Freedom from Hunger

mali
I have worked my way out of a life of misery. —KADIA
philippines
The loans really help.We’re friends, so we help each other. —MARLENE
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I learned about malaria and how to protect my children. —DORCAS
ghana
olivia
I know how to protect my son and I share that knowledge. —ROSEMARY
india
I can stand up and ask for what I need. —RHADA
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Evidence of lasting change
There are two ways we could tell the story of how Freedom from Hunger has enabled women
to transform their lives and the lives of their family members. The first is through the women’s
personal accounts. Throughout this report, you will read quotes from women who have told us
about the changes they have experienced as a result of their participation in our programs. The
second way to tell our story is through evidence obtained from carefully controlled research in
the field. Here are some highlights of changes we have documented:
• Compared to women who received only microfinance services and no business education, Credit with
Education participants had better business profits, repayment rates, and loyalty to their Credit Associations.
The improvements in income were most dramatic in “slow” months—when a drop in income can mean that
a family living on the margin of survival goes hungry.
• Compared to women who received
microfinance but no malaria education,
women participating in our Malaria
Initiative were more likely to know
how malaria is spread, to understand
the importance of using insecticide-
ecuador
treated bednets and to get their
children to the clinic while the disease
is still treatable.
• Studies confirm that children whose mothers participate in our Credit with Education service for a year or
more have improved nutritional status and health.
“I am a woman, and I
can do it too!”–Norma
• Regular progress tracking shows that affordable credit and secure savings immediately improve a family’s ability
to become self-reliant by launching and growing home-based businesses.
• Research shows clear impacts on women’s empowerment when they have simultaneous access to affordable
credit and lifeskills training—increasing their role in household decision-making, extending their social networks
beyond their immediate families and even becoming involved in civic activities.
• In surveys of knowledge and practice, participating women confidently and consistently state that they know
how to protect their children from illness and hunger.They also report greater school enrollment as a result of
their increased ability to pay school fees and other costs.
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