Hunger and Poverty

Photo: Erica Adams/CWS

In the outlying villages of Mirpurkhas, Pakistan, women who have been traditionally excluded from participating in small business endeavors are receiving help from Church World Service. Through a small, local, non-profit agency called the Lower Sindh Rural Development Association, women take out small loans averaging $40. Many are using that money to purchase a goat.

In a year’s time, a goat grows and fattens, and may be sold for about $100. In repaying their loans, the women have been more dependable than many large corporations; and they are proud of that fact. One of the villagers, when asked how she planned to invest the profit, said smiling: “Well, in another goat!” And why not? The women recognize a profitable business when they see it! Micro-loans are one of the most effective tools in supporting the world’s poorest; among which are rural Pakistani women and their children.

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