A Trust Group of 17 women in Chennai, India, hold a sign in gratitude for the contributions made by UPS to help bring financial independence and stability to their lives, families and community. Over the past four years, UPS has contributed $265,000 to support Opportunity International’s transformational microfinance work here. As a result, more than 1,600 new clients have received loans – averaging $136 the first time around – affecting nearly 7,000 lives.

In addition to access to credit, loan clients receive training on a variety of topics from financial literacy to family health and nutrition to environmental awareness and leadership development. These tools empower small-scale entrepreneurs to transform their lives and take an active role in driving their local economies. These training tools are especially important in this program, comprised of all women, as it helps them become better leaders and support for their families and communities.

This grant is funded through The UPS Foundation’s economic and global literacy focus area; improving economic literacy in communities through programming that teaches the fundamentals of free enterprise and the foundations of economic education are the focus of this initiative. The UPS Foundation also supports emerging entrepreneurs through grants to innovative micro enterprise organizations, like Opportunity International.

Who is Opportunity?

Opportunity International provides small business loans, savings, insurance and training to over two million people working their way out of poverty in the developing world. Clients in more than 20 countries use these financial services to start or expand a business, provide for their families, create jobs for their neighbors and build a safety net for the future.

To learn more, visit Opportunity International at www.opportunity.org.