February 8, 2021 iZōsh Maine Virtual Event Wrap-Up
The short story:
$8,075 was raised, 100% of which went to fund 39 micro-loans to deserving women from Uganda, Rwanda, Ghana and Philippines through Opportunity International. Every loan directly impacts an average of five family or village members. With a 95% rate of loan repayment, that re-paid money is then given out as a new loan to someone else. And that cycle continues over and over. By spending just a couple of hours on a mid-winter’s evening, our actions will continue to give hope and opportunity to many others living in extreme poverty. This is how our iZōsh motto “Women Investing in Women” works.
The rest of this story:
84 women registered for the first ever iZōsh Maine virtual Event held on February 8, 2021.
As women waited for the Event program to start, they were treated to beautiful photos of Maine scenery, hopefully enticing all who don’t live there to come visit. Once the program started, attendees learned about some iZōsh history, the tragedy of women in extreme poverty, and how microfinance can change lives. Lillian Covington, keynote speaker from Opportunity International, made vivid the plight of disadvantaged women, especially in this time of Covid’s devastation.
She presented profiles of two women whose loans were then fully funded before attendees went to breakout rooms to choose more women to receive micro-loans. The loan applicants were discussed together and, while making difficult choices, participants learned about women with dreams like their own. Everyone reported that it was hard to choose.
As it turned out, the donations received for the Event exceeded expectations and all the women discussed were funded after all! There was still money left and 7 more Opportunity International loans to deserving women were granted as well. It was a wonderful evening.