The Birmingham Chapter had an inspiring and uplifting afternoon on Sunday, May 2nd as 42 women gathered via Zoom to fund micro-loans to women living in extreme poverty and were educated by keynote speaker, Dr. Jackie Ogega, Ph.D. from World Vision.
Through the compassion and generosity of iZōsh®️ Birmingham members and guests, they were able to grant $7,760 in micro-loans to 30 women, bringing their chapter total to $28,052 of micro-loans to 106 women! By granting micro-loans to these women, they helped them to lift themselves out of extreme poverty and reduce the risk of oppression and exploitation in their lives. The Chapter is grateful for the support of Lutheran Church of the Redeemer’s mission fund which allows them to host an iZōsh chapter!
The Spring Event’s google slide presentation is attached here which includes ALL the profiles of the women who were funded. The Chapter is happy to report that after funding the 18 women selected by participants in the 9 breakout rooms, they had enough money leftover to fund ALL 9 remaining women from each breakout room, IN ADDITION to 3 other women from Opportunity International!!! Here is the link to the Event for you to watch if you are interested, as well as the link to the video that was shown during the Event.
Keynote speaker Dr. Jackie Ogega shared her personal experience as a child growing up in Kenya and the impact savings groups had for her mother and family. She educated attendees on how World Vision works to EQUIP, EMPOWER, and TRANSFORM women by increasing women’s access to knowledge, business and farming skills, financial literacy, financial services, micro-loans, and incomes. They also work to strengthen women’s decision-making and participation/leadership skills and transform systems and social and gender norms to create an enabling environment for women’s economic empowerment and financial inclusion. Additionally, World Vision works to advance women’s wellbeing by enhancing a women’s dignity, self-determination, confidence, agency, and voice. Dr. Jackie explained how World Vision measures the effectiveness and impact of savings groups using a GESI (Gender Equality and Social Inclusion) approach. To learn more or support the work of World Vision, please visit www.strongwomenstrongworld.com.
