Milestone in Changing Lives with Loans

The Rotary Clubs of Belfast and Donaghadee are celebrating the landmark charitable achievement of hundreds of Ireland & UK Rotary clubs having contributed over £1 million to Lendwithcare, the microfinance charity which enables people in the UK to make small loans to help entrepreneurs from poor communities around the world.

Club Presidents Ken Nixon and Mark Brooks said : “We are both proud to be part of this fantastic initiative. Lendwithcare is a great way to help people out of poverty. You see exactly who the money is going to and what they will use it for. Since joining Lendwithcare we have raised and lent in excess of £2000, contributed to over 60 loans, helped in excess of 200 entrepreneurs employing over 600 family members and funding in excess of 80 new businesses. Recent examples include : a loan to a farming cooperative of 16 women in Malawi to buy farming materials, a loan to a blacksmith in the Palestine territories to help him buy a new welding machine and materials, and a single mother with a young son who requested the loan to buy materials to buy more materials for her small wooden utensils business in Ecuador.

We wish to thank the local people who have given generously to our International fund-raising efforts, which have enabled us to contribute to this Lendwithcare initiative and great achievement."

As part of Rotary International's continuing commitment to help poor communities throughout the world, Rotary has been raising funds since 2011 to make these small loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries to enable them to start or expand their small businesses and work their way out of poverty, feed their families and send their children to school. Farmers, tailors, market stallholders and food producers are just a few of the types of businesses helped in 11 countries across Africa, Asia, and South America. The entrepreneurs use the money to earn a living, often employing family members and neighbours, as well as helping lift their local community out of poverty. They pay the money back and that means that it can be re-lent to another person and therefore the initial loan can benefit many more entrepreneurs on an ongoing basis.

Head of Lendwithcare Tracey Horner, added: “In supporting this initiative Rotary clubs have helped change the lives of more than 5,000 entrepreneurs around the world so far. We are grateful to every Rotary member who lends their time and energy to raise funds to lend to people trying to earn a living in some of the most challenging environments in the world. It is really life changing for the people we work with and we want to extend our huge thanks to the Rotary clubs of Belfast and Donaghadee and the other participating clubs in Rotary Great Britain and Ireland who helped us achieve this landmark investment figure and for their continuing support.”

Both Clubs will continue to raise money for Rotary International projects and continue to lend internationally, both Club Presidents stressed that anyone can make a loan through Lendwithcare or buy a Lendwithcare voucher as a gift.

Details of the Club's loans can be seen here.