The United Nations recently presented their theme for International Women’s Day 2019 as “Think equal, build smart, innovate for change.” You may be thinking to yourself, “How can I possibly remove barriers and make sure no woman or girl is left behind? This is a huge task to undertake!”
With help from Mentors International, you can make a lasting impact by lending a small amount of money to a woman in a developing country, giving her the opportunity to start or improve her own small business. These microloans allow women to accomplish many of the things we often take for granted: the ability to send children to school, save reliably for the future, and achieve independence to pursue a desired career path (just to name a few).
As you celebrate International Women’s Day and reflect on its significance in your life, here are three simple challenges that can all be completed in under 15 minutes.
- Thank an Inspirational Woman (or Two) in Your Life
If you have important female mentors in your life—whether they are grandmothers, co-workers, teachers, or friends that have made an impact—send a note to one of them or make a quick call to thank her for everything she has done for you. This is a holiday of respect, appreciation, love, and celebration of women’s achievements, so let’s celebrate the strength and resilience of those around us.
- Share a Mentors International Success Story on Social Media
You can find dozens of inspiring stories HERE and read about women from all over the globe that have used their microloans and resources to completely transform their lives and businesses. Let your friends know that Mentors International is different from other nonprofit and microfinance organizations because of our approach to client accountability, hand-ups (instead of handouts), ongoing mentoring, and personalized training.
We first met Theresa Mamley in the summer of 2017. A single mother with four sons. She was so enthusiastic about her growing business. She was grateful for the help and support from Mentors Ghana. Her family was able to eat nutritious meals, her children were in school, and she was able to buy shoes. Watch her story.
We recently met up with Theresa again. She was thrilled to share with us her progress. With the assistance of a micro-loan she recently built a new store and home for her children. You can see from the big smiles on their faces as they gave us a tour of their new home and store. Theresa is so grateful to Mentors Ghana she even put our name on her store so that everyone knows that she is a Mentors Ghana client.
Theresa is an innovator for change. She is breaking the cycle of poverty for her family. Her boys are going to receive the education her parents were unable to afford for her. Thanks to her on-going mentoring she has felt empowered to expand her business, build smart, and grow personally and professionally.
- Make a Donation to Mentors International!
You can join Mentors International on International Women’s Day as we empower the world’s poor to grow in self-reliance and fight against global poverty. Women make up 90 percent of the microloans that are given out by Mentors International, and your donation (no matter the size) will directly change and improve the lives of individuals living in poverty. (Mentors International is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. EIN/tax ID No: 43-1536498)
As you “think equal, build smart, [and] innovate for change,” consider the millions of daughters, sisters, mothers, and women entrepreneurs in developing countries around the world that stand to be empowered, trained, and mentored because of your continued support.
Related Stories: Are You Ready to Be #BoldForChange?
Source:
http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2018/10/announcer-iwd-2019-theme
