Iringa Hope

Central Tanzania is one of the poorest places in the world. Family incomes average less than $1 per day.  Most families are subsistence farmers working an acre or two of land. There are few sources of loans.

Since 2007 Iringa Hope has been helping communities start up micro-loan funds. The funds are set up as a SACCOS (Savings and Credit Cooperative) under Tanzanian law.

Iringa Hope provides orientation, training, start-up support and part of the money to establish the fund. Members in the community join the SACCOS and elect officers to manage the fund.

Today there are over 2000 members in more than 30 villages.The majority of borrowers are women who are the head of their households. Most have three or more children.

Our "typical" borrowers will be farming 2-5 acres. A loan of $250 covers the cost of seed and fertilyzer for a small plot. This loan will generally increase their income from $1 per day to $2 a day!

Each year Loans are repaid and the money is recycled to help another family. Each year Iringa Hope provides more capital to help established loan funds grow and serve more families.

An annual income of $2 per day means the children can go to school. Even public school isn't free.

An annual income of $2 per day means the family can eat protein once a week avoiding malnourishment and other health problems. 

An annual income of $2 per day means the family can pay for medicine when the children get dysentery or malaria.  

An annual income of $2 per day means a family no longer has to sleep on a dirt floor.

We thank you for your support. Your gift brings a better life to families this year, next year and for years to come. 

Every dollar you contribute goes to work in Tanzania. We are fortunate to have donors who cover all of our US operational expense.