In 2018 we started a pilot phase for our micro loan program.  Since then, we have issued 10 loans, and 7 of the them have been paid back in full.  This past month one of our allies (volunteers) was working alongside a Circles Leader (participant) to address her large debt. This circles leader is a single mom, and doesn’t have any family in Canada. Over the last year the collection agency had threatened her multiple times, and it was weighing heavy on her. 

One of our volunteer allies has experience addressing debt, and offered to support her to see if they could work with the collections agencies.  This volunteer assisted her to negotiate with the collections agency $3,000 less if she was able to pay the entire thing in full this month.  She sold much of what she owned, and saved up enough to pay back 80% of it. 

She approached us this week and inquired if we could loan her the rest through our micro loan program.  We were able to, and the Coordinator of Circles, a volunteer and her all went to the bank this week and paid it off.  You could see the sense of relief on her face immediately and she jumped up and down once it finally set it.  She said “you don’t know how much this means to me”.  With the assistance of a volunteer ally, her ability to save enough to pay it off, and access to an interest free loan – she is now debt free, and can start again. When talking about this blog post she wanted to add;

“Whenever I am need of any kind of help, I rely on circle, allies, coaches, and other leaders for support because I have no other family in Canada” .

We are so grateful to see individuals breaking barriers of poverty!