Lucas
Lucas owned a small plot of land in northern Mozambique – but he could not afford to buy any seeds or tools to start farming it.
During Mozambique’s civil war, Lucas had to abandon his plot because it was too dangerous to stay there. After the war, he had no capital to re-build his life. That’s where microfinance helped – he took a loan from Opportunity International and used it to buy a pump to irrigate his field. This enhanced his yields and enabled him to repay the loan and take a larger one, which he used to add poultry to his arable farming. He now has hundreds of chickens alongside his cabbages and other crops, and has opened a savings account.
Before Opportunity’s mobile bank came along, Lucas had no other source of financial services. The only loans available were from ‘loan sharks’ charging extortionate interest rates, and the nearest bank was at least half a day’s walk away. A simple loan really has changed Lucas’ life. He is now able to feed and care for his 5 children and put some money into his savings account for their future. He’s also employing four of his neighbours so the impact ripples through the whole community.
