Folks in developing nations often have a hard time starting or expanding their businesses: With average microfinance interest rates upwards of 40% or more, the high cost of financial services keeps them from growing their earnings enough to improve their families' standards of living.

www.Zidisha.org is changing that by letting any ol' person become a lender. When you support microfinance through social investments in a Zidisha entrepreneur, you not only fund a microfinance project, but you also fight poverty in that entrepreneur's family and community.

Zidisha, which means to fill up, is different than other microfinance websites because they allow lenders and borrowers to directly interact with each other. Lenders can post questions and comments, while borrowers share the progress of their micro investments and let lenders know about the impact that their microfinance investing provides.

Zidisha is a new kind of micro-finance organization that blends social media with social empowerment.

This video was produced for Zidisha in the winter of 2014 to promote their services to the anglo speaking countries across Africa. Spending time with Josephine was incredibly rewarding and enlightening. After her kids grew up and left the house she felt lost without anything to do. Luckily she found Zidisha, and was able to get a small loan to start a market rabbit business. Progress was slow at first as she learned the trade but now she's working on her second Zidisha loan and is a prominent figure in her community as she uses much of her profits to sponsor poor children's school fees. Josephine also offers a home-stay program contact me to get in touch with her about that.

more fire, less ice

Zidisha: Direct Connection