• Of the 1.3 billion people living in extreme poverty (<$1 per day) around the world, 70 per cent are women. (Oxfam, 2007 )
• By 2005, 69 million women had received microfinancing, or 84 per cent of the total number of people receiving microfinance. (UN, 2005)
• 20 per cent of poverty reduction in rural Bangladesh has been attributed to the role of microcredit. (UN, 2007)
• Women earn only 10 per cent of the world’s income, but work two-thirds of all labor hours. (UN, 2008)

Currently in Ethiopia, a woman is learning how to make pastries and cakes. She is providing her local market with fresh baked goods and running a small café. She is learning how to run a small business that will provide her family with enough income to meet their physical needs, to send her children to school, and to create a savings account to help when times become difficult.

At Samaritan's Purse, our goal is to provide women with training and resources that will extend their opportunities beyond subsistence level incomes. We provide women with training in a variety of skill areas, based on their interests and talents, to enable them to escape extreme poverty. We have seen the proud smiles of mothers who have earned enough money to provide their children with health care and education. We have watched women inspire others in their community to reach for their own dreams.

By supporting Samaritan's Purse Women’s Projects, you help women develop entrepreneurial skills and lift their families out of the endless cycle of poverty.