Background: It is not often that you meet a passionate & determined (yet graceful) person who feels "obligated" to see the poor, their families and their communities transformed with dignity, empowerment and hope. Sarah Hornby works as a Donor Relations Manager at Opportunity International and comes across as someone willing to bet their life on the chance that poverty alleviation and innovative support can transform one person...and then another...and then another. Over to you, Sarah.
Q. What gets you up in the morning?
At the moment - sheer will power - and the fact that my husband turns the shower on, so the water is already hot when I stagger into the bathroom, bleary-eyed. But at times outside of those near to holidays, what gets me out of bed is a sense of obligation in many ways; obligation to use my time productively, to live the life I've been given and enjoy the blessings I've been afforded. I think obligation is a bit of a dirty word these days, but for me, it implies a sense of purpose behind the mundane.
Q. What are the possibilities of micro-lending & what are the next developments in this area?
Probably the greatest possibility of microlending is a life free from poverty. Other inspiring possibilities include stability in income flows, greater education, better healthcare and improved nutrition for families of microfinance clients, as well as important social factors like an improved sense of dignity and hope.
When I was in India a couple of years ago, I met an amazing woman called Parvati in an urban Hyderabad slum. She had two businesses; one was vegetable selling, and the other was a sewing business. She earned an income by selling vegetables to neighbours and hand sewing saris provided to her from a local supplier. As Parvati didn't own the saris, she was paid a wage - 200 rupees (A$3.75) for 40 hours work. Her vegetable business supplemented the income from her sewing business. Through one of Opportunity International Australia's partner microfinance organisations, Parvati took out a loan of A$200 and used this to buy vegetables in bulk - which she was able to receive at a lower price. As she sold more stock, she made a greater profit. By her third loan, she was able to purchase her own material and solely focus on sewing saris. When I met her, I purchased a sari from her for 2,000 Rupees (A$37.50). Obviously, this is a large increase over three loan cycles. But what excites me about Parvati is not that she made a good profit - but that she is able to educate her daughter and put a third meal on the table so her family is well fed. These are the possibilities.
The next exciting developments in the microfinance space, particularly for Opportunity, are the growth of our complementary services. Many of our microfinance partners offer more than just small loans and standard financial services to their clients - today some or our partners are providing services like access to affordable healthcare, financial literacy training, insurance and access to clean water and sanitation. These complementary services offer our clients a better chance at lifting themselves and their families free from poverty.
Another innovation for microfinance that is making a positive impact on rural communities is the expansion of mobile-phone banking. A number of Opportunity's partners in India are investigating introducing mobile banking to their clients living in remote areas, helping them access the savings accounts they need to keep their hard-earned incomes safe.
Q. Who was the last person or what was the last book that inspired you, and why?
The last great book I read was Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Strangely, I've met few people that have read this book - which is such a shame, because the joy of reading a great book is only fully realised when you pore over the shared experience with someone else equally inspired. I love this book because it tackles challenging aspects of life; faith, survival, loss and truth through the story of Pi - a little boy trapped on a boat with dangerous zoo animals. I realise it sounds bizarre - but I quite literally could not put it down. There is a book of philosophical quotes just begging to be written by extracting some of the gems from this novel. One of my favourites; "It was my first clue that atheists are my brothers and sisters of a different faith, and every word they speak speaks of faith. Like me, they go as far as the legs of reason will carry them - and then they leap." Following this book I suffered the inevitable post-good book low that follows every great read, because no other book seems to match it in depth or quality.
kaledo-art
prguitarman
germansingergirl
discoholicmusic
titsay
stormborns
andulkaphoto