IN CELEBRATION OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY MARCH 8TH
LOCAL NON-PROFIT, THE GREATER CONTRIBUTION
JOURNEYS TO UGANDA TO BRING THEIR MESSAGE HOME
Courtesy photos.
Honoring the achievements of women worldwide on International Women’s Day is a special cause for celebration to The Greater Contribution, a Thousand Oaks non-profit founded in 2006 by women who wanted to make a greater contribution to the world by helping those most in need.
For the past 16 years, the organization’s grassroots fundraising has empowered thousands of women in remote villages of Uganda, Africa, with micro loans so that they can start their own businesses and lift their families out of poverty. Coming from a place of dignity and respect, the two-year program includes literacy and business skills training, along with mentoring and peer counseling to create a life-changing impact.
On March 8th in observance of International Women’s Day, TGC founder Karon Wright, and a team of volunteers will be visiting villages in rural Uganda to personally share their message of gratitude to the borrowers who have benefitted from their program. To date, more than 22,000 micro loans have been issued with a remarkable 95% repayment rate.
“Despite the ravages of Covid, our enrollees have shown outstanding perseverance and commitment,” says Wright. “We estimate that for every woman in our program, an additional seven people are aided by their success. For many, that means more gender equality in the workplace, or food on the table, and a chance for their children to attend school.
The Greater Contribution is a 95% volunteer-based organization known for being frugal with low overhead so that the majority of all donations go directly to empowering Ugandan women. The business model relies on the personal approach. Before initiating a new loan group, women are surveyed by peer volunteers to assess their living conditions and economic situation, then evaluated again upon completion, to see how their lives have improved.
Almost three billion people worldwide live on the equivalent of less than $2 a day. And of those living in extreme poverty, 75% are women and girls. The Greater Contribution serves the most impoverished women beyond our borders in Uganda, not with a hand out, but with a hand up, by believing in them.
In celebration of International Women’s Day donations can be made at greatercontribution.org
Editor’s Note: TGC Founder Karon Wright is available for interview, per request. Photos attached and view highlight reel here https://vimeo.com/679355420/45cd643f3e