The following is a guest post by  Desiree Adaway, Sr. Director of Volunteer Mobilization at Habitat for Humanity. It was first posted on her personal blog.

I want you to believe in Sheela.  She is  a leader of  Opportunity International’s Baba Trust Group meeting in Chennai, India. Nineteen women have joined together to repay loans, learn accounting skills and socialize They are doin it for themselves.

 One powerful way that women are doing it for themselves  and helping to make sure their dreams come true is by starting  businesses.  Businesses that they own. You guys  already know that  microfinance organizations make it a priority to serve the particular needs of women, since a unbelievable 70 percent of all those living in extreme poverty are female. Women are often excluded from education, the workplace, owning property and equal participation in politics. They produce one half of the world’s food, but own just one percent of its farmland. Nearly 85 percent of Opportunity’s loan clients are women…

Continue reading about Sheela on desireeadaway.com