Open Hand--Making a Difference

One of my summer projects has been to make a promo video for Open Hand, Inc., which is a not-for-profit organization. The organization provides micro loans for entrepreneurs in Haiti, among many other things. A micro loan is a small loan given to a person, so they can start a business. Most businesses are small in nature. They might use the loan to buy materials so they can start making pottery, for example. Once they have made the original purchase of materials, they can purchase more material with the profit they made from selling the original items. By providing micro loans, rather than simply giving away handouts, people who are stuck in poverty can begin to take care of themselves and their families. One of the many problems the extremely poor face, is how to provide for their families. Many have sold members of their family into modern day slavery, because they had no other way to provide for their family. More than 2 million people a year enter into slavery. The goal of Open Hand is to provide a way out for many of these families, by loaning them money and helping them become self-sufficient. Once the loan is repaid from their earnings, the money is then loaned out to another family in need. You can find out more about what they do by visiting their site www.open-hand.org.