Unlocking Community Giving
Highfield pupils are learning about loans, debt and money in a wider world through Lendwithcare, a new microfinance loan scheme run by Care International.
Highfield pupils support Lendwithcare scheme
Lendwithcare is a revolutionary way to help people in developing countries with a loan to boost or start a small-scale business. When they are up and running the loan is repaid, and another loan can be given to help more entrepreneurs turn their ideas into reality.
Each school house has raised funds to lend to individuals in developing countries who wouldn’t be able to access traditional banking. The children will slowly see their loans paid back and will then lend the money out again, helping more people with the same money, over and over again.
A Highfield lending team has also been created enabling families to lend at home and make giving a part of family life. 19 loans have been given out so far which have helped 64 entrepreneurs and created 71 jobs in the developing world.
Year 5 pupil, Alex Jones said, “It’s amazing to think that we can change someone’s life with a small loan. My house is supporting an entrepreneur in Cambodia who requested a loan to buy a walking tractor to help him improve his farm production and we’re really excited to see updates of his business growing.”
James Savile, Head of Highfield Prep School said,
“This continues our different approach to charity to try to show innovative, sustainable and effective interventions to help people in need.
“It also allows us to open up new areas of learning to the children, here introducing loans as a positive and useful way of using money.
“Through creating a link with the recipient, wherever in the world that may be, the difference between local and international charity disappears, and all giving becomes local.”