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Emma Parker is the Director of an organisation called SLAB (Sierra Leone Association for the Blind). SLAB, a Sightsavers partner, advocates for the rights of people who are blind or visually impaired. Emma, who herself went blind at the age of four after having measles, explains how blind and visually impaired women face double discrimination among family and community members: “firstly women can feel inferior to men when they do not have the opportunity to further their education and achieve gainful employment,” she says. “Secondly they can feel discrimination for being visually impaired.”

One of the many ways SLAB tries to address this is by encouraging its female clients to learn a trade such as bakery, tie dye, soap making and sewing, and start their own small businesses. However, this often requires a loan. Microfinance, a system of lending money that targets people who wouldn’t usually qualify in the traditional banking system, has been part of SLAB’s remit since 2007.

There are many different models of microfinance – most of them characterised by a lack of collateral and relying instead upon the trust of the group of people borrowing. People who qualify for microfinance via SLAB have to apply in groups of six (three blind clients and three sighted supporters, usually family members). They need to know what their trade will be, and should all know each other well. They are each given Le 300,000 (currently the equivalent of $100, or £62) for a period of six months. If anyone defaults on repaying, the entire group will not receive a second loan. The initial loan is interest-free, the second round comes with an interest rate of 10%.

The scheme is run by an organisation called Agricultural Rural Development (ARD), which trains SLAB’s fieldworkers in how to identify people that qualify to borrow in this way.

Click below to read about how microfinance has changed the lives of four women.