Leader. Entrepreneur. Changemaker.
Three words that describe Tarsini today. But it hasn’t always been this way.
For years, Tarsini lived in extreme poverty, having to borrow from moneylenders in her Indonesian village to support her family. But the interest rate was high and her family was trapped in constant debt.
With support from people like you, Tarsini was able to turn her life around. She now uses her newfound skills to help other women in her community.
From debt to financial freedom
Tarsini is a rice farmer, who was struggling to make a living in a rural village in Indonesia.
With her husband in irregular work and a weak local economy, the couple’s financial future was uncertain and they were forced to take out loans to cover their daily living expenses. This made them vulnerable to high interest and debt - and they experienced periods of extreme poverty.
Tarsini heard about a savings and loans group in the village, supported by Caritas Australia and its local partner organisation, Laz Harfa. She joined the program, training in financial management, accounting and small business skills. After several months, Tarsini decided she wanted to help others in her community to learn about managing their finances.
The chance for change
“If we borrow from the moneylender, they are the ones who get the interest,” Tarsini says. “In savings and loans groups, we are the ones who receive the interest and the money we have will be used for daily needs. When we have enough savings, we can use it for business capital.”
Tarsini and her husband are no longer unsure of where their next meal will come from. She has repaid their loans to moneylenders, and the couple is financially independent.
Your support also helped Tarsini to diversify her crops and she has now established a kitchen garden, growing cucumber, tomatoes, eggplant, celery and chillis, as well as rice. She is in better health, with a more nutritious diet, and her neighbourhood is more harmonious.
From her microfinance kiosk, Tarsini provides financial literacy training to women in her community.
How you can make a difference
Sometimes, when we lend a helping hand to one person, we think it stops there. What Tarsini’s story demonstrates, however, is that often this one person goes on to spread their good fortune to others.
Please give what you can today and know that – in the hands of people like Tarsini – your impact for vulnerable women and girls will be greater than you can possibly imagine.
Your support today can help women with:
Entrepreneurship and business management training
Bookkeeping and financial literacy classes
Sustainable building of household utilities for sanitation and hygiene
Domestic violence shelters and emergency accommodation