The Co-operative and Care International UK have launched a campaign to help female entrepreneurs in developing countries.
The campaign aims to raise £1.5m by the end of 2012. The money given will act as a loan and once the entrepreneurs’ business is up and running they will repay the loan. The lender can then choose to withdraw the money or re-invest it in another business.
The campaign site, lendwithcare.org, allows lenders to make donations and seeing the entrepreneurs’ progress.
Dragon’s Den panellist, entrepreneur and lendwithcare.org ambassador, Deborah Meaden said, “I believe that providing the opportunity and framework for people to help themselves is the only sustainable way forward. The people there are willing to work to repair their lives; they just need even the smallest of leg-ups to get them started.”