Empower Communities through Financial Services
Lumana believes that sustainable poverty alleviation can be achieved through programs that strengthen people's capabilities and allow them to invest in the future. Lumana offers innovative financial services and impact investment to help rural communities in West Africa thrive.Your support will help Lumana offer savings, loans, business education and mentorship to the rural poor, allowing them to unlock their potential.
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The Need
There are over 6.2 million people living in poverty in Ghana, and poverty rates are the worst in rural areas, where half of the population resides. 80% of Ghanaians lack access to essential financial services, such as credit and savings, and this lack of services is especially acute in rural areas. Lumana is tackling the needs of poor rural communities in Ghana by offering specialized loans, savings accounts, business education, and mentorship. These programs give rural Ghanains agency, allowing them to invest in the future/their families and their communities. Lumana uses the Grameen Bank’s Porgress Out Of Poverty index, as well as a client-centered goal tracking model to measure the impact of their programs. Lumana’s poverty alleviation strategy does not just focus on individuals. The organization is launching a new investment fund to help small and medium sized businesses grow and contribute to community development.
About Lumana
Partner since July, 2012
Founded in 2008 in Seattle, Lumana works to provide financial services to rural Africans living in poverty with the mission of helping them reach their personal and financial goals. Through Lumana’s program, community members are organized into cooperative groups, paired with an appropriate business coach, given entrepreneurship trainings and savings planning services, and are provided small loans in rotating cycles. This relationship-based approach is made possible by the continuing engagement created by Lumana’s US volunteer fellows program where students participate in a hands-on entrepreneurship education through interactions with some of the most resourceful people on the planet—Lumana’s clients.
