Life was a daily struggle for Alice, a smallholder farmer who couldn’t afford enough seeds or fertiliser to feed her family or send her children to school. Since her first loan from MicroLoan Foundation (B1G1 Worthy Cause) in 2018, Alice has grown crops, started a chip shop and sells her baked goods. She even built and furnished her own house. Today, her family eats well, her children rarely miss school, and she dreams of expanding her farm and securing their future.

She grew up an orphan with three sisters, but sadly, one passed away. Their grandmother didn’t believe in sending them to school—so from a young age, Eliya worked in houses and on farms. She was married at 13 and had her first child at 14. Today, she is grateful for a new learning opportunity near her home in the DRC. She is now learning to read and write vowels and some consonants. Even though she missed some classes while caring for her sick child, Eliya is determined to catch up. She loves going home and finding the letters she has learned in her songbook.

A tragic incident changed Haider’s life forever. He spent weeks in hospital, undergoing multiple surgeries. In the end, doctors had no choice but to amputate his right arm and leg. For most children, this would have meant a lifetime of struggle. But for Haider, a new chapter of hope began. Through Al-Ayn, Haider was fitted with a prosthetic leg. Step by step, he learned to walk again. Step by step, he reclaimed his childhood. "I wish I could go back to playing football with my friends. At first, it was hard to walk with my prosthetic leg, but little by little, I got used to it. Now, I don’t even feel a difference when I walk." – Haider, 12 years old