Microcredit : small loans, big dreams

The modern micro-credit movement based on the centuries old system of 'trust-based' lending supports and promotes micro-enterprises that generate productive self employment and income, helping poor marginalised people living below $1 a day, move out of the cycle of poverty, particularly in developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. This article presents a history of micro-credit and its potential for contributing to a better distribution of resources in developing countries. This topic provides an opportunity for senior primary and junior secondary students to empathise with the decisions facing people living in poverty and the potential for micro-credit to assist them overcome that poverty.