Five Talents Brochure

Fighting Poverty, Creating Jobs, Transforming Lives

FT_Brochure.indd 1 3/27/06 2:54:46 PM

Kenya

NIGERIA

UGANDA

“Rather than try to combat poverty from the top-down, microenterprise fights poverty from the ground up by working directly to change the lives of those most affected by poverty.”

Bishop Simon Chiwanga – founder from Tanzania

Mission StatementBased on the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), Five Talents’ mission is to fight poverty, create jobs and transform lives by empowering the poor in developing countries using innovative savings and credit programs, business training and spiritual development.

“Master,” he said, “You have entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.” His master replied. “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” Matthew 25:20-21

Famine, Disease and Despair: The Origins of Five TalentsCommended by resolution at the 1998 Lambeth Conference, Five Talents was created as a long term response to the ravages of poverty that debilitate communities in developing countries. The founders, including Anglican Church leaders, talked about the plight of the poor and those dying of famine, AIDS/HIV and other diseases. They wanted not only to assist but also to guard the dignity of the poor, many of whom survive on $1 a day, by supporting them in small businesses.

Today, Five Talents is headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, at the Church of the Holy Comforter. We have an office in London, a regional director in Uganda, and have recently opened an office in the southeast US to coordinate our Latin American program and curriculum development. We are supported by many volunteers across the US and the UK.

What We DoWe support indigenous institutions working in microenterprise development, primarily through the following services or programs:• Loan capital for the poor.• Consulting services, including assessments, implementation and evaluation of savings and

credit projects.• Short-term mission trips for professionals who offer their business skills to assist fledgling

entrepreneurs. • Training and education opportunities for micro-entrepreneurs.• Materials that promote Biblical foundations of business, e.g. accountability, planning,

investment.

Why Five Talents? Consider this . . .• 50% of the world’s population of 6 billion people survives on less than $2 a day. • 20% of the world’s population survives on less than $1 a day.• 20% of the world’s children never reach their fifth birthday. • 50% of the world’s children suffer from some form of malnourishment.

(Source: United Nations Human Development Report)

FIVE TALENTS .3

Joy (Left)

After Joy

,s husb

and died of

malaria, she

found

herself alon

e, taking ca

re of six ch

ildren

in the Kabal

e District o

f Uganda, ne

ar

the Rwanda b

order. Inste

ad of giving

up in despai

r, she start

ed a brick-

making busin

ess. With a

small loan

of $150 and

some savings

she was abl

e

to purchase

a small piec

e of land an

d

employ eight

people to m

ake bricks.

In just

four months,

she sold $1

50 worth of

bricks with

an

inventory wo

rth $400 ava

ilable for s

ale. Since 2

003,

she has rece

ived several

additional

loans to enl

arge her

brick-making

business. S

he also has

expanded int

o growing po

tatoes

and operatin

g a small st

ore. The pro

fits from he

r business a

llow her to

provide for

her children

,s educ

ation and to

hire 13 emp

loyees who n

ow can

support thei

r families a

s well.

Elisha (belo

w right)

Elisha lives

in Kasese,

Uganda, in t

he Diocese o

f South Rwen

zori. Althou

gh

he has polio

and relies

on a wheelch

air to get a

round, he ha

s tremendous

entrepreneur

ial spirit!

In 2002, Eli

sha particip

ated in a bu

siness train

ing

seminar offe

red by a Fiv

e Talents mi

ssion team.

They reviewe

d his busine

ss plan and

suggested

ways to make

his busines

s profitable

and

sustainable.

Elisha took

out loan of

$65.

When a missi

on team retu

rned to Kase

se in

2005, they f

ound Elisha

running a su

ccessful

shoe repair

business wit

h five appre

ntices!

FT_Brochure.indd 2-3 3/27/06 2:54:59 PM

Kenya

NIGERIA

UGANDA

“Rather than try to combat poverty from the top-down, microenterprise fights poverty from the ground up by working directly to change the lives of those most affected by poverty.”

Bishop Simon Chiwanga – founder from Tanzania

Mission StatementBased on the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), Five Talents’ mission is to fight poverty, create jobs and transform lives by empowering the poor in developing countries using innovative savings and credit programs, business training and spiritual development.

“Master,” he said, “You have entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.” His master replied. “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” Matthew 25:20-21

Famine, Disease and Despair: The Origins of Five TalentsCommended by resolution at the 1998 Lambeth Conference, Five Talents was created as a long term response to the ravages of poverty that debilitate communities in developing countries. The founders, including Anglican Church leaders, talked about the plight of the poor and those dying of famine, AIDS/HIV and other diseases. They wanted not only to assist but also to guard the dignity of the poor, many of whom survive on $1 a day, by supporting them in small businesses.

Today, Five Talents is headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, at the Church of the Holy Comforter. We have an office in London, a regional director in Uganda, and have recently opened an office in the southeast US to coordinate our Latin American program and curriculum development. We are supported by many volunteers across the US and the UK.

What We DoWe support indigenous institutions working in microenterprise development, primarily through the following services or programs:• Loan capital for the poor.• Consulting services, including assessments, implementation and evaluation of savings and

credit projects.• Short-term mission trips for professionals who offer their business skills to assist fledgling

entrepreneurs. • Training and education opportunities for micro-entrepreneurs.• Materials that promote Biblical foundations of business, e.g. accountability, planning,

investment.

Why Five Talents? Consider this . . .• 50% of the world’s population of 6 billion people survives on less than $2 a day. • 20% of the world’s population survives on less than $1 a day.• 20% of the world’s children never reach their fifth birthday. • 50% of the world’s children suffer from some form of malnourishment.

(Source: United Nations Human Development Report)

FIVE TALENTS .3

Joy (Left)

After Joy

,s husb

and died of

malaria, she

found

herself alon

e, taking ca

re of six ch

ildren

in the Kabal

e District o

f Uganda, ne

ar

the Rwanda b

order. Inste

ad of giving

up in despai

r, she start

ed a brick-

making busin

ess. With a

small loan

of $150 and

some savings

she was abl

e

to purchase

a small piec

e of land an

d

employ eight

people to m

ake bricks.

In just

four months,

she sold $1

50 worth of

bricks with

an

inventory wo

rth $400 ava

ilable for s

ale. Since 2

003,

she has rece

ived several

additional

loans to enl

arge her

brick-making

business. S

he also has

expanded int

o growing po

tatoes

and operatin

g a small st

ore. The pro

fits from he

r business a

llow her to

provide for

her children

,s educ

ation and to

hire 13 emp

loyees who n

ow can

support thei

r families a

s well.

Elisha (belo

w right)

Elisha lives

in Kasese,

Uganda, in t

he Diocese o

f South Rwen

zori. Althou

gh

he has polio

and relies

on a wheelch

air to get a

round, he ha

s tremendous

entrepreneur

ial spirit!

In 2002, Eli

sha particip

ated in a bu

siness train

ing

seminar offe

red by a Fiv

e Talents mi

ssion team.

They reviewe

d his busine

ss plan and

suggested

ways to make

his busines

s profitable

and

sustainable.

Elisha took

out loan of

$65.

When a missi

on team retu

rned to Kase

se in

2005, they f

ound Elisha

running a su

ccessful

shoe repair

business wit

h five appre

ntices!


INDIA

Philippines

INDONESIA

“The goals of Five Talents – fighting poverty, creating jobs and transforming lives – give substance to my personal goal of serving God. By feeding both the body and the soul, through small loans and Biblically-based business training, we can demonstrate the love of Christ.”

Dr. April Young, Board Member and Senior Vice President with Comerica Bank

What is Microenterprise Development?Microenterprise Development provides poor entrepreneurs with training and loan capital to start and expand small businesses. By providing the poor with access to financial services, it enables them to break out of poverty.

Why Microenterprise Development?Microenterprise development (MED) has proven to be an efficient and effective method for fighting poverty and raising up entrepreneurs in developing countries. Where grants and giveaway programs have failed, Five Talents has provided platforms for long-term growth and stability. By teaching basic biblical principles and general business skills before providing loan capital, Five Talents ensures that the entrepreneurs and their communities benefit now and in the future. It is a very practical and sound approach to fighting poverty.

Local banks cannot afford the costs associated with lending small amounts of money to many micro-enterprises, nor can they offer loans to clients who can provide little or no collateral. The aim of MED is to fill this void which separates millions of people from access to basic financial services.

What Type of Businesses are we Talking About?The businesses tend to be fairly simple in nature: shoemaking and repair, sewing, knitting, small retail shops, soap making, automobile repair, roadside food stands, brick making, piggeries, farming and many others. However, these businesses are the driving force for household and community development.

How we WorkFive Talents targets those at the bottom of the economic ladder through a grassroots network within the worldwide Anglican Communion. We identify project sites and credible local non-governmental organization partners. We insist on strict reporting and make on-site visits to ensure good stewardship of our donors’ generosity.

The Group is Key Group lending is a proven methodology with roots back into the early 1970s in Bangladesh. In general, small community banks are formed with 5-10 people from the community who self-select each other. Because each member of the group co-guarantees the loans of the others, there is peer pressure that ensures 85 to 100-percent repayment.

FIVE TALENTS .4

Ms Kunda Ramhuji Sakhare (Right)

Kunda Sakhare lives in Nagpur, India, with her

mother and two sisters. Her father died when she was only

seven years old. Kunda,s family had little money so she and her sisters

were not able to complete their studies. They searched for jobs but were

unable to find any.

Kunda attended an entrepreneur workshop hosted by the Community

Development Society, a partner of Five Talents, and then applied for a loan

to start her own business. Kunda received $70 and used the money to open

a vegetable shop. Over the past few years she has worked hard, and her

business has grown significantly. Now Kunda,s mother and two sisters help

her with her shop and they earn $120 each month!

Mary (Left)Mary lives in Manila with her three children. Following the

tragic death of her husband, she became an independent

seamstress to support her family. Her business was a success

for five years until a fire ripped through the building destroying

everything. Undaunted by this setback, Mary

opened a general store and received two micro-

loans from Five Talents to help her expand the

shop and take classes to start a soap making

business. In 2005 she attended a Five

Talents business training seminar to help

her struggling new business. From the

seminar she gained valuable knowledge

of business management. Mary has

shared her blessings with those around

her. She used the profits from her business

to send her two sons to college! Mary is now an

active participant in her community and is a business

and spiritual counselor to other entrepreneurs. “I have

learned to understand God,s ways through the ups and

downs in both my personal and business life. I have

been able to thrive, rise and survive because of the

Greater Glory of the Risen Lord!”


INDIA

Philippines

INDONESIA

“The goals of Five Talents – fighting poverty, creating jobs and transforming lives – give substance to my personal goal of serving God. By feeding both the body and the soul, through small loans and Biblically-based business training, we can demonstrate the love of Christ.”

Dr. April Young, Board Member and Senior Vice President with Comerica Bank

What is Microenterprise Development?Microenterprise Development provides poor entrepreneurs with training and loan capital to start and expand small businesses. By providing the poor with access to financial services, it enables them to break out of poverty.

Why Microenterprise Development?Microenterprise development (MED) has proven to be an efficient and effective method for fighting poverty and raising up entrepreneurs in developing countries. Where grants and giveaway programs have failed, Five Talents has provided platforms for long-term growth and stability. By teaching basic biblical principles and general business skills before providing loan capital, Five Talents ensures that the entrepreneurs and their communities benefit now and in the future. It is a very practical and sound approach to fighting poverty.

Local banks cannot afford the costs associated with lending small amounts of money to many micro-enterprises, nor can they offer loans to clients who can provide little or no collateral. The aim of MED is to fill this void which separates millions of people from access to basic financial services.

What Type of Businesses are we Talking About?The businesses tend to be fairly simple in nature: shoemaking and repair, sewing, knitting, small retail shops, soap making, automobile repair, roadside food stands, brick making, piggeries, farming and many others. However, these businesses are the driving force for household and community development.

How we WorkFive Talents targets those at the bottom of the economic ladder through a grassroots network within the worldwide Anglican Communion. We identify project sites and credible local non-governmental organization partners. We insist on strict reporting and make on-site visits to ensure good stewardship of our donors’ generosity.

The Group is Key Group lending is a proven methodology with roots back into the early 1970s in Bangladesh. In general, small community banks are formed with 5-10 people from the community who self-select each other. Because each member of the group co-guarantees the loans of the others, there is peer pressure that ensures 85 to 100-percent repayment.

FIVE TALENTS .4

Ms Kunda Ramhuji Sakhare (Right)

Kunda Sakhare lives in Nagpur, India, with her

mother and two sisters. Her father died when she was only

seven years old. Kunda,s family had little money so she and her sisters

were not able to complete their studies. They searched for jobs but were

unable to find any.

Kunda attended an entrepreneur workshop hosted by the Community

Development Society, a partner of Five Talents, and then applied for a loan

to start her own business. Kunda received $70 and used the money to open

a vegetable shop. Over the past few years she has worked hard, and her

business has grown significantly. Now Kunda,s mother and two sisters help

her with her shop and they earn $120 each month!

Mary (Left)Mary lives in Manila with her three children. Following the

tragic death of her husband, she became an independent

seamstress to support her family. Her business was a success

for five years until a fire ripped through the building destroying

everything. Undaunted by this setback, Mary

opened a general store and received two micro-

loans from Five Talents to help her expand the

shop and take classes to start a soap making

business. In 2005 she attended a Five

Talents business training seminar to help

her struggling new business. From the

seminar she gained valuable knowledge

of business management. Mary has

shared her blessings with those around

her. She used the profits from her business

to send her two sons to college! Mary is now an

active participant in her community and is a business

and spiritual counselor to other entrepreneurs. “I have

learned to understand God,s ways through the ups and

downs in both my personal and business life. I have

been able to thrive, rise and survive because of the

Greater Glory of the Risen Lord!”


Bolivia

HONDURASPeru

“I have got an intense understanding that God has invested a lot into me. He expects a return on investment. God gives you gifts and talents and you are accountable for those talents.”

David Bussau, co-founder Five Talents and 2004 Entrepreneur of the Year, Australia

Where we WorkWe have provided funding, consulting or training in the some of the poorest countries in the world since operations fully began in September 1999. We have financed thousands of $50 to $300 loans to poor entrepreneurs in nine countries, including Bolivia, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Peru and the Philippines.

In the year 2005, we invested in over 10,000 poor entrepreneurs and their families, a majority of them women. Each loan finances a business that in turn supports at least 5 other people! Our consulting and training services have impacted hundreds more in Cameroon, Madagascar, Rwanda and Tanzania.

Investment in the Poor That Keeps WorkingAs a viable tool to help the poor, micro-credit is one of the few concepts that keeps funding in circulation, rather than using it up. As loans are repaid with interest, the money goes back out again and again.

The Future is BrightOur goal is to have 50,000 recipients in our daily loan portfolio and impact one million people through loans, training and education programs by 2008. To do so, we will need to raise $3.6 million. The funding will come from individuals, companies, foundations as well as churches and dioceses.

Can You Make a Difference?Yes! You can make an enormous difference. Microenterprise development is a very efficient way to help people.• On average, one job is created per every $200 loaned.• Each job supports about 6 people.• A gift of $1,000 in the first year provides 5 jobs. That means 30 people will be supported. • The multiplier effect – your gift over 5 years generates an additional $1,195 in interest for

business training and services and provides 24 additional jobs.

How Can You Help?God has called us to love our neighbors and to share with them from our abundance. As we seek to expand our work to new areas of the world, you can:• Pray for the people we seek to serve and also for the Board members, volunteers and staff of

Five Talents around the world.• Participate by accompanying Five Talents on a short term business mission trip to a developing

country; involving your organization in our work; volunteering in our local offices.• Contribute financially. Your contributions are a true investment in the lives of the poor. Because

these are loan programs and not grants, your funding will be regenerated many times over helping more and more poor entrepreneurs.

For more information about our programs, please visit www.fivetalents.org.

In the USA, Five Talents is a 501c3 organization. Your gifts are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. In the UK, Five Talents is a registered company and donations are eligible for Gift Aid.

FIVE TALENTS .7

Renee (Left)Renee Pacheco is a member of Las Tres Marias group. She sells breakfast to the people who work what is called the “Market of God,” in Pamplona Alta. She took the loan to increase her capacity to sell sandwiches and juices. With the profits, she buys medicines to treat one of her five children who has a skin infection. Several in her group hold regular prayer meetings to bolster their faith. They also share parenting ideas with the community, and follow-up with them, to help reduce child abuse and neglect.

Because of her participation in the group, Renee describes herself as “a person of love, of faith and of devotion to Christ.”

Tsunami (Below)“In February 2005, I was standing on a beach in South India, visiting with traumatized villagers who had just lost everything they owned in the Tsunami. I wondered how they would ever recover from this tragedy. Many had lost not only relatives and friends, but also their means of livelihood to the devastating waves. Today, I am beginning to see an answer as more than 600 people in five villages are receiving help. Formed into self-help groups with training and funds provided by Five Talents International, these villagers are starting to pool their money together to restart their businesses with dignity and make small loans to group members.”

Craig Cole, Executive Director, Five Talents International


Bolivia

HONDURASPeru

“I have got an intense understanding that God has invested a lot into me. He expects a return on investment. God gives you gifts and talents and you are accountable for those talents.”

David Bussau, co-founder Five Talents and 2004 Entrepreneur of the Year, Australia

Where we WorkWe have provided funding, consulting or training in the some of the poorest countries in the world since operations fully began in September 1999. We have financed thousands of $50 to $300 loans to poor entrepreneurs in nine countries, including Bolivia, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Peru and the Philippines.

In the year 2005, we invested in over 10,000 poor entrepreneurs and their families, a majority of them women. Each loan finances a business that in turn supports at least 5 other people! Our consulting and training services have impacted hundreds more in Cameroon, Madagascar, Rwanda and Tanzania.

Investment in the Poor That Keeps WorkingAs a viable tool to help the poor, micro-credit is one of the few concepts that keeps funding in circulation, rather than using it up. As loans are repaid with interest, the money goes back out again and again.

The Future is BrightOur goal is to have 50,000 recipients in our daily loan portfolio and impact one million people through loans, training and education programs by 2008. To do so, we will need to raise $3.6 million. The funding will come from individuals, companies, foundations as well as churches and dioceses.

Can You Make a Difference?Yes! You can make an enormous difference. Microenterprise development is a very efficient way to help people.• On average, one job is created per every $200 loaned.• Each job supports about 6 people.• A gift of $1,000 in the first year provides 5 jobs. That means 30 people will be supported. • The multiplier effect – your gift over 5 years generates an additional $1,195 in interest for

business training and services and provides 24 additional jobs.

How Can You Help?God has called us to love our neighbors and to share with them from our abundance. As we seek to expand our work to new areas of the world, you can:• Pray for the people we seek to serve and also for the Board members, volunteers and staff of

Five Talents around the world.• Participate by accompanying Five Talents on a short term business mission trip to a developing

country; involving your organization in our work; volunteering in our local offices.• Contribute financially. Your contributions are a true investment in the lives of the poor. Because

these are loan programs and not grants, your funding will be regenerated many times over helping more and more poor entrepreneurs.

For more information about our programs, please visit www.fivetalents.org.

In the USA, Five Talents is a 501c3 organization. Your gifts are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. In the UK, Five Talents is a registered company and donations are eligible for Gift Aid.

FIVE TALENTS .7

Renee (Left)Renee Pacheco is a member of Las Tres Marias group. She sells breakfast to the people who work what is called the “Market of God,” in Pamplona Alta. She took the loan to increase her capacity to sell sandwiches and juices. With the profits, she buys medicines to treat one of her five children who has a skin infection. Several in her group hold regular prayer meetings to bolster their faith. They also share parenting ideas with the community, and follow-up with them, to help reduce child abuse and neglect.

Because of her participation in the group, Renee describes herself as “a person of love, of faith and of devotion to Christ.”

Tsunami (Below)“In February 2005, I was standing on a beach in South India, visiting with traumatized villagers who had just lost everything they owned in the Tsunami. I wondered how they would ever recover from this tragedy. Many had lost not only relatives and friends, but also their means of livelihood to the devastating waves. Today, I am beginning to see an answer as more than 600 people in five villages are receiving help. Formed into self-help groups with training and funds provided by Five Talents International, these villagers are starting to pool their money together to restart their businesses with dignity and make small loans to group members.”

Craig Cole, Executive Director, Five Talents International


Five Talents UK70 Milton Road, London W7 1LEUnited Kingdom • 020 8567 2430

www.fivetalents.org.uk

Well done, good and faithful servant.

Matthew 25: 23

Five Talents International P.O. Box 331, Vienna, VA 22183 (703) 242-6016 • (800) 670-6355

www.fivetalents.org

FT_Brochure.indd 8 3/27/06 2:55:28 PM

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Five Talents Brochure