How Mothers Clubs Work

When a community wants to begin a Mothers Clubs program, they contact our coordinator, Sr. Emile, in Jeremie, Haiti. If the community requesting has a regular benefactor in the U.S., or another country, we ask them to provide the start-up funds. If there are no benefactors we turn to our donors to provide the funds. Our staff will provide training to all involved and enough funds to begin two groups of 10 new members each. Before receiving their loans, the new Mothers Clubs members must understand the principles of Mothers Clubs, and their responsibilities, which are described in our contract and signed by each new member. Some of those responsibilities include timely repayment of the loan, sending their children to school (which is expensive), attending regular group meetings, and more. If one group member doesn’t repay her loan the others must repay it for her and she leaves the group, so care is taken by the group to select diligent and hard working group members. A small interest rate is included to support the work of the Haitian administrative staff.

When the group has repaid their loans they may each receive a new loan. After three successful and timely loan repayments, the group may begin receiving higher loans through our “deluxe” savings and loan program. Our staff is always ready to help a new Mothers Clubs program when needed.

A Mothers Clubs member may use her new loan to expand the very small business she already has. However, prior to her new loan, she probably had to go to the distributor of the product she wanted to sell at the market or on the street. Because she had no money to buy the product, she had to borrow the funds from the distributor at 20% interest PER MONTH. This meant she made a very small profit or none at all. With her new Mothers Clubs loan she could pay cash for the product and increase her profit. Other possible uses of the new loan funds include sewing clothing for sale, starting a bakery, raising animals, combining funds with others and renting irrigated land to grow vegetables, or opening a small café. 

Mothers Clubs loan funds are raised in the U.S. and are provided to Mothers Clubs members to make a profit and improve their lives. Most of these women have dreamed about what they would do if they had the opportunity to control their finances and not just survive each day. With their hard work and commitment these small business loans provide a sustainable source of income to not only improve the lives of their families, but to educate their children, purchase nutritious food to eat for better health, have hope for the future, and possibly employ other members of their family. Since 1991 Mothers Clubs has provided loans and support for over 20,000 members.