My name is Amal and I live in West Aswan, in the southern part of Egypt. I am the mother of six children. My husband works very hard, but it is not possible to meet the needs of our large family on his salary alone.

I heard about a Microfinance Project supported by Catholic Relief Services, which helps people like me start small businesses, and I decided to join it so that I could add to my family's income. I received a loan of $90 and used it to start a home bakery. I make bread and other goods to sell around town at offices and other workplaces. Once I repaid the first loan, I received a second one for $150 and used it to increase and improve my business.

With the income from my bakery, the life of my family has improved. Before I started this project we couldn't afford to buy enough milk for our children. We were not able to pay for school fees, school lunches, or dream of allowances for the children. Now my children go to school for the whole year, they take sandwiches for lunch each day, and I am able to pay the entire year's school fees before the first day of class. I am proud of repaying my loans on time. In the future, I hope to buy a big electric mixer to expand my business. The CRS Microfinance Project helps many women like me to make our lives better.

Learn more about Catholic Relief Services' work in Egypt.

Learn more about Catholic Relief Services' supported microfinance projects.