Ittamma Polkurthi

Microfinance Client Since: April 2000
Age: 39, Married
Children: Six children ages 11, 12, 18, 20, 23, 25
Hometown: Medak, India
Current loan: 4th loan, $350
Business: Banana plantation

Ittamma Polkurthi and her family were forced from their land and into bonded labor after the government underpaid them for land where a new dam was being built.

Ittamma's family was able to buy a meager one acre plot. With Ittamma's loans, she cultivated the land, bought banana plants and started a banana plantation on her acre. She harvested and sold her bananas, earning $1,100. With these profits, she rebuilt her house, leased two additional acres, planted more bananas and even bought a buffalo for her family and to sell the surplus milk. She has also hired several employees to help with the banana plantation. Most important, she paid off the debts and freed her family from bonded labor.

Using loans totaling just over $400, this family of eight went from destitute poverty to being productive landowners with a profitable and expanding business and employees.

We at Shabby Apple Dresses love to help women dress but are also commited to helping women live as well.  Thus we are supporting the fight against global poverty by partnering with Unitus-a non-profit organization that accelerates access to life-changing financial services for those at the bottom of the economic pyramid. Shabby Apple donates 5% of its net dress sales to support work in India (where Shabby Apple Dresses sources many of its dresses the textiles used to manufacture its dresses).  In addition, each Shabby Apple Dresses customer has the opportunity to donote an extra five dollars to Unitus every time she buys a dress. Shabby Apple Dresses and Unitus are involved with 10 of India's most promising microfinance organizations that provide financial services to more than 1.6 million hard-working women and their families.

By buying Shabby Apple dresses, you're helping change the lives of women around the world like Beebijaan. Shabby Apple Dresses is sharing 5% of its profits with Unitus, an organization working to bring life-changing micro-loans to thousands more of the world's working poor. Purchase a dress to help or learn more at www.shabbyapple.com/helpwomenworldwide