SPBD Tonga 26
Lisa and her husband Melie grow pineapples, melons, taro and kava root. Thanks to a loan from SPBD Tonga, they were able to buy more land. They now also provide work for people in their community.
The project
In 2024, Belgian photographer and graphic designer Lynn set off on a sailing trip around the world. One day, she received a message from another Lynn, who works at Lendahand.
The question: would she be willing to take portraits of Tongans who had been able to start or expand their businesses with microfinance from SPBD Tonga?
SPBD Tonga provides group loans to women who want to start or expand their own businesses. The organisation also offers training in entrepreneurship and financial skills. This gives women more opportunities to earn their own income and support their families financially.
And so it happened. Lynn visited Melie (pictured), who grows pineapples, melons, taro and kava root together with his wife Lisa and other family members. Lisa was at the market selling pineapples at the time.
“See those containers over there? We collect water in anything we can find, from buckets to old washing machines. It rains less and less here because of climate change,” Melie tells me. “With the loan from SPBD, we bought an additional piece of land and hired workers. That has really helped us move forward,” he adds.
Your investment gives entrepreneurs like Lisa the opportunity to expand their businesses and provide work for others.
Want to learn more about how entrepreneurs in Tonga live and work? Read Lynn’s travel story here.
Your Investment
- Annual interest rate: 7%
- With an investment of €1,000, the expected total repayment is €1,088
- Maturity: 24 months, with repayments including interest every 6 months
- Currency: Euro
SPBD Tonga
Impact
Tonga's female entrepreneurs often struggle to access financing, business support, and opportunities for growth. SPBD Tonga directly addresses these challenges by providing microloans exclusively to women, enabling them to start and expand their businesses.
Since its founding, SPBD Tonga has disbursed thousands of loans, totaling millions in funding for female-led enterprises. Women meet weekly to make repayments, receive business training, and build their savings—helping them achieve long-term financial stability.
Related blog posts
- Read the introduction of SPBD Group as a new investment opportunity here.
- Want to learn more about how financial inclusion can thrive entrepreneurship? Read here.
- Check out this blog post to gain insight into poverty and the struggles faced by those unable to access essential resources for a basic standard of living.
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