Yesterday afternoon and this morning we went in groups to visit villages 2 hours outside of Hyderabad where Unitus’s partner MFI (micro finance institution, SKS) serves clients. Clients are woman who live in the villages who collectively gather in groups of five to collect and receive loans. They recieve the loans and hold each other accountable to the repayment of the loans. Many of the women we met with use the loans to help prosper their current businesses. They take loans for the purchase of a buffalo, other agricultural needs and other small store loans, grocery stores and other various enterprises. They all make less than $2 per day. Most of them are married and have children. We walked through their villages, visited their homes, saw their businesses, interacted with them (via translator as they speak a language called Telugu). They were very friendly, loved showing us their businesses and homes and the children were an absolute delight. They loved to practice their english with us, have their pictures taken, and receive stickers from us (that was a huge hit). At one point I was drinking some tea that I had been served and a whole pack load of kids came and sat on and around a bench close to me. I said, “yum, good tea.” They all mimicked me and I just continued with a variety of english phrases. They repeated everything I said and then we all giggled hysterically. The people who work for SKS here, the loan officers who disperse the loans, train the woman and interact with the people in the village are amazing. They work incredibly hard and are passionate about their work. I felt very privileged today to have met them and see what they do.