“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
— Micah 6:8
In response to recent conversations about microfinance sparked by the Wall Street Journal article, we believe two things can be true at once.
Good ideas can be distorted. Financial tools intended to empower people can become systems that burden people with debt, exploit vulnerable communities, or make promises they cannot keep. Those stories are real, and they are heartbreaking. They happen every day, including in the places where TOLI works.
But we also believe that God is in the business of redemption.
That is why we continually listen, learn, evaluate our program, and ask hard questions about our work.
TOLI's goal has never been to make people rich and never to receive financial returns. TOLI is a ministry focused on holistic transformation. Our goal is to help people in extreme poverty know they are seen and loved by God and to equip them with the opportunity to provide for their families with dignity through meaningful work.
Again and again, we have watched entrepreneurs experience this dignity firsthand. We have seen it at scale with measurable data.
Today, 93% of TOLI entrepreneurs report being able to provide three meals a day for their families. Eighty-one percent report increased savings. Many are sending their children to school, improving their homes, and creating stability that once felt impossible. Sixty-three percent have increased their church attendance, and 61% of clients have stepped into leadership roles in their churches and communities.
Just weeks ago, I traveled deep into rural communities in Kenya along dirt roads to meet TOLI entrepreneurs. Many of these women and men possess extraordinary resilience and creativity but have limited access to opportunities and capital. Some have never traveled beyond the neighboring villages where they live.
Yet somehow, through God's provision, a small asset-based microloan reached them.
I met Lucy, whose microloan helped her expand her chicken business. (To the right of the photo below is her chicken coop before the program; to the left is what it has become through her hard work and participation in the program.) Additional chickens have created additional income, allowing her to send her son to school. She is saving to build a small shop to serve her neighbors. She is leading worship during TOLI gatherings.
Lucy, a TOLI entrepreneur in Kenya, pictured with her son and her new chicken coop.
The concerns raised about microfinance invite an important question: what makes TOLI different?
First, TOLI loans are asset-based, not cash-based. Entrepreneurs receive the inventory, livestock, equipment, or supplies needed to start or expand a business rather than cash in hand. This helps ensure the loan creates a long-term source of income instead of being consumed by immediate needs or emergencies.
Second, TOLI loans are intentionally small. They are truly micro, averaging around $200. We are not interested in burdening entrepreneurs with debt they cannot carry. Clients grow their businesses gradually, often through a series of up to three small loans over time, allowing growth to be sustainable and manageable.
TOLI also charges a community reinvestment rate of 10–18% over 12–18 months, significantly lower than many local interest rates, which often range from 30–37% and in some cases up to 400%. Our community reinvestment rate allows repaid funds to retain their value in the face of inflation and revolve locally to sustainably support future entrepreneurs for years to come.
Third, every loan is paired with business training, Christian discipleship, and ongoing support. A loan alone rarely changes a life. Relationships do. Local TOLI Social Workers and church partners walk alongside entrepreneurs throughout the process, reflecting Christ's love through practical support, encouragement, and discipleship.
Nemmat (pictured right), a TOLI client in Egypt who runs a bakery, pictured with Sally, her TOLI Social Worker.
Finally, TOLI is not a bank. We partner with local ministries and churches that operate the microloan program within their communities. Repayment matters because it allows funds to revolve to the next entrepreneur, and our repayment rate exceeds 95%. But people matter more. Success is families flourishing, communities strengthening, and people discovering that they are seen by God and equipped to run a business.
Microfinance can be done poorly.
At TOLI, our mission is to restore people to lives of dignity in a way that values people and pursues holistic transformation. We are committed to listening, learning, and continually improving along the way.
We believe microfinance can be – and is being – done with humility, justice, and love.
It’s changing lives and communities.
In Christ,
Audrey Putney
Managing Director, TOLI
