written by: Glen Warchol

One of the thorniest ethical challenges Choice Humanitarian faces is living up to its core goal of preserving a culture that also has generations of ingrained inequality. β€œAll over these countries, beating women is common practice,” says CEO Leah Barker. β€œMy impulse is to say, β€˜Women! Grab a bat and beat them back!’ But I’m not an international development expert.”

Led by Choice’s co-founder and University of Utah political science professor James B. Mayfield, the program counters fundamental sexism with β€œdisruptive technologies”—like a tin box with a padlock. β€œAll of our communities have saving-box programs.” says Barker. β€œIt’s my favorite program.”

The concept is simple. The participating villagers contribute tiny amounts of cash to the saving box. It’s almost entirely women who who join the program. β€œWhen Choice starts something new in a village, the men are the least interested,” explains Barker. β€œIt’s the women who are willing to take the risks.”

The savings group elects one woman to keep the box. A second is in charge of the key. And a third maintains the ledger that tracks the deposits. The roles are changed regularly, Barker says, so that a husband cannot seize control of the money. β€œIf you invest time and money in a woman, she will invest in her childrenβ€”their health and their education.”

As the money in the box accumulates and reaches about $300, Barker says with relish, β€œNow, it becomes Shark Tank.” The box bankers gather under a tree and listen to entrepreneurial pitches from their members. One might ask for a $100 loan to buy a pig. The budding entrepreneur explains that she will butcher the pig and sell the parts at a profit, then pay the loan back. β€œThe women vote, and you get the money or you don’t,” Barker says. β€œLittle by little, they build on it.”

Additional Articles: The Business of Poverty | The Young and Grounded | A Village Breaks Free | Built-In Resilience

See more inside ourΒ 2017 November/December Issue.