We at Edify believe that educating the poor is the greatest opportunity for Christian transformation in the developing world. A young person with book smarts and life skills can create a small business or find employment that will lift his or her family out of poverty; a young person grounded in the Christian faith will develop the moral foundation necessary to transform a culture and remake a society. With a dedication to serving the poor, Edify proposes to increase access to Christian education and improve the quality and relevancy of what’s taught in Christian schools.
We direct our attention to the little-known, yet widespread phenomenon of “affordable private schools.” In developing countries across the world, you’ll be stunned to discover a competitive marketplace of private schools that cater to very poor students. The typical school won’t win any beauty pageants, with their dirt floors and cramped quarters. But they’re often the best chance a boy or girl has of escaping the inherited life of generational poverty. The education entrepreneurs, or “edupreneurs,” who own these schools charge a very affordable $5 to $15 per month for tuition and provide a surprisingly robust education – often far superior to the government alternative, when one exists.
These 'edupreneurs' almost always share the same headache, a lack of capital for expanding their classrooms and facilities. We aim to solve the challenge by coming alongside these proprietors and providing loan capital, so the edupreneur can borrow money to expand and run his school more effectively and efficiently. Once the capital is repaid, it will be recycled to provide loans to other proprietors seeking a loan to expand.