We help people around the world
live better lives.
Our projects reduce poverty
and protect the planet.
We lend money
to companies and governments
all over the world.
We have been doing it for more than 50 years.
We work with international partners
to reduce poverty
in the poorest countries of the world.
This is called international development.
We invest in projects
that protect the planet
and its natural resources,
so that our children can use them when they grow up.
This is called sustainable development.
What we want to do
We work hard to make sure
our projects have a positive effect.
When you have clean water and electricity
in your house,
you live a better life.
When you have a job
and a fair salary,
your life improves.
You can have a better home
and send your children to school.
When the nature around you
is not polluted
and you can breathe clean air,
your life is healthier.
Our projects make these things possible.
How we solve problems
In Cambodia only 1 out of 4 people
have clean water at home.
So we loaned money to the government of Cambodia
to build a treatment plant
that brings clean water to people’s houses
Watch how it works:
Many women in poor countries do not have a bank account.
If you do not have a bank account,
you can’t borrow money from a bank
to finance your business.
So we created a programme to help women
who want to open a bank account
and borrow money.
Watch how it works:
Our goals
Climate and environment
Earth’s climate has been changing more quickly
over the past few years
because of humans.
Factories and cars burn fuel
that produces gases.
These gases block heat from the sun
so that the Earth’s temperature increases.
This is called the greenhouse effect.
We work on projects
that try to slow down the increase in temperature
and solve this problem.
Renewable energy
We finance transport
that doesn’t pollute
because it uses natural resources
and clean energy.
The wind, the sun and water
are natural sources of renewable energy.
They are sustainable,
because they won’t run out
and we don’t harm the environment
when we use them.
Jobs
Many people who live in poor countries
have to leave their homes
to find a job in another country.
This is called migration.
We lend money to poorer countries,
so they can create jobs
and better conditions for their citizens.
That means people won’t have to become migrants.
Gender equality
Gender equality means that women
should have the same opportunities as men.
We promote projects that help women study, work
and run their own businesses.
We invest in companies in Africa
that help women in many different ways.
Companies organise courses for women
so they can learn new skills
and get jobs as tailors, midwives or cooks.
These companies also hire women
to work as engineers or managers
in power plants
that use renewable energy.
When women get a job,
they can help their families
with the money they earn
and become more independent from their husbands.