After the death of her husband, Bindumaya of Nepal was left to support six family members. She decided to get involved with polyhouse farming, which is a homemade green house with walls made from thick plastic sheets. However, she didn’t have the knowledge she needed to succeed. Her plants became infected with disease and despite her best efforts and hard work, the plan failed. Just as Bindumaya was starting to lose hope, Mentors International in partnership with the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation came to her village with business training to help people like her acquire new and relevant skills. Today, she has a successful small farming enterprise and sells goats in addition to her other business endeavors. In Bindumaya’s own words, “Happiness has returned to my life.”

One of the seven areas of impact that the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation focuses on is self-reliance. By supporting skills training, loan programs, and education opportunities, doTERRA helps set individuals up for health and success. One of doTERRA’s partners in self-reliance initiatives is Mentors International. Since 2008, Mentors International has provided microloans and mentoring to individuals in developing countries as they plan, launch, and grow their businesses. With a 97% payback rate, these loans help individuals start and grow businesses, provide for their families, and influence their communities.