Our Programs

For more than a decade, the Human Empowerment and Welfare Team (HEWT) has worked alongside the poorest of the poor — not handing out short-term relief but helping families build the means to stand on their own. Our work falls into two connected efforts: opening a path out of poverty through interest-free loans, and meeting the urgent, everyday needs of communities that the world too often forgets.

Microloans — 75% of Our Work

The heart of HEWT is the interest-free loan, or Qarz-e-Hasna. About three-quarters of everything we do goes toward placing these loans in the hands of the most vulnerable families across Pakistan, Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda.

These are not gifts and they are not debts that trap. A loan carries zero interest. A mother uses it to buy a sewing machine, a small herd of goats, a fruit cart, or the first stock for a corner shop. As her business grows, she repays the loan — and that same money is loaned out again to the next family waiting for their chance. One contribution becomes a cycle that lifts family after family, year after year.

The result is dignity rather than dependency. Families that once survived day to day now feed their children, send them to school, afford medical care, improve their homes, and grow their businesses — and many go on to support others in their own villages. To date, HEWT has helped thousands of families across South Asia and East Africa take that first step toward lasting financial independence.

Welfare & Relief — The Remaining 25% of Our Work

Some needs cannot wait for a business to grow. The remaining quarter of our work meets people where they are, with the essentials of a decent life. Through our welfare and relief programs, HEWT:

Provides ration bags of food to poor and needy families struggling to put meals on the table.
Creates sources of clean water in villages that have lived without safe, accessible water — protecting health and freeing women and children from long daily journeys to fetch it.
Brings joy on Eid by preparing Eid gifts for children in impoverished villages, so that no child feels left out on a day meant for celebration.
Send children to school with confidence, providing school uniforms, books, and supplies that families could not otherwise afford.
And responds to many other needs as they arise — because real welfare means seeing the whole person, not a single line item.

Together, these efforts help families work toward a better future while receiving the care they need today.

Two Halves of One Promise

Loans build the future. Welfare protects the present. Side by side, they form HEWT's promise to the communities we serve - that no family will be left to face poverty alone.

You could be the difference. A gift of any size — toward a loan that will be lent again, or toward the food, water, and schooling a family needs today — sets that promise in motion.

FAQ

Do borrowers pay interest?

No. HEWT loans are interest-free—borrowers repay only the amount they received.

Do you require collateral?

No collateral is required. 2 guarantors are required to vouch for these borrowers.

How big are loans?

Loan sizes vary based on need and business plan. Typically, they range from $100 to $400, average amount around $350.

How do donations help?

Donations fund new loans; repayments help fund the next borrower—creating ongoing high impact.

Stats and Figures

National poverty (Pakistan’s own poverty line): 21.9% of the population lived below the national poverty line in 2018/19, equal to ~46.5 million people. Source: World Bank Poverty & Equity Brief: Pakistan (Apr 2023) (World Bank PDF)
Extreme poverty (older World Bank line): 4.9% lived on less than $2.15/day (2017 PPP) in 2018/19, equal to ~10.8 million people. Source: (World Bank PDF)
Poverty near your target group (international line close to “a few dollars/day”): 39.8% lived on less than $3.65/day (2017 PPP) in 2018/19, equal to ~87.5 million people. Source: (World Bank PDF)
Updated World Bank “$3/day” framing (what you asked for): Under the World Bank’s new $3/day international poverty line (2021 PPP), 16.5% of Pakistan’s population is counted as living in extreme poverty (based on the 2018–19 survey). Source (reporting World Bank’s update): DAWN
Rural vs urban poverty gap (national poverty line): Urban: 10.9% vs Rural: 28.2% (2018/19). Source: (World Bank PDF)
Recent trend (World Bank projection at $3.65/day): Poverty was expected to reach 37.2% at the $3.65/day (2017 PPP) line “as of 2023” (World Bank projection), and despite a slightly lower rate than 2018, population growth implied ~3 million more poor people than in 2018. Source: (World Bank PDF)
Jobs + vulnerability context (useful for microfinance messaging):
Over 40% of employed people work in agriculture (low productivity on average). Source: (World Bank PDF)
Only ~1 in 4 working-age women participate in the labor force; almost 80% of working women are in agriculture. Source: (World Bank PDF)
Education-related deprivation (relevant for household hardship targeting):
36% of school-age girls are not attending school (reported as 11 percentage points higher than boys). Source: (World Bank PDF)
28.8%: households where at least one school-aged child is not enrolled (2018). Source: (World Bank PDF)
Basic services gaps (non-monetary poverty indicators, 2018):
24.8% lacked limited standard sanitation.
9.3% lacked electricity.
6.5% lacked limited-standard drinking water Source: (World Bank PDF)
Inequality (simple headline start): Gini index ~29.6 (2018). Source: (World Bank PDF)
Important wording notes for your website: The World Bank’s “$3/day” figure is in PPP-adjusted dollars (2021 PPP) (i.e., it’s meant for comparing purchasing power across countries, not the same as “$3 USD cash” at market exchange rates). Source context: DAWN

If you tell me whether your site wants to use PPP-based thresholds (World Bank style) or literal USD at market exchange rates, I can rewrite these bullets in copy-ready website language that matches your eligibility rule (“<$3/day”).