A pioneering charity has launched a new initiative in the face of the credit crunch, to take loans from people who need a decent return on their income, and invest their money to help those in the developing world.

Opportunity International, the world's largest Christian microfinance organization, has announced the launch of OptINnow, a new initiative in the fight against global poverty. Based in the US, OptINnow connects people who want to make a difference with the working poor around the world who need small business loans to lift themselves out of poverty.

On the southern slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro, a small bank owned by 330,000 members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania's Northern District is improving the lives of poor people, while still managing to make a profit.