“Microfinance is now center stage of the development agenda. The 2006 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to a Bangladeshi microfinance bank and its founder - the Peace prize, not the Economics prize. This testifies to the broad impact that microfinance has on communities and livelihoods, helping the poor while preserving their dignity.

"Microfinance works. It is aligned with personal interests and responsibilities, while the group method brings accountability, and the savings component encourages planning. It is also an extremely cost-effective means of contributing to the Millennium Development Goals. The Church has a distinct advantage in delivering microfinance services, through its local presence, credibility and network. I am pleased that Five Talents joins those who are taking forward this vital work in the worldwide Communion."

Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury

International Patron of Five Talents