AT OVER 4,500 feet, El Naranjo, Honduras, is often hrouded in cool mist and fog. Coffee thrives here in the rich terrain, moist soil, and tropical climate. In fact, the El Naranjo economy depends on the coffee industry. But the price of coffee on the world market has often been unstable. Five years ago, Javataza—a coffee importing and roasting company—researched the possibility of buying coffee from El Naranjo growers.

1. microfinance solutionssustainable solutions for the working poor
ISSUE 5 . APRIL 2015 . PUBLISHED QUARTERLYP.O. Box 360, Berlin, OH 44610
97.3%
Loan repayment rate
(3 year average)
7,610
SALT clients
What is SALT?
SALT is an acronym for Shared Accountability, Lending, and Teaching.
This CAM program reaches out to people in material poverty through
microloans,savingsgroups,agriculturalprograms,andChrist-centered
teaching. Our goal is to walk alongside clients, helping them use the
resources God has placed in their care and teaching them the impor-
tance of following Jesus in everyday life.
1
Do you charge interest
or fees on SALT loans?
Answer: We do not charge
interest, but we do charge
a small administrative fee
used to help pay local
indigenous instructors
who oversee the program.
We believe it is important
that clients don’t view
the SALT Microfinance
program as a charity.
Rather, we are partnering
with them and helping
them discover new ways of
providing for themselves.
Allowing them to assist in
paying for the instruction
they receive helps them
feel they are contributors
in the project.
Common
Questions
More questions will be featured in
future issues.
AT OVER 4,500 feet, El Naranjo, Honduras, is often shrouded in cool mist and fog. Coffee thrives
here in the rich terrain, moist soil, and tropical climate. In fact, the El Naranjo economy depends
on the coffee industry. But the price of coffee on the world market has often been unstable.
Fiveyearsago,Javataza—acoffeeimportingandroastingcompany—researchedthepossibility
of buying coffee from El Naranjo growers.
Javatazaseekstohelpcoffeegrowersbyof-
feringgood,reliablepricesfortheirproduct.
Together Javataza and an El Naranjo coffee
growersco-opapproachedCAMtorequest
a loan for a coffee dryer and small ware-
house.Thecoffeedryerwouldhelpproduce
high quality coffee that could be sold for a
consistentlyhigherpricethanothercoffee.
The warehouse would provide a place to
store the coffee until it could be exported.
The first year after the coffee dryer was
in operation, Javataza purchased 10,000
pounds of coffee from the El Naranjo co-
op. Some farmers were skeptical at first,
but as the project proved itself successful
over the next several years, more growers
joined the co-op. This year twelve grow-
ers will sell 35,000 pounds of coffee to
Honduras Coffee Project Update
Agri-Plus Program
continued on page four
Perfecto and Amanda sort through the coffee
they just picked.

2. 2
—Matthew Schmidt, Cambodia
POVERTY IS one of the challenges many missionaries face in de-
veloping countries.Working in Cambodia is no different.While
our main goal is to reach lost souls for the kingdom of God and
to strengthen believers, we are surrounded by people’s physical
needs. Meeting these needs can be a challenge. We must first
assess the reasons for these needs. Sometimes it is because of
poor management of the resources a person already has. Other
times it is a result of poor financial choices, laziness, or lack of
available work.
WHY DOES CAMBODIA NEED THE SALT PROGRAM?
Debt is a big problem among Cambodians. They often view
THIS YEAR SALT Microfinance began operating in Bangladesh.
The people of Bangladesh are friendly and open to teaching, but
many tribes live in extreme poverty. SALT staff have visited the
new savings groups and are training the group leaders.
In the Shultunpar tribe pictured at right, it is common for
girls to be married at 14 or 15 years old. Because of this, families
are large. Parents often struggle to provide for their children.
We hope that the SALT program will brighten their futures and
provide opportunities for these families to support themselves.
Bringing Financial Literacy
to Bangladesh
borrowed money as a way to help them in
a time of need but don’t consider the high
interest they will need to pay. It’s easy for
Cambodians to borrow money from banks
or loan sharks. At some places, the interest is
over 100 percent annually. It’s not uncommon
to meet people who have two loans on their
property, and their debt is twice the value of
the property.
MostCambodianshavehadlittleornoteach-
ing about how to use money. As a result they
often struggle with financial problems. Many
of these people grew up in poverty and some-
times had barely enough money to buy food.
Even though many young Cambodian fami-
lies are better off than they were growing up,
they often don’t know how to save for the
future. They have learned how to survive with very little, but
have not been taught how to save and manage money to im-
prove their situation.
Becauseoftheseneeds,wearestartingChristianAidMinistries’
SALT Microfinance Solutions program here in Cambodia.
HOW WILL THE SALT PROGRAM OPERATE IN CAMBODIA?
The microloans and the savings groups are two aspects of the
SALT program that we plan to implement. We hope to work
through local churches as well as try to start some groups
among non-Christians.The Bible-based teaching included with
this program is a tool to reach the lost, encourage the Christians,
and help the Cambodian people become financially sustainable.
We have translated the teaching materials into the Khmer lan-
guageandareworkingtotrainaCambodiantoteachthelessons.
Please pray for wisdom and direction as we launch the SALT
Microfinance Solutions program in Cambodia.
SALT Program
Launched in Cambodia

3. Countries where SALT is operating:
Haiti, Nicaragua, Ghana, Honduras,
Cambodia, and Bangladesh
Dollar amounts listed on this page are in USD.
*Amounts include the savings given out as loans to
savings group members.
SAVINGS GROUP STATISTICS
2015 2014 % of growth
Number of families in program 3,660 2,703 35.4%
Average savings held per client* $15.55 $12.05 29.0%
Total savings held by savings groups* $56,900.60 $32,580.04 74.6%
MICROLOAN PROGRAM STATISTICS
2015 2014 3 Yr. Avg.
Overall repayment rate 96.5% 96.7% 97.3%
Overall average loan size $201 $201 $211
Overall number of clients 3,950 3,811 3,534
Overall savings per client $60.19 $59.56 $68.88
MICROLOAN REPAYMENT RATES
2015 2014
3 Yr.
Avg.
Haiti 94.0% 93.0% 93.9%
Ghana 99.8% 98.0% 98.6%
Nicaragua 100.0% 100.0% 99.3%
NUMBER OF MICROLOAN CLIENTS
2015 2014
% of
growth
Haiti 2,313 2,174 6.0%
Ghana 1,523 1,521 0.0%
Nicaragua 114 116 -2.0%
3
LIFE HAS been difficult for Efua Konyiaba from Ghana.
Since her husband doesn’t help support the family, Efua
is left with the responsibility of providing for her six chil-
dren who are living at home. They live in a house Efua
built herself.
To help put food on the table and send her children to
school, Efua started a business of selling kinki, a popular
Ghanaian corn-based food. She spends one day making a
batch of kinki and the next day she takes it to the seaside
town of Elmina to sell it. This business provides enough
income to support her children.
With the loan she received through the SALT program,
she bought a roof for her business. But that isn’t the only
reason Efua likes being a part of the program. She wants
to learn how to raise her children, and appreciates the
practical family teaching she receives at SALT meetings.
SALT Helps
NeglectedWife
Care for Her Children

4. 1
Shared
Accountability,
Lending, and
Teaching
Christian Aid Ministries
P.O. Box 360, Berlin, OH 44610
Phone: 330-893-2428
The Ongoing Effects of
BiblicalTeaching
DORA BUSCHTINGfromNicaraguacredits
the SALT teachings for showing her how
to turn her life around and live for Christ.
A few years ago, Dora’s husband had left
herwithfourchildrenandnoincome.When
the SALT program first came to Waslala,
Dora joined it. She saw the program as an
opportunity to provide for herself and her
children. But before long, temptation got
thebestofherandshebegansellingillegal
items. Soon she found herself in jail.
Dora began to search her heart for
the meaning of life. The words of her
SALT teacher came back to her over and
over again. She became convicted and
purposed that she would allow Jesus to
change her life.
When Dora got out of jail, she searched
for the SALT group to thank them for the
teaching that helped her find new free-
dom in Jesus. When she found the new
SALT loan manager and told him her story,
he asked if she would like
to join the program again.
She was overjoyed, since
she never expected to get
a second chance.
With a new focus on
life, she took a $200
loan and bought items
in bulk to begin baking.
She now has a successful
baking business and va-
riety store. She has made many friends in
her loan group and buys milk from one of
the group members because she can trust
him.“The SALT family is very dear to me,”
she spills out with excitement.
When asked the benefits of being in the
SALT program, Dora is quick to tell about
the teachings of Jesus. “The Bible says,
‘God will not let His people go hungry.
Be meek and kind to everyone. Do not live
in fornication or adultery.’”
The SALT teacher taught her all of these
Biblical truths, and Dora learned firsthand
thatGodblessesarepentantsinner.Shehas
not married again, and her life is now free
of a hateful spirit that once led her to mis-
treat her children and friends. Dora looks
forward to going to the SALT meetings to
hearmoreaboutJesusandbeencouraged
by the other members of her group.
“Theloanshavehelpedmybusiness,but
the teaching has helped my life,”she says.
Javataza, an average of 2,900 pounds each. Each grower will receive approximately
$2,100 more than he would receive at the average market price.This is a significant
increase in profit for these Honduran coffee growers and will have a huge impact on
their families. Some of them rely wholly on the sale of coffee to support their families.
“A hard life, many disappointments, and broken promises are all these mountain
folks have ever known,”says Javataza’s NathanaelYoder.“As we wrapped up our time
with each grower, a common chorus was,‘Can you please buy more next year . . . so
my relatives can have a guaranteed price.’”
Pray that this business relationship between Javataza, SALT Microfinance Solutions,
and the El Naranjo community would continue to bless the people of Honduras.
Honduras Coffee Project Update
continued from page one
BREAK THE CYCLE
OF POVERTY
If you are interested in join-
ing the effort to help families
in developing countries be-
come self-supporting, use the
enclosed response coupon or
earmark your donation SALT
Microfinance Solutions and mail
ittoChristianAidMinistries,P.O.
Box 360, Berlin, OH 44610. You
will receive a tax-deductible re-
ceiptunlessyounoteotherwise.