Teach A Man To Fish Is A Non-Profit Microfinance Investment Fund
We give microloans (averaging just $160) to the world's poorest people to help them escape poverty, to fulfill the Great Commission, and to honor God with our resources.
How We Got Started (2018)
In 2018, our Founder and Chairman, Clark Varin gave his first microloan to a man in Haiti who was making $3/day selling seashells on the beach. Clark's loan of $200 allowed Jean to buy a fishing net that grew his income from $3/day to $20/day within a matter of days. A few months later, Clark traveled to Uganda, met his future business partner, Moses, and together they started Muvule Financing, a microfinance institution headquartered in Kampala, Uganda.
Muvule's Early Success (2019)
Muvule Financing was officially launched in Jan 2019. Eight months later, Clark went back to Uganda to see how things were doing. To his surprise, the organization was not only operational, but profitable and had already transformed thousands of lives in the slums of Kampala, Uganda. Watch this video to see what our seed investment of $68,000 did in just eight months.
Surviving The Pandemic (2020)
By March of 2020, the pandemic was in full effect and Uganda began an eight month lockdown. During this time, Muvule's model was refined to help the poorest of the poor invest in income generating assets. Many lives were saved (including nursing mothers, like the lady in this video). Despite economic turbulence, Muvule was able to survive the pandemic with minimal losses and began a period of expansion.
Expansion Across Uganda (2021)
The pandemic desolated many African villages. In an effort to help those in need, we expanded our team to ~50 employees and 11 branches across Uganda. We began to serve slums that no other microfinance institution would touch, and found success where noone else could. (Watch this video to see how we made microloans 4x cheaper in this Ugandan marketplace.)
Proven Measurable Results (2021)
In 2021, we did an impact study on over 300 of our clients across 10 branches and found that our average client grew their income by 3x within 12 months and 5x within 18 months. Surprisingly, our very poorest clients were our top performers. Our average client in Kasokoso, one of Africa's largest slums (see video) made $2/day prior to their loan and $10/day within 12 months of their loan--a 5X increase.
Teach A Man To Fish Was Started With A Global Vision (2025)
Equipped with a microfinancing model that has proven to work in the worlds poorest communities, our founder, Clark Varin, started Teach A Man To Fish (TAM2F), a US-based 501(c)3 non-profit to bring his vision global. TAM2F is a microfinance fund that combines charitable donations and investment capital to make more microfinance capital available than ever before.
Our Core Values
Our organization's core values are built on Biblical principles.
1.
"Give and it will be given unto you."
We believe that the one who gives will receive the greater return than the one who gives--in this lifetime and in the age to come. It's important for us to always give with gratitude and generosity.
2.
"As you did to the LEAST you did for Me."
Our focus is on the poorest of the poor. Those who are hungry, homeless, trapped in an endless cycle of poverty with no means to escape. We believe that by serving the poorest, we are serving God.
3.
"A seed in good soil can bear 100x."
Our team members are grounded in the gospel of Jesus Christ and we can measurably prove that our faith-based culture has improved the success of our organization and our clients.
Our Long-Term Vision
Our goal is to become a worldwide microfinance investment vehicle (MIV) that feeds the world's hungriest, clothes the world's poorest, and brings the immeasurable joy of the gospel to the world's most desperate communities on Earth.
Our Unique Approach To Ending Poverty
How we've achieved an unheard of track record of helping people escape extreme poverty.
1.
Spiritual & Social Transformation Through God's Word
Before a community is investable, there must be a moral fabric in place that holds the society together. This requires us to spread the gospel as a fundamental part of our success. We do this by both encouraging our borrwers on a weekly basis and by helping fund churches with the interest generated by our Microloan Endowment.
2.
Financial Empowerment For The World's Least & Lowest
We do not give donations as a means of economic development. This helps us avoid the risk of accidentally creating dependency and diminishing productivity. Instead we invest microloans in entrepreneurs to help them start the business of their dreams, which stimulates real, long-term, economic growth.
3.
Childhood Education That Breaks The Chains Of Generational Poverty
One of the immediate results of microloans is the ability for parents to put their kids in school. Additionally, we make quality education available where there is none, by supporting schools through our Microloan Endowment. Quality education makes the earning potential of a child nearly limitless.