Micro-lending is pretty fashionable right now, but the truth is it has been around for quite a while. The concept was largely developed by Bangladeshi banker and economist Muhammad Yunus, the founder of the Grameen Bank. In 2006, Yunus and the Grameen Bank were awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for 'their efforts to create economic and social development from below'.

In the developed world, there aren't many people that can just buy a car in one easy payment. So we visit a bank, take out a loan and start driving straight away - paying for it in small instalments over a longer period of time.

Well microlending works the same way - just on a much smaller scale. The sad truth is that life-saving technology that may only cost $200 is far out of reach to many people in the developing world. But that's where microlending communities come into it. By pooling our money together, we can loan these people the money they need and completely transform their life in an instant - not in a years time.