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While the concept of microfinance is relatively new to Tanzania (reference 1 in original article), the impacts of its introduction are already visible. Smallholder farmers have been especially affected by this change, since Tanzania has a majority agricultural-based economy. Credit facilities without collateral damage have allowed farmers to grow their business, by buying products like fertilizer and more advanced equipment to boost productivity, and profit from their harvest without the threat of inescapable debt. Microfinance has also provided non-farming rural citizens with employment opportunities by allowing them to more easily launch small businesses, such as carpentry and food vending. Although the adoption of this economic practice is somewhat low in rural households, studies show that if fully adopted, microfinance could collectively raise the incomes of Tanzanians living in rural areas. This statistic becomes even more significant when paired with the fact that 90% of the impoverished in Tanzania live in the countryside and thus, rural households make up the majority of those unqualified for conventional banking services. Not only has microfinance affected socioeconomic status within Tanzania, it has also improved gender inequality within disadvantaged communities. One study’s results have shown a 90% increase in women-owned businesses and over 80% decrease in female genital mutilation and reported sexual assault in correlation with the introduction of microfinance. This introduction has also been found to be consistent with less absences from school. And while these services have not shown to improve Tanzanians’ access to healthcare, they do appear to alleviate the stress of health-related costs, especially for parents. Overall, while the details on microfinance’s impact on Tanzanian society and economy are yet to be determined, its implementation has certainly created a new financial culture based around saving and taking loans, replacing the previous negative stigma surrounding these practices.