A police officer from an explosive disposal unit takes part in a security drill ahead of next year's general election in Sidoarjo, East Java, on August 23, 2023. (Photo by Juni Kriswanto/AFP Photo)

The shoemaker in Turkey, the potato seller in Vietnam, and the weaver in Bolivia are among the billions of low-income entrepreneurs who make the world go round. They are also the type of people who can benefit significantly from microfinance. Every year, the Consultative Group To Assist The Poor (or CGAP) hosts a photo contest asking entrants to submit photos based around the idea of microfinance.The purpose of the contest is to give amateur and professional photographers a chance to show the different ways that poor households manage their financial lives and make their lives better through financial inclusion. Photo: South Asia Regional Winner – “Bricks Worker”, Bangladesh. A private enterprise worker is working at a brick field. These small businesses are creating new job opportunities for many poor people. (Photo by Moksumul Haque)

Bangladeshi day labourers carry baskets of coal from a cargo ship in Gabtoli, Dhaka on January 2, 2022. They are earning around $1 every 30 baskets of coal unloaded from the ship. (Photo by Piyas Biswas/SOPA Images/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Cholita wrestlers stage a performance on the street during the Electropreste celebration, which combines traditional and modern customs, in La Paz, Bolivia on March 12, 2022. (Photo by Claudia Morales/Reuters)

It looks like a kiss but this male and female blackbird were fighting in flight in Charlton Adam, Somerset, South West England in July 2022. (Photo by Ben Pulletz/Solent News)

On February 16, 2025, Finna Indriani, a 27-year-old female jockey, showcased her skills in a specialized “sport-action” performance during the “Roda Gila” entertainment event at a traditional night market in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra Province, Indonesia. (Photo by Sutanta Aditya/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

People pass by a light decoration during Valentine’s Day in Tirana, Albania, on February 14, 2024. (Photo by Florion Goga/Reuters)

British singer-songwriter and dancer FKA twigs (R) at Boom Met Gala After Party hosted by FKA Twigs in Manhattan, New York on May 6, 2024. (Photo by Yvonne Tnt/BFA.com/Rex Features/Shutterstock)