--- title: Google Doodle Honors Esther Afua Ocloo, Microlending Pioneer description: Esther Afua Ocloo established a micro-finance non-profit that provided loans to millions of poor women, to help start their own businesses. canonical: https://time.com/4743823/google-doodle-esther-afua-oclee-microfinance/ author: Kevin Lui article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-04-18T03:07:12.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:42:54.072Z og:title: Google Doodle Honors Esther Afua Ocloo, Microlending Pioneer og:description: Ocloo established a microfinance initiative that provided loans to poor women og:url: https://time.com/4743823/google-doodle-esther-afua-oclee-microfinance/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0c35aed5f660223f/6988c346cd1bba204f704c4b/esther-afua-ocloos-98th-birthday-5995813305057280-2x.jpg?branch=production&width=711&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 711 og:image:height: 400 og:image:alt: google-doodle-esther-afua-ocloo-98th-birthday og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Google Doodle Honors Esther Afua Ocloo, Microlending Pioneer twitter:description: Ocloo established a microfinance initiative that provided loans to poor women twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0c35aed5f660223f/6988c346cd1bba204f704c4b/esther-afua-ocloos-98th-birthday-5995813305057280-2x.jpg?branch=production&width=711&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Google Doodle Honors Entrepreneur Esther Afua Ocloo, a Pioneer of Microlending > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=afd96156-427d-42cb-bd3d-acf38639a3c2&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) by [Kevin Lui](https://time.com/author/kevin-lui/) ## Kevin Lui Apr 18, 2017 3:07 AM UTC  Google by [Kevin Lui](https://time.com/author/kevin-lui/) ## Kevin Lui Apr 18, 2017 3:07 AM UTC Google rolled out a new Doodle Tuesday in honor of Ghanaian entrepreneur Esther Afua Ocloo, who was instrumental in helping millions of low-income women secure loans. The Doodle depicts Ocloo “empowering the women of Ghana with the tools to improve their lives and communities,” [said](https://www.google.com/doodles/esther-afua-ocloos-98th-birthday) Google. April 18 would have been her 98th birthday. According to Google, “Auntie Ocloo” had just six shillings — less than one dollar — when she began making and selling marmalade as a young woman in the 1930s. After eventually securing a loan, she grew her business and traveled to the U.K. to learn more about food processing. On her return, she shared with other Ghanaian women the technical knowledge and skills of how to start and run a business. Due to her success she was invited to the first U.N. World Conference on Women in 1975. Throughout her life, Ocloo helped improve women’s lives in Ghana and advocated for their success in business. She saw the importance of credit in helping women achieve better health and prosperity, but poor black women were often ignored by the banks. 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