Refugees get funding for their start-up dreams ...

Ibrar Hussain arrived in Australia from Pakistan in 2012 and has opened a grocery store.

With no credit history in Australia, it would be near impossible for them to get a regular loan from a bank, but a microfinance agency has stepped in.

Microfinance has been around for decades and is regularly used in developing nations to promote economic independence and reduce poverty.

A new local, not-for-profit model called Thrive has kickstarted this new breed of small business owners.

Thrive is supported by a $2 million loan from Westpac and some prominent Australian corporate leaders, including Westpac's former deputy chair John Curtis and investment banker and philanthropist Simon Mordant.