A comprehensive collection of scholarly, personal, and editorial articles relating to the growth and development of economic / political ties between China and South America-- with a focus on commodity rich countries in South America and commodity/energy markets.
Microfinance is a topic i've touched upon before on this site (See June 17, 2008 post). In this turbulent time, Microfinance borrowers believe it or not but are still paying back their loans despite the credit crisis.
Microfinance is an effective, long-term solution to ending poverty that empowers poor families with the financial resources they need to improve their lives.
But there is an urgent need to expand these services. Right now, microfinance is only reaching 10-20% of the estimated 500 million people who would benefit from these life-changing opportunities.
As you'll see in the two-minute video, microfinance has the power to improve the lives not just of individuals, but of families and entire communities around the world.
ACCION International Newsletter - July 17, 2008 The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has committed $4.3 million to ACCIONover the next five years to extend microfinance into rural Latin America. Around the world, the rural poor – often among the most impoverished – are under-served by microfinance. ACCION will work with five of its long-term partners in Latin America – Banco Ademi in the Dominican Republic, CREDIFEin Ecuador, Financiera FAMAin Nicaragua, FINAMERICAin Colombia and Mibanco in Peru – to overcome barriers and explore new technological and methodological solutions. The project will provide financial services and training to the rural poor that are less expensive, better tailored to the client and easy to replicate.
The mission of ACCIONInternational is to give people the tools they need to work their way out of poverty. By providing microloans, business training and other financial services to poor men and women who start their own businesses, ACCION's partner lending organizations help people work their own way up the economic ladder, with dignity and pride. With just a little capital, people can grow their own businesses. They can earn enough to afford basics like running water, better food and schooling for their children.
In a world where three billion people live on less than $2 a day, it is not enough to help 1,000 or even 100,000 individuals. ACCION’s goal is to bring microfinance to tens of millions of people – enough to truly change the world. We know that there will never be enough donations to do this. That's why ACCION has created an anti-poverty strategy that is permanent and self-sustaining.
Microfinance, is a economic development tool which aims to reduce poverty and empower the global poor with the skills and means to generate sustainable development through, providing small "micro-loans" and other financial services to poor entrepreneurs whom otherwise lack the knowledge or means to acquire them from the formal sectors in their home countries.
In 2006, over 10,000 Micro-finance Institutions where in active operation within 85 countries; financing 150 million micro-entrepreneurs all over the world and offering an array of financial services otherwise inaccessible for poor people in the developing world.
(Note decided to re-publish, or in this case change the publication time of this post with editions / update from yesterday June 19 to today June 20.) ACCION International, Established in 1961 and a leader in microfinance since 1973, ACCION has over 45 years of experience in the field of international economic development. Please visit the following pages to learn more about who we are, what we do, and how we do it.
In Peru, ACCION International is partnered with a local Peruvian bank called Mi Banco, which serves as ACCION's main avenue in which to access the Peruvian market on a wide scale, would ordinarily be impossible or very difficult to say the least due to the restrictions in place by formal Peruvian Institutions which at the moment impede many smaller MFI's from evolving into a official bank which can accept deposits and make loans.
I would like to especially extend my gratitude, to a dear professor of mine, whom I was fortunate enough to have on multiple occasions while attending American University, who was a true inspiration. A charismatic and energized teacher who drew upon his real world experience in business, international development and financial management/ investments in over 20 countries-- and a individual whom I truely respect a great deal: Dr. Ghiyath Nakshbendi. International Business Professor at American UniversityKogod School of Business, he single handedly created and organized the first course to be offered in the Washington D.C area focusing on Micro-Finance. To that I give him my most esteemed gratitude and respect for his forward thinking of mentoring students in what is a very fast growing and continuously more influential field of study and work.
The video below truely describes the power of Microfinance and micro-credit. Consider these ladies, who relied and used micro-credit through to survive... Having to cope with 3 currencies, 4 presidential elections, 1 dictator, hyper inflation, terrorism, violence, abusive husbands... and still prospered beyond what would have in any other shape or matter have been possible.
I use the word prosper loosely here, for they are will working hard, in a hard world and face adversity and challenges on a daily basis. No less it is a incredible example of the power of micro-credit and MFI's and the inspirational ability of such individuals to persevere through such difficult times.
Last, they are a success story so to speak, many examples persist which are sad case studies. Despite this all, progress through the use of Microfinance institutions is being made, especially in comparison to past methods of poverty alleviation.
Great Video below describing what is one of the first cities in the America's... Special thanks to Five Talents International, helping with international development around the world.
And to end this post -- a bit of mixing modern pop culture with helping the dis-empowered, historically ignored, people of the 3rd world.
The power and capabilities of Microfinance to help the global poor is truely unimaginable. I'll personally be investing assets of my own in the Microfinance / Bank / public traded traded company-- Compartamos.
Captivated observer and active participant in the growing exchange between countries in the Americas and East Asia.
Exhilarated by the process of identifying and growing local and international business opportunities.
Committed towards expanding my reality and nurturing a network of like-minded individuals and organizations from across the globe. Including but never limited to -- entrepreneurs, creative talent, educators, students, innovators, investors and new media journalists.
Posts
