There are women in developing countries who are living the economic catch-22: you need money to make money. And without any form of collateral or credit history, these women can’t even borrow money from a bank. This is even more impossible if they inhabit a country where it’s atypical for a woman to have these things. In a class I took at BU last fall, I was informed about the successes of microfinancing—small grants provided to the working poor. Nobel prize winner Muhammad Yunus was the founder of the Grameen Microcredit Bank in Bangladesh. With these loans from institutions like the Grameen Bank, people can secure a loan for amounts like $400 to cover expenses like a fridge. And voila. With their newfound added income, they can repay the loan in six months. (Women have an extraordinarily consistent rate on microloans.) They can then work to build homes for their families. These success stories turn poor women into shoemakers, seamstresses, potters. What’s more? The money came from regular people like us. These programs were financed by a series of small loans through a group called Kiva. Please inform yourselves!
Peace,
Jessica Szohr looks gorgeous! Rebecca taylor so feminine and pretty!
thanks babydoll! (i’ll take it this was in response to my rebecca taylor post rather than the one on microfinancing :))
Sorry… forgot to say great post – can’t wait to read your next one!
Social business is certainly an interesting concept. I read “Creating a World Without Poverty”…interesting book to say the least.
i’ll have to check that book out! the more i learn about this field, the more it changes my perception of what should be done and what i can do to help! thanks for commenting!