Miguel Juanez's Page

What is the name of your company, organization, or school?

University of North Texas' Student Chapter of Future Without Poverty

What is your job function?

Empower students with the tools to help people out of poverty

How did you find out about the Microfinance Network?

Through my friend Brian Weinberg

What is your alma mater?

University of North Texas

What is your website?

http://www.linkedin.com/in/migueljuanez

Why are you here?

We have been taught to believe that poverty is an inevitable part of our society. In order to engage students and make them aware of their potential role in this fight, I work to help students “break the myth of no effect”, which is the belief that one person cannot make a difference. Armed with knowledge about 4 E's: Education, Empowerment, Enterprise and Environment, we can actively pursue worthwhile ways to help get people out of poverty.

What are you currently working on?

The biggest initiative is our Micro Enterprise Incubation Center in Ripley Ohio. To enable this expansion "Future Without Poverty" would like to purchase a historic 40,000 square foot building that is currently vacant and in need of extensive repairs. The building and the community will provide the perfect setting for demonstrating the success for our model of building sustainable economically viable communities.

The center will provide initially 12 fulltime positions and 30 part-time positions to help strengthen the local economy. The center will save a historic land mark and provide training for craftsmen in green technologies retrofitting of a historic building. The center will draw students from countries around the world. Currently we have 90 international students that have signed up for the first classes in language and culture training.

Currently, we are organizing several trips to Mexico with engineers, business students, social workers, and Dr.'s who wish to volunteer to help developing remote rural impoverished communities, into models of sustainable development in terms of energy production, agriculture, and micro franchises.

We are also planning a retreat in January to solidify ties with our Native American Partners so we can work in the reservations experiencing poverty's grips next year.