Harnessing Student Potential In Microfinance

May 2009 Blog Posts (6)

Here, There, and Everywhere

Reflections from the MED Group's Village Savings and Loans project in Zambia.

Our guest house in Choma seems like luxury after spending two nights in Simaubi! We woke up at 5:30 AM on Tuesday morning just before the sun rose. Nine of us piled into our van packed full with cornmeal, water, cabbage, sleeping bags, and foam mats. I don’t think any of us really knew just how bumpy the ride would be. After two hours of bouncing up and down in our seats, we made it to Macha Hospital… Continue

Added by MicroEconomic Development Group on May 30, 2009 at 3:30am — No Comments

In Choma, Zambia!

Mwabuka buti.

Good Morning. Here we are, day 7 into our trip. It is hard to believe that we have almost been here an entire week. So far, we have been having a lot of fun, and it has been a blast. We certainly all feel blessed to be here, and are enjoying every aspect of our adventure. Many of us have learned a lot about Africa quickly. For one, Africa is not always hot. In the day, we have had this gorgeous spring weather which consists of an 80 degree day with a great breeze, though it… Continue

Added by MicroEconomic Development Group on May 25, 2009 at 9:30am — No Comments

Our Journey Begins

Reflections from the MED Group's Village Savings and Loans project in Zambia.

Hello Everyone! Today is our second day here in Zambia. On Wednesday, we spent nearly the entire day in London. From Buckingham Palace (where we actually saw the Queen herself) to Big Ben, we sure got the whirlwind tour of London, England. It was exciting for us to run around the city on less than two hours of sleep and still manage to catch our 7:05pm flight to Lusaka, Zambia. On Thursday,… Continue

Added by MicroEconomic Development Group on May 22, 2009 at 7:30pm — No Comments

Habitat for Humanity Invests $100M in Microfinance Sector

ATLANTA (AP) — The housing market may be sputtering, but Habitat for Humanity International is getting a $100 million gift from an Atlanta developer who said his work has offered him a look at the struggle of poor people to find decent housing.

The nonprofit group announced Thursday it received the largest individual contribution in its history, an offering that will help Habitat build 60,000 homes around the globe.

It's one of the largest gifts in recent years to a group… Continue

Added by Chris Becker on May 20, 2009 at 8:49pm — No Comments

Preparing for Zambia - 2009!!

I am amazed that after so much thought, prayer, planning, and effort on the part of so many people, we are now finally ready to embark on our three-week journey to Zambia!

Our team is composed of a unique and diverse group of people. There are 5 Messiah college students of varying ages and majors, along with myself (Matt) and a Messiah professor, Christine Forsythe. We are so excited to have the opportunity to go serve in Zambia together! This is the second year in a row that we've sent a… Continue

Added by MicroEconomic Development Group on May 18, 2009 at 1:30am — No Comments

SeaMo: Best Microfinance Innovations of 2008

SeaMo recently introduced its 2008 Microfinance Innovations of the year. Below is a brief rundown of the top innovations. Here are some of the most important innovations in microfinance in 2008:

1. DIRECT CORPORATE SUPPORT FOR MICROFINANCE

2. SOCIAL NETWORKING MEETS MICROFINANCE

3. THE SPREAD OF CASHLESS ECONOMIES VIA MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

4. THE GRAMEEN FOUNDATION EXPANDS TO THE UNITED STATES

5. USER GENERATED CONTENT ON MICROFINANCE SITES (WEB 2.0)

6. LENDING… Continue

Added by Chris Becker on May 2, 2009 at 12:03am — No Comments