News, Video and links about helping the poor around the world. Half the world -- nearly three billion people -- live on less than two dollars a day. Most effective solutions are pioneered by RESULTS.org, founded by Sam Daley-Harris, and his network of organizations, supporters and citizen advocates.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
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Sometimes we forget how revolutionary microcredit is.
When banks lent to the rich microcredit programmes lent to the poor.
When banks lent to men, microcredit programmes lent to women.
When banks made large loans, microcredit programmes made small ones.
When banks required collateral, microcredit loans were collateral free.
When banks required a lot of paperwork, microcredit loans were illiterate-friendly.
When clients had to come to the bank, microbankers went to the clients.
The Microcredit Summit Campaign is passionate about breaking with business as usual in international development – by making sure that the very poor aren't excluded as they often are. We are also passionate about scaling up action as evidenced in our goal to reach 100 million of the world's poorest families, especially the women of those families, with credit for self-employment and other financial and business services by the end of 2005.
Several years ago two friends of mine were speaking with a group of 40 clients at a micro-bank in South Asia. Through the translator, they asked the 40 women what impact the bank had had on the husbands of the non-borrowers; not their husbands, but the husbands of women who are not with the bank. The clients said, ‘Before we took our loans, our husbands were day-labourers, working for others whenever they could find work. When we took our loans our husbands stopped being day-labourers and worked with us – bicycle rickshaw, husking rice, growing garlic on leased land. This caused a shortage of day-labourers in this area, so the husbands of the non-borrowers who were day-laborers—their wages went up.' That was the impact of this bank on the husbands of the non-borrowers.
Imagine what might happen when 100 million of the world's poorest families are reached.
How many other families might benefit who are not among the 100 million reached? And how might that outreach empower women and their families even more if they are armed with education in reproductive health and other health information?
When banks lent to the rich microcredit programmes lent to the poor.
When banks lent to men, microcredit programmes lent to women.
When banks made large loans, microcredit programmes made small ones.
When banks required collateral, microcredit loans were collateral free.
When banks required a lot of paperwork, microcredit loans were illiterate-friendly.
When clients had to come to the bank, microbankers went to the clients.
The Microcredit Summit Campaign is passionate about breaking with business as usual in international development – by making sure that the very poor aren't excluded as they often are. We are also passionate about scaling up action as evidenced in our goal to reach 100 million of the world's poorest families, especially the women of those families, with credit for self-employment and other financial and business services by the end of 2005.
Several years ago two friends of mine were speaking with a group of 40 clients at a micro-bank in South Asia. Through the translator, they asked the 40 women what impact the bank had had on the husbands of the non-borrowers; not their husbands, but the husbands of women who are not with the bank. The clients said, ‘Before we took our loans, our husbands were day-labourers, working for others whenever they could find work. When we took our loans our husbands stopped being day-labourers and worked with us – bicycle rickshaw, husking rice, growing garlic on leased land. This caused a shortage of day-labourers in this area, so the husbands of the non-borrowers who were day-laborers—their wages went up.' That was the impact of this bank on the husbands of the non-borrowers.
Imagine what might happen when 100 million of the world's poorest families are reached.
How many other families might benefit who are not among the 100 million reached? And how might that outreach empower women and their families even more if they are armed with education in reproductive health and other health information?
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2008
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January
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- Dr. Yunus Video at the Aloud Series
- Many Are Already at Work on Fulfilling Gates’s Vision
- Banker to the Poor
- Bill Drayton - Social Enterprises
- Grameen - Social Ventures
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- Citizen Bono Brings Africa to Idle Rich
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- The Next Billion and Base of Pyramid BOP
- LIVING ON PENNIES, Part 3 - LA TIMES
- LIVING ON PENNIES, Part II - LA Times
- LIVING ON PENNIES / PART 1 - LA Times
- Teenage Affluenza
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- Living on Pennies
- Foreign Policy Goes Glam
- Green Revolutionary
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