Microcredit Works
Microcredit has been an interest of mine ever since my first trip to a developing country and seeing the dire plight of the poor. Microcredit is the extension of small loans ($50-100) to entrepreneurs struggling in poverty. Muhammed Yunus, the founder of Microcredit, recently won the Nobel Peace Prize, for empowering the poor through this type of model. Microcredit is now a global tool used to help the developing poor out of the bondages of poverty, equipping them with the resources to start and grow their enterprises.
Here are two interesting and encouraging statistics about the effectiveness of microcredit in the developing world:
1. Loan repayment rate is 97-98%
2. 90% of borrowers report increased incomes as a result of loan
There are several microcredit organizations around the world, doing great work and changing communities, one loan at at time. Kiva is one of the most novel microcredit organizations out there. They have a peer-to-peer lending model and a donor can easily track their "investment" online, while developing a relationship with the entrepreneur. NamasteDirect, a US-based organization, is another microlending organization, supporting rural entrepreneurs in Guatemala. Last Spring, I volunteered some of my time in Guatemala with NamasteDirect, investigating their programs, while also writing a couple of articles for them.
In closing, make a life changing difference, empower the poor through these innovative programs. Click on one of the banners below to get going.
Poverty and Beauty in Guatemala
Guatemala is a land of contrasts, a land tragically beautiful yet ravaged by the effects of extreme poverty. Poverty is paramount everywhere you look in Guatemala: adobe homes, aluminum lean-to's, barefoot Mayans carrying wood on their backs or baskets of vegetation on their heads, trash laden streets and river beds, old diesel cars omitting black filth from the exhaust, and dirty toothless faces of the struggling poor. In the midst of the poverty, breathtaking beauty of rolling hills, valleys, waterfalls, vegetation and volcanoes capture one's senses. It is a country where people come and are forever changed.
In 1999, I accepted an invitation with a humanitarian organization to visit families living in the trash dumps of Guatemala City. I didn't really understand what this meant until we got there. Men, women and children were scavaging the trash for food and items to sell and use and thousands of aluminum homes lined the ridge of the vast dump. It was astounding and humbling for me to see people living in such plight. We visited numerous homes, checking the health of many and giving beans, rice and powdered milk as needed.
I left that day knowing that I would help the Guatemalan poor through business and education, two powerful tools to empower the poor out of poverty. Today, I am walking this out.
Will you join Globally Minded Work to help the poor through education?
Globally Minded Works is Green!
It's official! Globally Minded Works is now a member of Co-op America's Green Business Network! We received our approval letter yesterday: "Your application to the Co-op America Business Network (CABN) has been approved. You are among CABN’s year 2008 progressive business leaders who are solving today’s tough social and environmental problems."
Thanks for joining us to make life better for all. Remember, the holidays are around the corner, so please remember to be globally minded and buy fair trade and socially responsible gifts for your loved ones from our partner organization, Globally Minded.
If you are interested in joining Co-op America as an individual, you can do so here.
Why Guatemala
Guatemala is an amazing country, rich in culture and landscape. I fell in love with this beautiful place in 1997, the first time I traveled down there. The country had recently signed a Peace Treaty after a very brutal 36 year Civil War. Thousands of Mayans and advocates of the poor were tragically killed, or simply "disappeared". The more I learned about this country, the more I was intrigued and captivated. I went on holiday for two weeks and returned to the US with a deep sense that this new country would one day be my second home.
I returned to the world of software sales with a burning desire to return to Guatemala. I wanted to make a difference in the lives of those struggling in poverty. Within a year, I returned to Guatemala on my own and volunteered for Common Hope in Antigua. I lived with a local family in the beautiful colonial city of Antigua, studied Spanish in the morning and volunteered every afternoon. Eventually, I returned to the states and then returned again in 2001-2003, to launch the first ever satellite internet cafe in San Pedro La Laguna on the shores of lovely Lake Atitlan. Seven months later, I returned and directed a middle school in San Marcos La Laguna. Returning once again to the US, I obtained my MBA, launched Globally Minded and recently formed Globally Minded Works. I am passionate about helping the poor through business and education.
We are looking for people who are like minded, who desire to make a difference in the Land of Eternal Spring. Interested? Contact us! We'd love to hear from you.
The Gift of Books
I grew up devouring books, thanks to my Mom who encouraged me to read. Through the black and white pages of books, I'd move from my world to anywhere; I'd morph into the main characters through the persuasive words in books. Yes, reading was my escape. Thankfully, this insatiable love for reading and learning has never dissipated.
It is my love for learning that compels me to also help others learn. Indeed, every child should have the opportunity to learn how to read and write. Yet, around the world, especially in the developing world, illiteracy is staggering. There are hundreds of organizations helping children learn through the gift of books. Here are three fabulous organizations making a world of difference, helping schools and communities learn through reading and education:
Room to Read: They build libraries, schools and computer labs in the developing world. John Wood, the founder, wrote an inspiring autobiography called Leaving Microsoft to Change the World - I highly recommend it.
Cooperative for Education: This Ohio nonprofit was formed by two brothers committed to providing books to rural schools in Guatemala.
Child Aid: They partner with PROBIGUA, a Guatemalan nonprofit, to build libraries and computer centers in Guatemala.
Please find ways to get involved. give, go, pray, share, and read more.
How to Change the Educational Crisis
There is an educational crisis everywhere, including the United States. We all know that. However, when you visit schools in developing countries, this takes on a different meaning. Naturally, my favorite country to bring up is Guatemala, though I know other countries share the same educational deficiencies. Guatemalan education is in a crisis in 99% of the country - and this is no joke.
Although villages may have a school building (many do not), they lack school supplies, libraries, running water, bathrooms and other resources. School buildings may be constructed of cement blocks with dirt or cement floors or made of wood, aluminum siding and dirt or cement floors. You get the picture. Very poor.
However, there are several US based organizations working in Guatemala to change the course of this educational crisis; Globally Minded Works hopes to do the same. There is much to do in this small country (the size of Tennessee) and every organization, every volunteer, and every donor is a critical part to alleviate the suffering, empower the poor and build a promising future for the indigenous. One child, one teacher, one school at at time. Join us!