I thought now might be a good time for you to check out http://www.OptINnow.org and if you like the mission and concept share it with your readers. With millions of people around the world living on less than $2 a day, its time to stand up to fight poverty and make a difference. OptINnow helps the everyday person do just that. We hope you’ll join us by introducing your readers to OptINnow.

OptINnow.org is an online initiative of Opportunity International, one of the world’s largest nonprofit microfinance [Wikipedia microfinance entry] organizations. The site connects people who want to make a difference with entrepreneurs around the world who need small business loans to lift themselves out of poverty. OptINnow offers a hand up, not a hand out, by providing loans, business training, insurance and savings accounts to people throughout the developing world. Through OptINnow™ anyone can “opt in” – for as little as $25 – to become part of a global movement to end poverty.

” It’s not the people who are not credit worthy,
It’s the bank who are not people worthy”

By discovering this industry poor people got many benefits. Here if people say that
microfinance organizations are exploiting poor people i do not agree with this statement
here basic idea of not working through an NGO(Non-Government organization) is they do not get access to ample amount of Fund. So rather than working as an NGO, companies are working as an NBFC (Non Banking Financial Corporations).Because it becomes easy for them to get access to the commercial funds.
The second part is that i am against the
way these organization is adopting to get repayment. Like one organization in
Andhrapradesh kidnapped the daughter of a customer who was not able to
deposit three or four installments for the last weeks.

as valuable as much of that is (though, god, can you imagine what gates foundation could actually accomplish if they dropped the disease fix idea, and just made schools?) there is a lot more going on in self-help and micro-financing than what makes the western newspapers. ok, eastern too.

i am talking about how these ancient rural cultures take care of their own, in the absence of police or law or banks. how a widower is set by the customs of the culture. how support happens in families, or tribes, traditionally. because the micro-finance thing is too often built on the idea of let’s make little business men and women, who then pretty much turn into middle class exploiters of the poor class they just left. despite the tv shows about it, or, rather, after the cameras depart.

micro-credit is sometimes the local money lender, but it is just as often interest-free loans, mutual support in small amounts, there is a constant flow in any community of village area, and it has been part of normal life forever. we white guys just don’t stay around long enough to actually know how things work. we have simply lowered the amount it takes to buy an identity, or throw money at a problem.

yes, this was an idea that came from local culture, but it is being commoditized now in the west, and one of the signs of that is this blog, believe it or not. not as bad as the u.n. guys living in vasant vihar, meeting in the five-star hotels talking about how to feed the poor, but in that direction.

so, hmm, want a story from the ground?

gregory

Dave

best of luck to you, you’re the best!

stay close,

sammi fredenburg
seattle ONE volunteer coordinator