Yet even though we recognize the importance of our moms each Mother’s Day, so many mothers in the developing world are viewed as much less.  They are seen as mere bearers of our children, and are often beaten and sexually abused. These mothers are disregarded when it comes to economic development, ignored as an effective means of family income. Women make up half of the world’s population, yet they are rarely given an equal opportunity.

The reality is that women do the majority of work in much of the developing world. They are the backbones of many communities –the ones supporting their families, the ones starting small businesses and cultivating the fields. One such woman is Adama Diarra, a borrower of Oikocredit Project Partner, Soro Yiriwaso, a microfinance institution that gives loans to women in Mali.

This 52-year-old mother of four lives in the rural village of Dafara and owns a hectare of peanuts and a small cookie-baking business. The microloans Adama receives have helped her to maintain her peanuts and expand her small business. With the profit from her ventures, Adama now sends her children to school and can buy them proper clothing. She says the ability to save and borrow money has allowed her to reinvest in her own business and gain financial independence.

This story of Adama is just one of many. Millions of women – mothers – through small loans and support have been able to pick themselves and their families up out of extreme poverty and significantly improve their quality of life. Many people believe that the best, most effective way of reducing poverty is through investing in women. It is time we give mothers throughout the world the same support that they have given us, by investing in them.

Eighty percent of the clients Oikocredit supports are women, many of whom are mothers. This mother’s day, instead of sending flowers to your mom, why don’t you give a gift that will last much longer – give the gift of an investment account, and help to change the life of someone else’s mother.

Mrs. Adama Diarra, client of Soro Yiriwaso.

Read the THIS MOTHER’S DAY, HONOR YOUR OWN MOM BY INVESTING IN ANOTHER">full post on Oikocredit USA">Oikocredit USA.

As Oikocredit gears up for our upcoming event in Washington, DC this Friday, I find myself getting really excited. My anticipation has been mounting for a while, and not just because it’s going to be a great party (and everyone loves a party!). Considering all the press  surrounding microfinance lately, I’m particularly looking forward to this Awareness Party as an opportunity to engage in discussion at a much-needed time.

At Friday’s event, we will discuss microfinance through the lens of Oikocredit, Social Performance, and Green Innovation. Oikocredit USA’s Executive Director Terry Provance will present alongside Sharlene Brown of Grameen Foundation and Allison Archambault of EarthSpark International.  Our goal is to raise awareness of the inspiring developments which Oikocredit, Grameen Foundation, and Earthspark International have achieved.

Ever since I was introduced to microfinance in college I have been inspired by it.

Small loans to very poor people  have proven to be one of the most successful means of alleviating poverty in the world.  These loans facilitate new opportunities for the borrowers, such as business expansion, improved healthcare, and education. I think these facts have been overshadowed by current events in microfinance. (See Muhammad Yunus’ piece in the New York Times.) The debate about microfinance is ongoing and critics offer important insight into an ever-changing field. Still, the industry continues to improve lives and empower a large segment of the world’s poor, and we should not lose sight of this. Microfinance is also proving to be a hugely successful tool in post conflict regions like Haiti.

I, of course, am not quite as well-versed on the subject as our three esteemed guest speakers, and so I encourage everyone – from the slightly intrigued to the very much involved – to come and learn more. I promise it will be worth your time.

Please join us for drinks, discussion at 6pm on Friday, January 21, 2011 at One Lounge. If you would like to RSVP to Friday’s event, click HERE. We hope to see you there!

Read the Cultivating Microfinance Awareness">full post on Oikocredit USA">Oikocredit USA.

Most people who are even remotely familiar with microfinance have heard of Grameen Bank. Grameen Foundation is an umbrella of Grameen, established to model the principles of Muhammad Yunus’s Grameen Bank. The foundation is one of the largest and most well -known microfinance organizations in the world.  Winner of numerous awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, the Grameen Foundation has continued to achieve remarkable success. Its mission is to enable the poorest of the poor to create a world without poverty, and they do so by providing economic opportunities, mainly to women.

For me, one thing that stands out about the Grameen Foundation is the emphasis it puts on social performance and accountability. The Progress out of Poverty Index (PPI), a Grameen Foundation Initiative, is a resource which helps determine levels of poverty in groups and individuals, and allows to further assess clients’ needs and program effectiveness. In 2007, Oikocredit became the first social investor to adopt the PPI, and since then has continued to use it as a tool by providing PPI pilot training to many of its project partners.

Last fall, Oikocredit was recognized by CGAP, an independent policy and research center housed at the World Bank, for its contribution to responsible social investment. Oikocredit was one of only three organizations to be given the award for integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into its investment practices. In order to be considered for the ESG award, Oikocredit was evaluated on transparency of reporting, integration and enforcement, engagement, and innovation.

Sharlene Brown, a Program Officer for the Grameen Foundation Social Performance Management Center, has planned and executed various PPI trainings for MFIs in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle-East/North Africa. In the Progress out of Poverty blog , Sharlene writes about creating a collaborative group in Sub-Saharan Africa – which includes Oikocredit – to facilitate training. She also discusses the detailed process of implementing the PPI in these regions. We are excited to have Sharlene co-host Oikocredit’s Party on January 21^st, where she will speak about the importance of social performance.

Read the Social Performance in Microfinance: The Progress out of Poverty">full post on Oikocredit USA">Oikocredit USA.

Unfortunately, Haiti’s economic crisis is exacerbated by the lack of access to clean and efficient energy. EarthSpark International is committed to empowering communities by eradicating energy poverty, and is especially focused on doing so in rural communities of Haiti. Recently EarthSpark partnered with the Clinton Global Initiative to distribute thousands of solar-powered lamps to women and families affected by the earthquake, and in 2009 they developed and funded a clean energy store in the rural town of Les Anglais.

EarthSpark remains committed to empowering individuals and communities by providing green alternatives to costly, inefficient energy. Allison Archambault, President of EarthSpark International, recently elaborated on the organization’s mission and projects in Haiti in an interview on NPR’s The Kojo Nnamdi Show. We encourage you to listen: http://thekojonnamdishow.org/audio-player?nid=18092.

Allison Archambault, along with Grameen Foundation’s Sharlene Brown and Oikocredit Executive Director Terry Provance, will be hosting Oikocredit USA’s upcoming  Party on January 21, 2011 at the One Lounge in Washington DC. During this event, the hosts will discuss topics of microfinance and green innovation. Attendees will also have the chance to hear more about EarthSpark’s work in Haiti. Please join us for this exciting opportunity! For more information and to RSVP to this event, click HERE.

Read the Innovative Solutions: Approaches to Energy in Haiti">full post on Oikocredit USA">Oikocredit USA.

We’re gearing up for a summer full of fun events!

We’d love to see you –

Please come visit our Community HUB to find a local event near you!

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