Microfinance 102 will be held at the Great Hall at University of California-San Diego (UCSD) from 6:00pm – 8:00pm on Tuesdays, April 12, April 19, and May 3, 2011.

 Register Today!

April 12 – Video conference with Chuck Waterfield, CEO & President of MicroFinance Transparency

April 19- Latest Research – Craig McIntosh of IR/PS, the School for International Relations and Pacific Studies

May 3 – John De Wit of Small Enterprise Foundation

Click HERE for more information on these speakers and sessions.

Edited by Justine Darling, USD Graduate Student

If you need assistance registering, please contact us.

One of the many programs that VIA International has been instrumental in developing for communities is a special initiative called the Family Financial Security Program.  More than 700 loans have been made for small-business ventures and home improvements in San Diego and across the border. This impactful enterprise encourages loans for the sale of homemade items, resale of items in community markets, and loans for family emergencies and home improvement. In only 6 years, 741 loans totaling $289,914 were disbursed to individual families and women’s groups. These loans generated $43,211 in interest making it possible to fund even more entrepreneurial ideas and covering up to 20% of the operating costs of the program. Almost 100% of loans have been repaid with interest through this initiative.

To find out more about this incredibly successful model of community based microloans go to  their website.

Currently three graduate students are supporting the program to develop a growth strategy to encourage more participation and move the program further toward financial self-sufficiency.To get involved contact: Elisa Sabatini at jrumi@mac.com

VIA International Events coming up:

Clinton Global Initiative (panel on border poverty): April 2, 2011

San Diego Micro Finance Alliance Summit (panel on international microcredit): April 28, 2011

Edited by Justine Darling, USD Student

Each year there are people around the world who celebrate International Women’s Day. This tradition actually had its beginnings in the early 1900’s, but March 19^th 1911 is often cited as the first International Women’s Day. This first celebration was the result of a decision made by 100 women from 17 countries at the International Conference of Working Women in 1910. Since then this event has grown in importance and impact. In some countries, it is even a national holiday!

This year on March 6^th from 2-4pm at the Great Hall, on UCSD’s campus, the event will feature local women and the organizations that support them. Each of the four sponsoring organizations provides invaluable support to the women and communities they serve. Participants at this event can meet microfinance loan recipients, learn about the benefits of microfinance and even learn how to cook some of their delicious recipes!

Check Out The Press Release

To learn more about the four event sponsors, please check out the links to their websites below:

http://womenempowerment.org

http://ihouse.ucsd.edu/

http://women.ucsd.edu/

http://ucsdepteam.webs.com/

http://unasd.org/

For even more information about International Women’s Day, check out:

http://www.internationalwomensday.com

Until next time, take care!

Edited by Daniel Valcazar II, USD Student

As Dr. Liu described it, “This course is a globalization course with an international component.” It is the “international component” that naturally raises eyebrows and generates interest, but this component is only the beginning. On the weekend of November 5-7, 2010, students journeyed to Mexicali to participate in various, Via International coordinated, community service-learning projects. The projects allowed students to interface with recipients of micro-enterprise loans. In addition, these microfinance projects across the border also served to deepen student learning about poverty alleviation programs. This new awareness and interaction led to the most important step, an opportunity to take action.

Following the immersion and educational experience the students were invited to contribute to the La MUVA Coalition Fund, (for more information please see: http://www.sandiego.edu/insideusd/?p=10777) affiliated with the San Diego Microfinance Alliance, to demonstrate the power of microfinance loans. This invitation was graciously accepted and the class raised enough money to provide a $250 loan to a deserving microfinance participant.

Once this donation was processed it was time to select the recipient. The recipient’s name was Evangelina Alarcon and she participates in the microfinance group that meets in Chula Vista (see Building Friendships, Building Business). She has a business selling perfume, children’s toys, and handmade crafts. She participated in the Alternative Gift Fair (see Microfinance at USD’s Alternative Gift Fair) at USD and generated over $200 in sales. This was her first microloan and it will allow her to purchase additional supplies to continue growing her business. While this act of generosity took place domestically, it clearly realizes the goal of a course like Social Change.

In closing, we would like to honor the creativity and commitment to social change demonstrated by Dr. Liu and Dr. Kelly. This additional microloan was a direct result of Dr. Liu and Dr. Kelly’s innovative curriculum.  The students not only learned about Social Change, they participated in its achievement.

Until next time, take care!

Written by Daniel Valcazar II, USD student

The Alternative Gift Fair is an event that supports local vendors and artisans. The event has been on campus for over 10 years. As a result, many people around campus look forward to this event and plan to buy gifts for the most difficult people on their list. The particularly exciting aspect of this year’s Alternative Gift Fair was the presence of such a large number of microfinance clients.

This year’s Alternative Gift Fair was the largest in history and included 25 separate vendors. However, the most exciting part of the story was that 11 of the 25 were involved in microfinance! The breakdown for microfinance participants was roughly five vendors from the Foundation for Women, three vendors from the International Rescue Committee, and three vendors from La Maestra.

When asked about his perspective on the event, USD Senior Lovel Tokic, said that he, “felt good about putting his money toward a good cause.” Lovel spent about $40 on various gifts for the women in his life. “It was a very good atmosphere. The people were friendly and committed to their crafts.” This sentiment seems to be consistent with the goals of the event.

Fortunately, I had a chance to check in with some of the vendors after the fair. Their responses were positive and seemed to reflect the success of their sales. There were multiple women I’d checked with that made over $200 during the event and at least one woman made over $800! Needless to say, many of them hope to return next year.

If you’re still in need of some creative and unique gifts for the holidays, many of the vendors that participated in the Alternative Gift Fair also showcase their goods at other local events. Whether you’re looking specifically for holidays or just considering future gift ideas, check out the local events section of our website. There you can find various opportunities to see the crafts and jewelry you may have missed this past week, and many more from vendors that were not able to attend.

Until next time, take care!

Written by USD student, Daniel Valcazar II

Fonkoze, roughly translated, means “Shoulder to Shoulder” in Creole. As its name implies, this microbank has worked closely with the people of Haiti by “building the economic foundations for democracy in Haiti by providing the rural poor with the tools they need to lift themselves out of poverty.” Fortunately, great minds and hearts quickly connect to generate larger levels of success and support. This has led Fonkoze to develop a partnership with the Grameen Foundation, an important partner with the San Diego Microfinance Alliance.

While San Diego is far from being ”shoulder to shoulder” with Haiti, students from Point Loma Nazarene University and the University of San Diego participated in $2 Challenges to raise awareness and funds for those in Haiti earlier this year. Both of these schools have partnerships with the San Diego Microfinance Alliance and a desire to eliminate poverty through awareness and action. Both schools continue to develop microfinance clubs and events on their respective campuses.

A recent article in the New York Times highlights the importance of microfinance initiatives, particularly in Haiti. It demonstrates how microfinance can succeed where institutional lenders would fail. Microfinance initiatives may not yet have the same level of funds of traditional banking institutions, but they arguably make a larger impact upon the lives of people they serve.

Please check out the article from the New York Times here.

Please also take a moment to learn more about Fonkoze and their efforts in Haiti.

Until next time, take care!

Written by Daniel Valcazar II, USD student

2010 San Diego Microfinance Summit

April 28th, 2010

8:30am-4:30pm

Sign Up Now

The San Diego Microfinance Summit will bring together students, business owners, members of the community, microlenders, bankers, and many others to learn, network, and become more involved in microfinance.  The summit will highlight both international microfinance issues as well as teach about the local micro-lending climate.  Participants will get to hear from both microfinance professionals and clients in addition to enjoying lunch and a marketplace that is provided by local clients, all financed by local microfinance organizations. The afternoon mixer will provide an opportunity for to network with students, microfinance professionals, microfinance clients and more.

The Keynote address will be given by Yeardley Smith, Emmy award-winning actor, novelist and playwright who is best known as the voice of Lisa Simpson on the Emmy award winning television series The Simpsons.  She is passionate about microfinance.  As a donor and volunteer, she is  partnering with Grameen Foundation on a special initiative geared toward expanding microcredit and related services to those living on less than a dollar a day.  Yeardley will share her perspectives and experiences visiting with women in Haiti, both pre- and post-earthquake and address the impact of microfinance.

Attendees will also spend the latter part of the morning hearing from a panel of professionals that work in international microfinance organizations. Afternoon break-out sessions will provide the opportunity to learn about various aspects of microfinance in a bit more depth.  Two different hour-long sessions will allow for attendees to choose from the following break-out sessions.

1. Students In Microfinance – Learn about opportunities to become more involved in microfinance from students and alumni of San Diego Univervisities.  Learn about potential internships, job opportunities, and University Microfinance Clubs.

2. Microfinance In Academia - The Microfinance in Academia session seeks to provide an overview of the developments in microfinance as it pertains to research, curriculum, and community outreach endeavors in academia.  Panelists from four major academic institutions in the San Diego region (Point Loma Nazarene University; San Diego State University; University of California, San Diego; and University of San Diego) will provide their perspectives and will outline the activities taking place in their respective institutions with respect to microfinance and allied areas. The objective of this session is to stimulate conversations and to forge partnerships among institutions, practitioners, and the community.

3. Group Lending In San Diego – While many are familiar with Grameen Bank’s village banking model, rarely has it been successfully replicated in the United States.  Chris Nayve, Associate Director of The Center For Community Learning at the University of San Diego will team up with Elena Cruz of La Maestra to talk about the partnerhsip they have established and how providing $250 loans are changing the lives of women in San Diego.  Hear from several borrowers as they share their personal story and tell first-hand how the business training and microloan from La Maestra has empowered them in their communities.

4. San Diego Microlenders - Panelists from four local Microfinance Organizations will share about the work they are doing in San Diego, how they collaborate to work together, and some strategic partnerships they have formed.  Two clients that have been served by these organizations will present about their businesses, how they utilized funding from several programs, and how the local network of MF Organizations helped them to grow their business. This session will be an interactive panel with plenty of time for Q&A and discussion with the clients.

5. Investing In Microfinance: Pro-Poor or Pro-Profit? - As microfinance continues to evolve and mature as a financial industry, more public and private dollars are becoming available to microfinance institutions (MFI’s).  Some invest  in order to help reduce poverty, others simply for a return on investment.  Persons and institutions interested in ensuring that microcredit continues to serve the poor need to be careful about where they place their investments and financial support.  In this break-out session, Terry Provance, Executive Director of Oikocredit, USA will examine current trends in microfinance, social impact and responsible investing.

A final networking hour will give all attendees a chance to enjoy drinks, light appetizers, and interact with other students, business owners, microlenders, and members of the community.

CLICK HERE

to reserve your ticket today.

For questions and comments please email info@sdmicrofinance.org

View The Flyer

To see press coverage from the last year’s summit, click here.

The Challenge Week is an experience designed to offer students a glimpse of how the other half of the world lives. Participants are presented with the challenge of living on $2 a day while following a number of other rules. Throughout this week students are able to raise both awareness about global poverty and funds to direct towards their own initiative. Students are empowered through the funds they raise and the networks they build with others who share in the experience.

On April 14th, Point Loma Nazarene University will embark on their second annual Two Dollar Challenge.  Where students will sleep outside, only travel on foot, and prepare communal meals of rice and beans for three days.  Last year’s event was quite a success and you can see what it looked like by watching the video below.

Jessica Chetsawang, leader of the Challenge for Point Loma Nazarene University shared, “Our objective is to educate the Point Loma Nazarene University campus through hosting the Two Dollar Challenge Fundraiser. It is an educational movement that engages students in the fight against global and domestic poverty. This event we will provide giving opportunities through a donation box near the event for PLNU members to donate money that will be given to the Grameen Foundation in support of economic recovery efforts in Haiti through their various partner organizations such as Fonkoze (www.fonkoze.org) at the end of the week.”

USD Students made this their home for 3 days in March as they sought to live on only $2 Dollars/Day

Recently the University of San Diego’s microfinance club had nearly 30 people participate in the challenge from March 23rd-25th and raised over $300.  They donated the money to Foundation for Women to fund a microloan here in San Diego.  Julia Norgaard, a student at the University of San Diego (USD) and leader of the club commented, “Our Two Dollar Challenge at USD was focused on four main things, raising awareness and energy about the USD microfinance club, raising awareness about extreme poverty and how fortunate we are, raising money to support The Foundation for Women, and creating an interactive, experiential learning opportunity for students to live in solidarity with the poor. The students abstained from anything that wasn’t a necessity in their lives such as texting, going on your Facebook, or driving.  We also pooled our money for the challenge and lived off food only purchased from our $2 a day.  We slept outside under the stars and on cardboard boxes.”

For more information on Point Loma Nazarene University’s upcoming Two Dollar Challenge or to donate to their cause today contact Jessica at jchetsawang0321@pointloma.edu

Join us for an evening of inspiration as we share with you the mission of Young Ambassadors for Opportunity.  This is a new group in San Diego comprised of young adults supportive of the work of Opportunity International, a nonprofit microfinance organization.  Opportunity is dedicated to helping the poor around the globe work their way out of poverty through the provision of basic financial services, such as small loans, savings accounts, and insurance.  Please join us as we share how microfinance services are empowering men and women in poverty around the globe.  If you’re interested in attending this event, please email Anne at anibigani@aol.com.

Young Ambassadors for Opportunity has monthly meetings in San Diego to discuss global microfinance efforts and to plan upcoming fundraising events.  Young Ambassadors is planning to host three fundraising events in San Diego this year to raise money specifically for microfinance efforts in Tanzania.  The first event will be a 4 mile run over the Coronado Bridge on May 16.  Please visit www.opportunity.org/yao to learn more about Young Ambassadors for Opportunity or contact Anne at anibigani@aol.com if you’re interested in becoming involved with the San Diego chapter.