Microfinance alone is not a solution to ending poverty. If microfinance is accompanied by access to healthcare, sustainable food & water systems, access to jobs, and the opportunity for education (along with many other factors) then it can be a powerful tool in making a difference in the lives of people and local communities. Hear from different organizations about how they incorporate microfinance into the broader scheme of the work that they do. Organizations represented will include Plant With Purpose, SCHAP, Project Concern International & The International Rescue Committee (IRC).

Project Concern International

Project Concern International’s mission is to prevent disease, improve community health, and promote sustainable development. Motivated by our concern for the world’s most vulnerable children, families, and communities, Project Concern International (PCI) envisions a world where abundant resources are shared, communities are able to provide for the health and well being of their members, and children and families can achieve lives of hope, good health, and self-sufficiency.

Speaker: Sean Carpenter

Sean Carpenter has worked for Project Concern International (PCI) since 2005, where he serves as the organization’s Technical Officer for Agribusiness and Microenterprise, supporting agriculture, microfinance and economic development programs in 15 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and Africa. Sean has more than a decade of experience supporting micro small and medium (MSME) enterprise development and microfinance and he has lived and worked in Bolivia, Mexico and South Korea. Sean holds a BA from Michigan State University and a MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

International Rescue Committee (IRC)

IRC San Diego is a refugee resettlement agency dedicated to humanitarian relief around the world and working in the San Diego area to directly resettle displaced persons into the community. The microenterprise department at the San Diego office is one of two in the nation giving business loans to resettled refugees from across the world. Loans range in size from $2,000-$15,000 and offer flexible repayment terms.

Speaker: Thuba Nguyen

Thuba Nguyen, Career Development Coordinator, manages IRC San Diego’s Career Development program, providing direct services to refugees and individuals within the community. Ms. Nguyen provides foreign educated professionals and those seeking higher education with one-on-one career advancement assistance through helping them with enrollment in college or a vocational training program and providing guidance on the pathway to re-certification. Ms. Nguyen is fluent in Vietnamese and French and holds a Master’s degree in International Public Policy from the University of California, San Diego School of International Relations and Pacific Studies

Plant with Purpose

By reversing deforestation, Plant With Purpose helps the poor restore productivity to their land to create economic opportunity out of environmental restoration. Since 1984 we have helped thousands of people in nearly 250 villages lift themselves out of poverty through their holistic approach to sustainable development.

Speaker: Scott Sabin, Executive Director

Scott Sabin was born and raised in San Diego. Since 1995, Scott has served as the Executive Director of Plant With Purpose (www.plantwithpurpose.org <http://www.plantwithpurpose.org/> ), an international, environmental organization that transforms lives in rural areas where poverty is caused by deforestation. Mr. Sabin’s leadership has been crucial in the growth of Plant With Purpose’s work around the world, as he has grown the organization to now include a staff of over 150 foresters, agronomists and facilitators in 6 countries. Through journal articles, public speaking and, most recently though his new book, Tending to Eden, Mr. Sabin has become a thought leader and advocate for reforestation as a key component of sustainable community development around the world. Prior to working for Plant With Purpose, he served for seven years in the United States Navy. He holds a BS in Political Science from Oregon State University and an MA in International Relations from the University of San Diego. He and his wife Nancy have two children, and he enjoys sailing and writing when he has the time.

SCHAP

Empowering the capable and bringing sustainable solutions to humans living with extreme disadvantages in an effort to empower them with tools, resources, information & vision requisite for development & an increased quality of life, through teaching the correct principles of sustainable & comprehensive humanitarian work to aspiring philanthropists.

Speaker: Cory Glazier

Cory Glazier was born and raised in Vista CA. At a young age he broke the norms of conformity in search of better ways of doing things. He left high school at the age of 16, and spent the next decade traveling the world, experimenting with various business opportunities and gaining a bachelor’s degree from SDSU in International Security and Conflict Resolution; Suma Cum Lade. While in Western Kenya, several years ago, Cory saw a convergence in his academic, professional, religious and personal background which provided him with the mental building blocks to create SCHAP: Sustainable Comprehensive Humanitarian Assistance and Planning, an international non-profit designed to empower capable rural citizens in developing countries with the tools and resources necessary to take their futures into their own hands. For the last couple of years, Cory has been working tirelessly both at home and abroad to gain the technical experience, committed volunteer base and sources of funding in order to build a timeless organization capable of sending trained volunteers over seas to address the disadvantages of the worlds poorest citizens.