As many of you are aware, HarmonyWishes supports the great efforts of Kiva to transform our world for the better through micro-finance.  You can read more about our link with Kiva here and here. Join us in supporting small entrepreneurs across the globe.  I had the opportunity to watch a talk given by Kiva co-founder, Jessica Jackley, through the TED site.  In the talk she maps her personal journey from Sunday School at age 6 to interviewing small entrepreneurs in Africa, to finally taking the plunge and adding her own innovation to the system, which took the form of Kiva.  Take a look for yourself:

Jackley’s message of hope through storytelling hits a particular chord with me, as I see that as fundamental to the work I do in Oaxaca.  Whether I’m teaching young people in villages to create radio pieces, helping individuals to interweave their social and environmental projects at the Hub, or assisting Xaquixe, and eco-glass studio, to share their innovations with their industry and community–pointed storytelling is at the root of the work.  Narrative is at the root of connection.  And as Jackley comments, “The way that we participate in each others’ stories is of deep importance.”

I used to work for a Unitarian minister and author named Forrest Church who would say “We humans are not the animal with tools or the animal with advanced language. We are the religious animal. Knowing we must die, we question what life means. Who are we? Where did we come from? Where are we going? And, most important of all-in part because we can answer it directly, in deeds of love and works of praise-How can I live in such a way that my life will prove worth dying for?”  I would add onto what Forrest said something that Jackley inspire–that our ability to share how we live, and how we struggle, that that is what is infinitely human, as well.

Jackley’s newest innovation is ProFounder, that she mentions briefly in the close of her TED talk.  It’s a new tool to help small businesses raise the funds they need to grow from their own communities of family and friends (it turns out that almost 85% of funding for small businesses comes from family and friends–according to Jackley, that’s about 130 billion dollars a year!).  I think it sounds like an amazing idea.  Travel on over to Profounder’s site if you’re interested in finding out more.  And by all means, start participating in someone else’s story–or share your own.  Do it here on our blog!  We’re continually inspired by what we hear from the larger world.

Cheers,

Megan

One of the things I like the most about Kiva is their ability to help transform lives through hope, not just money. The concept of micro-credit and its ability to provide a hand up with dignity is a program that HarmonyWishes is proud to support.

This month to celebrate Kiva’s 5th birthday, the Omidyar Network has provided a grant to help spread the word about Kiva. If you, as a lender, get five of your friends to make a loan on Kiva, they will provide a $25 credit to your account – how cool is that! There’s less than a week left to take advantage of this challenge grant, so head on over to Kiva and get started. Here’s a quick link for you: Kiva Challenge

Here’s a great video by Kieran Ball on Kiva and the loan process. Take a look:

Happy Birthday Kiva!

Part of our mission here at HarmonyWishes is to deliver an alternative to the negative images that bombard our daily lives-one with a beautiful and positive world view, with global perspective.  Go take a look at our galleries; we’re constantly adding new images to grow that vision.

In that same vein, we also like to highlight beautiful  and positive efforts around the world. I recently received word about the 2010 Echoing Green Fellows. Have you heard of Echoing Green? It’s an organization who’s mission is to support those with “new solutions to society’s most difficult problems.”  Through a two-year fellowship program, Echoing Green invests in and assists emerging social entrepreneurs with the launch of organizations that will deliver an immense impact wherever they are working in the world. Here’s a spotlight on a few of those fellows working in higher education and their tremendous ideas:

Meet David Schwartz and Anim Steel. Their project is called “The Real Food Challenge.”  The idea is to “build a healthy, fair and green food economy by harnessing the political power of youth and the purchasing power of universities to shift demand toward socially responsible farm and food enterprises.” Schwartz and Steel posit that the youngest generations of Americans today will be the first to have a shorter lifespan than their parents–largely due to what we eat.  Their response and the goal for their organization is to shift 20% of college and university food plans over to a “real food” system by 2020–transferring money away from the industrial food system, and towards local, sustainable and humane producers.  “Because of consolidation in the industry, even small changes in institutional purchasing have powerful effects on family farmers and socially responsible food enterprises.”  The Real Food Challenge will engage youth at those same universities to take an active roll in the shift on campus–making an impact in the health arena, as well as encouraging another generation of social actors.  You can read more about their initiative here.

Next up is Ashni Mohnot. Mohnot’s organization, Enzi, is a Kiva-like model in which people can “…invest in students’ higher education in exchange for a share in future income for a set time.”  The idea is to reduce the financial barrier to education and create a new asset class.  Many students around the globe are unable to secure loans in the large sums needed for a U.S. education due to lack of access, or lack of collateral. Enzi will connect bright and deserving students to investors interested in supporting their education.  In turn investors will receive a return on their investment over the course of the students’ career, as well as the social return of helping students attain educations they could not have afforded otherwise.  Enzi will be more than a network of donors and beneficiaries–it will be a network for collective growth and learning. You can read more about Mohnot’s organization here.

Kudos to all three in their bold ideas and passion! I’ll share other outstanding Echoing Green projects in future weeks here on the blog.  Or for those who can’t wait to find out more, check out the 2010 Echoing Green fellows here.

We invite you to share your stories of positive work around the globe with us. We would love to feature it here on our blog, spreading the word wider about the good work that is shaping our future.  So, write us an email today; we want to hear from you!

Saludos,

Megan

There’s been a lot of press over the last two years about the state of the world economy, and the corporate concept of ‘too big to fail’. I’d like to turn that statement on it’s head and propose that in today’s world, we need to focus on the fact that our critical thinking should address the concept of ‘too small to fail’. In other words, for the most stable and peaceful global economy in the future, we need to provide individuals with the tools to lift themselves out of poverty and to succeed. One of those tools is microfinance.

If you are familiar with some of the microfinance organizations like Kiva, their mission is focused on providing micro loans to adults in developing countries. There is a new movement, which takes it a step further and focuses on the next generation and their college level education – Vittana.

Did you know that in most countries student loans do not exist? Vittana provides the avenue for people like you and me to participate in the student loan process and fill that void. Vittana works in developing countries – Vietnam, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Peru – with local microfinance organizations who develop the selection criteria based on their knowledge of local culture and the job market.

Loans are given to students in their final year of college or those in short term vocational programs to assure the highest rate of success. It’s estimated that by finishing their education, they will improve their income earning potential by 200-300%.

Vittana’s business model is one of student loans, not scholarships. Once the student graduates, they begin a repayment schedule which is outlined on the website along with the profile of the student. As with all microfinance, this is a hand up, not a hand out.

The dignity that comes with the ability to make a living, support yourself and your family is invaluable and a currency that we all need to trade in for our successful future. I hope you will check out Vittana and make a student loan today.  Feel free to join the HarmonyWishes community and be a part of our lending team or create one of your own!

Good news!  Our die-hard leader here at HarmonyWishes, Meg, recently received word that she’s been accepted as a volunteer Team Leader with Kiva. Congratulations, Meg!  If you haven’t heard about the good work Kiva does to make a difference in the lives of fledgling entrepreneurs around the globe, then take a look here.

Kiva Lending Chart, by country

Or you can even join our lending team at Kiva here. Come help us make a difference in supporting equitable opportunities without borders.  A portion of our proceeds at HarmonyWishes, and your dollars as members (!),  goes to support the efforts of entrepreneurs around the world.  So, feel proud.

Meg’s new post with Kiva got me thinking about some of these “newer” systems of investing and giving.  Micro-lending has become a hot topic of late, especially with organizations like Kiva modeling new ways to help people who are already working to help themselves.  The idea behind micro-lending is to provide financial services to those with little access.  Traditionally, banks don’t often provide those services in poverty-stricken areas; thus, the poor often turn to local money lenders, whose interest rates can be astounding.  In many of the small villages I’ve visited around Oaxaca there are no banks to speak of at all.  People must travel hours away to the nearest city to access bank services.  However, small credit unions and lending companies (not regulated by the State) set up shop, setting very high interest rates on the money loaned.  It can be the only, and often oppressive, option many people have.

In answer to this very real need, organizations like Kiva, Pro Mujer and Grameen Bank are utilizing micro-lending systems to help bring opportunity and financial services to the doorsteps of the poor.

Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank

They’ve got some unique ideas and practices.  I’ve heard arguments for and against lending of this kind.  I’m curious to know what you think.  We’ve all been on the receiving or giving ends of loans before, no?  How different would it be for you to lend that same money to a stranger?  Is it easier to lend the money, or just give it away? I’m curious.

I think it’s an exciting time to consider—or reconsider—the ways in which organizations and individuals look for funding assistance.  Micro-lending organizations are living examples that individuals can make a powerful difference with the small resources they have to lend.  I’m trying to put that lesson to the test with some of my work here in Oaxaca.

Oaxaca State

Over the last several months I have been working with a partner here in Oaxaca to build a youth radio workshop for teens in the indigenous and poverty-stricken villages of the state.  The kids we’re teaching come from some of the most marginalized populations in the country.  Access to the basic services (education, drinking water, electricity) is limited, let alone access to extracurricular educational activities like radio.  But my partner Kiado and I think it’s important that youth from these villages have a space where their voices, opinions and ideas are valued.

Of course one of the great challenges to our work has been funding. Traditionally projects like ours would start by looking for funding from foundations, government departments or big donors.  That source of funding can often take time, requires a formal entity (i.e. 501(c)(3) status, which costs money to set up) and is highly competitive.  So, we’ve decided to use a little something called crowdfunding to get our project off the ground.  Crowdfunding, or crowdsourcing, operates off the idea that you can tap into a font of money in small amounts, from lots and lots of sources.  Rather than one foundation or donor shouldering the cost of the project, it is shared by many people in an amount that’s reasonable for each of them.

Crowdfunding is not an unusual idea here in Oaxaca, where people have little access to credit and loans.  There’s a common practice called “tanda” here that’s very similar to the crowdfunding system.  Here’s how it works: I need a loan of 10,000 pesos (around $770) so I can go to my sister’s wedding next month.  I rally 10 friends.  We each draw a number 1-10 from a hat; I automatically get number 1 because I organized the tanda and my need is most immediate. Every two weeks each member of the tanda sets aside 1,000 pesos and that’s given to the first person on the list (10,000 pesos total).  Two weeks later the next person on the list gets his/her 10,000, and so on.  It’s a loan system amongst friends; there’s no interest, and people hardly ever default because it’s their own friends they would let down.

What I appreciate about crowdfunding, and even micro-lending is that in addition to the financial resources you gain, you also harness a great deal of enthusiasm and momentum for your work from those supporting you.  Politicians do it in their campaigns, so why not little efforts like ours!  It’s been a really energizing experiment.  I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.

I encourage you to think of the ways in which the support of the myriad people in your network could help you solve a problem. After all, crowdsourcing can be used for more than just funding issues. People all over the globe are opening up to the ideas and knowledge that the many can offer in small efforts. Just think of how things like Wikipedia have grown over the last few years. We here at HarmonyWishes could use your help, too. If you’re enjoying our blog and the services on our site, please help us spread the word. Or better yet, send the message on by using one of our e-cards! Help us grow our community of users and participants. Together we can make a huge impact.

Saludos,

Megan