Heads up, this has nothing to do with photography.
Professor Muhammad Yusuf won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his effort in alleviating poverty through micro-loans to the poor in this home in Bangladesh. “Micro-loans” imply loans that are not significant in amount. A lot of the loans we get are large amounts, and from commercial banks. Yusuf’s bank, Grameen Bank, in contrast, lends to the poor, in any amount. These are very small amounts for us, but it means a lot to people trying to make a living in third world countries.
These are not hand outs, they are loans, and they get paid back. It is a great way out of poverty, especially for women entrepreneurs in the poor countries. Not quite the same, but growing up in Turkey, I was able to go through high school and college due to the generosity of many people, and I feel a sense of duty to pay back. We donate to a bunch of charities, including Mercy Corp and my high school’s scholarship fund, and added the micro-loans as well. You can donate tax deductible, if you like, to Grameen Foundation, or lend (peer to peer lending) at Kiva.org
Hi Evrim,
I just want to personally ‘thank you’ for mentioning your support of Mercy Corps in this blog. We really value your support – it’s invaluable to our continued success in helping alleviate suffering around the world.
If you’re interested, take a look at our Web section on Microfinance, http://www.mercycorps.org/topics/microenterprise.
It expands on our entrepreneurial philosophy and shares stories of our beneficiaries — people from places like Kabul, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan whose lives were transformed with microfinance assistance.
To learn about Mercy Corps Northwest small business programs, visit http://www.mercycorpsnw.org.
Thanks again, Evrim. We hope you will stay in touch.
Best wishes,
Tiffany
Internet Marketing Manager
Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps inspires lasting change through global engagement and innovative community-led, market-driven programs in some of the world’s toughest places.
Mercy Corps:
Entrepreneurial + Compassionate + Optimistic + Accountable = Positive Change