This week we have hit the ground running....as much as possible given the limits on technology...in the Business Development Services department. I accompanied Virginiah, one of the loan officers, to group meetings Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday and Friday all the new clients (people who have recently become part of the loan program or are just starting their business) came together for some free business training classes that Missions of Hope offers.
One of our main goals in the BDS department this summer is to get every client's (about 700 total) profile and a picture of them with their business to create an online giving program on CMF's (Christian Missionary Fellowship) website. This would allow someone in the USA, or around the world, to go online, read micro-business owner's stories and infomation on their businesses, and (if they choose) to offer a loan to any client they choose...very similar to Kiva and some other organizations involved in micro-finance.
It has been difficult communicating with people since many of the people are uneducated and understand very little english....and my swahili is equivalent to around a 2 year old Kenyan child:)...but through the help of MoHI staff translators, we are moving in the right direction.
One of the questions we ask on the profile form is 1) what are your personal goals (for you, your children, family, etc.)?
Almost every single response is the same...To provide food and education for the person's children so that the children can live a better life. Another common response is to succeed in business so as to provide the money needed to help sick family members.
It seems no matter where you are in the world, or how much you have been blessed with, our hopes, desires, and measures of success lie on our ability to accomplish similar things.
I am SO honored and excited to get to be a part of the effort to help these people accomplish some of life's basic goals.
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