WORK IN SOUTH ASIA (Sarid) - Robust economic growth has not translated into real reductions in poverty or joblessness in South Asia during the period 1996 to 2006, says a new report from the International Labour Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. It recommends that the region invest in more education and training as well as in social protection measures such as the security of working arrangements, institution of benefits, decent working conditions and women’s rights. Only if the region manages to turn growth into decent employment creation will there be enough solid ground for further development ... Full Article
SARID's PROGRAM IN MUZAFFARABAD (Sarid) - This
month, SARID began a program in Muzaffarabad to support women who
were widowed after the October 2005 earthquake. The town of Muzaffarabad
suffered incredible damage and hundreds of thousands of people lost
their loved ones, their homes and their jobs ... Full Article
UPDATE ON SARID's WIDOW REHABILITATION PROGRAM (Sarid) - I recently traveled to Muzaffarabad to
visit the two women whom SARID has been supporting. We had a wonderful
visit, and they repeatedly expressed their gratitude for all the
assistance that they have been receiving
... Full Article
In the Spotlight
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A
little can go a long way towards making life better, November
16 2004,
By Farhan Bokhari, Fiona Harvey, Amy Kazmin and Amy Yee. Not long
ago, 46-year-old Than Than Win and her husband eked out a living
by working the fields of landowners in Kangyi, a small village
about half a day's journey from Rangoon. Along with many of Burma's
poor, Ms Win had little means to improve her life or those of
her six children. http://news.ft.com/cms/s/de56efac-3776-11d9-a8bb-00000e2511c8.html
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A
little can go a long way towards making life better, Financial
Times, UK, November 15, 2004
Microfinance evolved in response to the deficiencies of the traditional
banking system whose high overheads often made small loans unaffordable
to relatively poor clients. The real challenge is not only to
distribute more small loans but to overhaul entire financial systems
to make the poor central to the financial systems in poor countries.
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What
is Micro-enterprise? Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO),
USA
A definition of microenterprise as applied to the USA
Articles
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World
Vision Makes One Millionth Microenterprise Loan to Entrepreneurial
Poor, FT, August 16, 2004
World Vision will make its one millionth loan to an impoverished
client in August, 2004. Its new subsidiary, Vision Fund International,
will enable World Vision to offer micro-loans to millions more
by leveraging philanthropic donations with borrowed capital.
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Trickle
Up Program Celebrates 25 Years of Microenterprise Development,
FT, June 4, 2004
Founded in 1979, the Tricle Up organization has worked with nearly
1,700 coordinating partner agencies, primarily grassroots development
agencies, to help build more than 120,000 microbusinesses benefiting
greater than a half a million of the poorest people around the
world.
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The
Grameen example, Daily News, Colombo, February 11, 2004
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, but by teaching
him to fish you feed him for life.
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One
village, one product concept boost to small industries, Daily
Star, Dhaka, February 09, 2004
Bangladesh can initiate a 'one village one product' programme
replicating the successful Thai concept that will give a boost
to small and cottage industries in rural areas, said a Thai embassy
official.
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Farming
changes their lot, Daily Star, Dhaka, February 05, 2004
Graduating from a local college, Zakir Hossain started hybrid
tomato cultivation. He is now a proud and rich farmer and dreams
of creating jobs for others in agro-based small industries.
Resources
news
sources & organisations relevant to micro-enterprise in general.
Those concerned with one issue or confined to one region are noted
in the relevant sections.
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Commercialization
of Microfinance; South & Southeast Asia
ADB's Microfinance Development Strategy recognizes the importance
of commercialization, not as an end in itself but as a means to
expand the outreach of microfinance services to poor and low-income
households and their microenterprises on a sustainable basis (2004).
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Financing
Renewable Energy Technologies: A Guidebook for Micro finance Institutions
in Nepal
Manual (Winrock International, sponsored by USAID, July 2004)
provides both technical and financial information about Renewable
Energy Technologies (RETs) with the aim of encouraging micro finance
institutions (MFIs) to view RETs as bankable investment opportunities.
It provides guidance to help MFIs evaluate and manage risks associated
with lending for RETs, and identifies and seeks to bolster institutional
capacity as well as remedy inadequate/lack of access to finance
and poor rural socio-economic situations which have been identified
as the bottlenecks and barriers to strengthening the sector.
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Human
Concern International, Canada
a Federally Registered, charitable organization existing "to
help alleviate human suffering", facilitating long term development
projects (Health Care, Agriculture, Human Resources Development,
Relief and Public Education), and providing immediate relief assistance
to many poor and strife torn countries and to local causes in
Canada.
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The Microenterprise
Journal, USA
A business news publication that covers politics and policy,
economics and the market, providing exclusive articles on the
issues from a uniquely microbusiness perspective.
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Microenterprise
quick facts
From "Laying the Foundation for Economic Development",
Economic Perspectives, USA, February 2004.
US government information.
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Microfinance gateway
A public forum where Microfinance professionals can contribute
thought pieces, post publications, publicize conferences and training
workshops, debate current issues, and look for employment.
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Microfinance
handbook: an Institutional and Financial Perspective, USA, 1999
This toolkit provides a comprehensive source for the design, implementation,
evaluation, and management of microfinance activities.
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MicroLINKS
a knowledge sharing source of information, applications and tools
designed to improve the impact of USAID microenterprise programs
and activities. microLINKS gives you access to the latest information
on microenterprise; best practices; proven approaches from USAID
Missions, partners, and practitioners; a library of documents,
reports, and tools; and an environment that supports and enriches
communities of practice focused on the many facets of microenterprise
development.
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Renewable
Energy for Microenterprise, USA (PDF)
A handbook published by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
Colorado, USA
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SANMFI:
South Asian Network of Microfinance Initiatives, Bangladesh
A microfinance Network exclusively focused on South Asia and dedicated
to linking, strengthening and promoting microfinance institutions
in the region through influencing policies and promoting best
practices.
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Trickle Up Program,
USA
Organization helping the lowest income people worldwide take the
first steps out of poverty, by providing conditional seed capital,
business training, and relevant support services essential to
the launch or expansion of a microenterprise.
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