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2008 Fall Project Teams The following are the Penn Microfinance Club's planned projects for 2008-09. Some of these are new this year, and others have been done in the past. The projects vary in commitment (the new ones will be more of a commitment), especially depending on how much time you are willing to put in. However, generally the projects are most rewarding when you invest yourself in them, so we suggest that you sign up for one or two – quality over quantity. If you did not attend the introductory meeting on Sunday, September 7th and did not sign up for a project team, please email which project you would like to sign up for by Tuesday September 16th to Cecilia at evogel@sas.upenn.edu. The project teams will begin to meet the week of September 21st. If you have any of your own ideas for projects or events at any point throughout the year, please share them with us and we will do our best to make it happen! In the innovative spirit of microfinance, we are always looking for new ideas. Direct any questions to evogel@sas.upenn.edu.
Bali Microfinance Initiative In the summer of 2008, eight Penn students traveled to Bali, Indonesia to work in conjunction with the Green School, an international school in Bali, and a local microfinance institution, the Wahana Kria Putri Foundation (WKP). The Green School Team produced multiple workshops and learning tools on microfinance and basic business skills, worked on a bamboo production project, a cacao fermentation project and helped launch a local English school for underprivileged Balinese children. The WKP team served as consultants by training their loan officers and evaluating the risk of their clients; the team also shadowed loan officers and gained valuable in the field experience. The Bali Microfinance Initiative is the first of its kind; this project is only the beginning of a long and sustainable relationship between WKP, the Green School, local Balinese MFIs, and the Penn community. We are aiming to continue this project for 2008-09 in order to build a lasting relationship with the organizations in Bali. This project entails planning and fundraising work throughout the year and several weeks in Bali in the summer.
Community Banking in Ecuador With the partnership of Soluciones Comunitarias, we have the opportunity to help implement a pilot community banking project in Ecuador. Soluciones Comunitarias is a well-established social enterprise NGO that works in Central America, primarily Guatemala and Mexico. They regularly run a student program called Social Entrepreneur Corps, and now, with implementation of their new community banking program, students will have the opportunity to take a key role jump-starting this project. You would be working in close partnership with an ex-Peace Corps member with significant experience in community banking in Ecuador. This project would include work from Philadelphia throughout the year in communication with Soluciones Comunitarias and a trip to Ecuador which could possibly include one week over Christmas break and several weeks over the summer.
Ghana Microfinance Initiative Are you interested in gaining a first-hand experience of microfinance in a developing country? Commonly referred to as "the gateway to Africa," Ghana will provide a stimulating environment to observe and assist in its growing microfinancial activities. Working closely with Plan International, an international non-governmental organization (NGO), and two local NGOs, FYSSO and AfriHOPE, the Penn Microfinance Club Initiative will assist with the Village Savings and Loan Scheme, a form of microfinance that appears most promising for the culture of Ghana as well as West Africa. Throughout the year, the Ghana Initiative will provide all three NGOs with vital research and financial analyses to help implement the VSL scheme in the Upper Western, Western, and Volta Regions of Ghana. The Ghana Initiative will end with a month long trip to Ghana, during which members will be able to apply the skills and knowledge they gained throughout the year.
Microfinance in Philly
JP Morgan Good Venture Competition "NAME THE CAUSE. MAKE THE CASE. WIN THE CASH." Want to gain more experience in social impact and microfinance? Join the JPMorgan Good Venture Competition. A group of undergraduates' students will have the chance to present their investment idea to a panel of JPMorgan high executives in New York. If the project is accepted JPMorgan will provide 25,000 dollars of investment funding directly to the chosen cause.
Knowledge and Education Committee The goals of the Knowledge & Education Committee (KEC) will be focused primarily upon multiple microfinance speaking events on Penn's campus that will be organized for the upcoming school year. Committee members will work together to research and contact potential speakers, as well as promote the planned events around campus. Members' time commitments will stem anywhere from less than an hour to a few hours a week, depending upon the particular member's desire to be involved. Meetings will be arranged when necessary. Research the latest news and opportunities in microfinance for the possibility of constructing a regular newsletter to inform the Penn community. Headed by the Education Chair, Tyler Myerberg.
Conference Team
The Microfinance Club's Conference team aims to bring together individuals to explore the multi-faceted nature of microfinance as well as the striking innovation that has driven and continues to drive the field today. In past years, the Conference has attracted over 30 speakers and 400 attendees. Among these has been Alex Counts (CEO, Grameen Foundation), Patrick Byrne (Chairman and CEO, Overstock.com), Matthew Flannery (Co-Founder and CEO, Kiva), and Rupert Scofield (Executive Director of FINCA) among others. This year we hope to draw from our experiences from past years and our vast relationship network to bring the Third Annual Microfinance Conference to Penn. We're trying to build a team of around 10 students to make this year's conference even more successful. Duties for team members are varied, but include procuring sponsorship, networking with speakers, and marketing the conference at Penn and across the industry.
Microfinance Student Network
Lend for Peace
This is not a Penn Microfinance Club project team, but it a microfinance initiative started by Penn undergraduates that you can get involved in. Contact Andrew Dudum for more information (andrewdudum@gmail.com) At LendforPeace.org, you can lend directly to micro-entrepreneurs in the Middle East, helping to lift them out of poverty and create a viable, stable and peaceful region. LFP was founded by a diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students at Penn, who share the same desire to help progress the Middle East peace process through microfinance. While there is no single solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, by improving the economic reality in the Palestinian territories, through a carefully monitored and transparent infrastructure, LendforPeace.org will contribute to the overall well-being of the Palestinian people. It is our fundamental belief that citizens of economically stable regions are more inclined to contribute positively to their family and community and less inclined to fall prey to fundamentalist influences. LendforPeace.org does not offer the golden solution to the conflict; rather its success will be a positive step towards a peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians that will eventually ensure that the Jewish State of Israel can live in peace and security alongside a stable and viable Palestinian state.
Want More Information? E-mail Greg Capobianco for listserv access and Cecilia Vogel for further information regarding our project teams. |
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