From the monthly archives: December 2009
This post originally appeared on Akhila Kolisetty’s blog, Justice for All, on November 16, 2009, as part of a series in which many in our generation wrote about what the words “be the change” mean to us. There are some really excellent comments on the original post!
I’ve lived in China for almost two and a half years. This country has seen so much change in the past generation that it reminds me of a song I learned in elementary school: “the only thing that doesn’t change is change.” I think that listening to stories is the best way for an outsider like me to understand and begin to take part in these changes.
Here’s one such story, from a project inspired by the Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs. My friend Rich Brubaker is a prolific social entrepreneur, professor, consultant and blogger. He recently asked ten of his interns to interview workers on the streets of Shanghai about their jobs and dreams for the future. Here’s one example:
This post originally appeared on myKRO.org on November 16, 2009. I highly recommend clicking through to read the excellent comments from people who know more about Nicaragua.
“Why would borrowers in Nicaragua protest against microfinance?” my friend Michael asked me a few days ago.
Michael and I both majored in Latin American Studies at Berkeley. His email re-ignited my excitement for microfinance in Latin America. When I was studying abroad in Chile I interned with an organization called Accion Emprendedora, which sparked my interest in the intersection between business and social good.
Michael sent me this fascinating article: “No Pago” Confronts Microfinance in Nicaragua by Elissa Pachico:
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This post originally appeared on the Wokai blog on January 27, 2009.
What does it mean to be green? How do energy sources relate to poverty alleviation in developing countries? Who should be making decisions about rural energy use?
I’ve been thinking more about these questions lately. We recently posted some new borrowers on Wokai, whose businesses focus on selling cow dung to burn as fuel. Here’s one such profile:
Several things stand out to me in Aodunsiqige’s profile: her daughter’s poetic name and musical ambitions, her family’s transition from selling millet to lending equipment to selling cow dung, her awareness of options and prices for winter heating materials…
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This post originally appeared on the Wokai blog on December 29, 2008.
Yes, there is at least one connection between these three words. Her name is Nancy Barry.
A trailblazer in the field of Enterprise Solutions to Poverty, her current work focuses on creating pragmatic ways for large corporations in China, India, Mexico, and Colombia, to create opportunities for the working poor in these countries. For many years she was the President of Women’s World Banking, an international microfinance network.
I just came across this article from an Indian finance website, describing her role as a close advisor to Barack Obama.
Named one of the most powerful women in the world, Nancy M. Barry, 59, the Founder and President of Enterprise Solutions to Poverty and former President of the New York-based Women’s World Banking, is no stranger to the limelight. Known to be a close confidant and friend of the Obama family, she is now expected to play a key role in shaping the new US regime’s relationship with India and Indians. President-elect Barack Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham, worked with her as the first policy change manager of Women’s World Banking, from 1992 to 1995.Says Barry: I see in Obama many of the qualities of his mother: the capacity to get to the heart of the matter, the ability to get different factions to work for common cause, and a passion to work together in building economies that work for the majority.Continue reading »
This I wrote for the Wokai blog, October 23, 2008.
I just came across this excellent clip from CCTV, highlighting how China has shifted the focus of its development to rural areas, with a focus on microfinance (hat tip to Rich Brubaker):
Last year, when I was working for the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, I interviewed Wang Li from Citi, who appears in this clip. She described how the Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards in October 2007 served as a stepping stone towards the broader expansion of microfinance in China. I am impressed to see how quickly these changes have occurred.
China has also recently transformed its rural land policies, allowing farmers to trade or rent the land on which they work.
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I'm Leslie and I connect entrepreneurs in Chile, China, California, and beyond — especially through translation, training, and trade. More about me.
