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Friday, 02 March 2018 18:23

March 2018 - The Power of Microloans

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One of the core philosophies of VCI Missions is to give people in need an hand up and out of poverty, not just to give them a hand out. As it is said, give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, but teach a man to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime. Over the years we have developed many programs that aim to make a lasting impact on a person’s life and give them a better future instead of filling a belly for one day.

The Micro Loan project is one of these programs. This program gives the start-up help to someone who has an idea and the drive to make it a success, but lacks the funds to get started. These small businesses will provide a livelihood for a family and better future for them, their children and their community.

So how does this work?
An individual submits their business plan for review and once approved are sent a small loan to cover the start-up costs. This loan could be as little as a couple hundred dollars. Here in North America, that wouldn’t go far, but in a third world nation, this small amount could mean the difference between poverty and starvation and success and prosperity.

Once this business is running and starts making a profit, the individual will pay the loan back to the national account. This money can then be used to help the someone else with starting a business of their own.

Here are a couple of great success stories from this program and we know that there are many more to come. A youth group in Nairobi had an idea to start their own t-shirt printing business. With the help of a micro loan they got it up and running and were able to pay back their loan after one short year. This project helps to empower youth, teach them a skill and make a living for themselves.

Another  success story is from the Lakeview Victory Church in Kisumu. They started their own micro-finance group. This is now a legally registered group that provides small loans to individuals in the church so that they can start their own small business or help boost their existing business. They currently have 16 members who have benefited from this program and it is growing and expanding as each member works together.

If you would like to get involved in this program or would like more information about the program, please contact our office at

403.286-8337
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

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