If Microfinance is the Answer, What is the Question? MCN partners with the Midwest International NGO Network (MINN) for an innovative free event
A loan as small as $30 can help an indigent person in the developing world gain access to capital, open a small business, and become economically self sufficient. This practice of offering financial services to the poor is called “microfinance” and it is commonly used in places where formal banking institutions do not exist or where incomes are so small that individuals do not qualify for banking services. Yet the efficacy of this growing field is full of debate. Join us to hear from experts representing several local nonprofits to learn about the practice of microfinance and to hear about the successes and challenges they experience in their work. But microfinance is a growing field, and there are many points of view regarding its effectiveness. Join us to hear from experts representing several local nonprofits to learn about the practice of microfinance and to hear about the successes and challenges they experience in their work. Presenters will also share stories of clients around the world who run a variety of businesses, which may sell goats, weave textiles, or offer tailoring services.
Presenters:Terry Isert, senior technical advisor, economic opportunities, American Refugee Committee; Chingwell Mutombu, founder and executive director, First Step Initiative; and Rob Scarlett, member, President’s Council, ACCION International
Details:Monday, September 8, 2008
3 – 5 p.m. (registration and networking begin at 2:30 p.m.)
Dorsey Ewald Conference Center, 1000 Westgate Drive, Ste. 252, St. Paul, 55114
Free parking is available in the Dorsey lotLight snacks will be provided. Participation in this event is free but online registration is required.
Register online now.
Event Agenda:
2:30 p.m. Registration and Networking
3 p.m. Welcome and Introductions
3:15 p.m. Introduction of Microfinance
3:30 p.m. Panelists’ Presentations
4:30 p.m. Q & A and Discussion
5 p.m. Adjourn
Presenters’ Bios:Terry Isert, senior technical advisor, economic opportunities, American Refugee Committee has more than 11 years of experience in enterprise development, poverty lending primarily focused on women and their families, and youth employment promotion. Terry has considerable experience in cross-cultural relationships and practices and currently manages ARC’s global portfolio of microenterprise development programs and microfinance institutions and programs in 7 countries spanning Africa to Asia. He received an M.B.A. degree from Southern New Hampshire University, an M.A. in international development from Brandeis University and a B.S. in industrial engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.
Chingwell Mutombu is the founder and executive director of First Step Initiative. Throughout her professional career, she has worked on issues affecting disenfranchised communities both nationally and internationally. Chingwell’s diverse background includes the founding of a consulting business which she currently runs, and her work as an advocate for human rights. Chingwell is a graduate of Luther College and holds two Master’s degrees from Seton Hall University in public administration (with focus in nonprofit management) and international relations.
Rob Scarlett has more than forty years of continuous involvement in the micro-lending movement, beginning when he worked for ACCION International in the poorest communities in Venezuela, Brazil and Peru in the mid-1960s. He is a frequent speaker on the subject of the informal economy and the origins of the microlending movement and the microfinance industry. Currently, Rob serves as a member of ACCION’s President’s Council, while making his living assisting smaller U.S. businesses establish themselves in Latin American and African markets. Rob is a 1966 graduate of Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota.
Sponsoring Organizations:This event is brought to you by the Midwest International NGO Network (MINN). MINN’s mission is to provide an open environment for international practitioners to network and exchange professional experiences and best practices. For more information about MINN, joining the listserv, attending future events and volunteering opportunities, visit www.midwestngo.org. This event is co-sponsored by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN). Established in 1987, the Minnesota Council of Nonprofit is a membership organization with more than 1,900 nonprofit members representing all nonprofit activity areas, budget sizes and geographic regions of Minnesota. MCN’s mission is to inform, promote, strengthen and connect individual nonprofits and the nonprofit sector.
Learn more about this event and preregister today.