Posts Tagged 'microfinance'

When We Collaborate Lives Change

Published September 15, 2009 non profit Leave a Comment
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If you follow my blog at all, you’ll remember me asking for donations to help a bunch of women out of poverty. People around the world responded by blogging, tweeting and most importantly donating $7,000 to a 2 year microfinance project! And more great news is that I just got the first report from Opportunity International Australia. I am thrilled to introduce you to the 12 women who are now starting or building their small businesses to get out of poverty, and save for their children to go to university.

Furao Trust Group
The Furao Trust Group is composed of 12 female members. Furao is a small village on the outskirts of the nearest town, however the closest market from the village is still 7km away. Furao Trust Group members have to travel 10km to buy stock for their businesses at the large public market in Roxas. In Furao most homes have two rooms, so families often sleep in their living room. Water is accessed from a communal well.

Furao Trust Group members are engaged in various small businesses including tricycle driving, piggeries, vegetable gardening and barbeque vending. With the loans received, members can invest in larger quantities of their product or can expand their range of stock.  Members meet with a loan officer every Thursday to make their loan repayments and receive business training and mentoring. Members also enjoy the strong friendships created within the Trust Group.

Client Profile

Norma Diampoc runs her own sari-sari store business. She is married to Augustus, a farmer. Together they have three children: Cristine, 24 years old, Alma, 22, and Elgie, 18.

Out of the hardships she endured as a child, Norma has become a strong business woman. Being part of a family who did not have enough resources to provide for their needs, she was forced to leave high school early.Norma usually opens her store at 8am and closes it at 9pm. She chose to open a sari-sari store because she is able to earn a living and still fulfill her responsibilities as a wife and mother… (read more from the report)

Usually these women have no access to capital, therefore are unable to obtain business loans. However with microfinance in a Trust Group, they are able to co-guarantee each other’s loans.

Thanks again for collaborating with me online to show your care and generosity. Your tweets, blog posts, encouragement and donations have made a huge difference to these women, and to the future of thier children.

Vote for a Love Story

Published June 16, 2009 non profit 1 Comment
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How easy is it to tell a story? Easy – so I thought.  I’ve been trying to think up a story for a Slideshare competition for a few days and had grand plans of creating something unique with hand drawn charcoal images. But first you need a story, right? I felt just like my six year old who freezes up when his teacher asks him to write about his weekend – overwhelmed by the sheer number of possibilities. I did manage to come up with a starting point for a story, but then the weekend swallowed up my idea.

Eventually I was left with a couple of hours last night. I was going through some files on my computer when I saw some photos from the Shout Out Social exhibition, and thought to myself ‘I really ought to do something with those’. Voila! Instant story.

Please vote for these slides in the Fuze Tell a Story Contest, because if I win the prize money will be donated to women in poverty through Opportunity International (Grand Prize is $5,000.) I hope you like this short story ‘about love, beginning with you’. It might not be the story I had hoped to write, but I think you’ll enjoy it nonetheless.

A drink for Wonderwebby

Published June 8, 2009 non profit 3 Comments
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This month I’m wrapping up my fundraising activities for Opportunity International and need to raise another USD$4,000 for a 2 year program providing small business loans and training for Filipino women  currently living in poverty.

So I thought I would ask 1000 people to donate USD$4 - the price of a drink – to raise the total funds for this project. A coffee costs $4 at some places these days – I would be really grateful if you could shout me one :)

Many thanks to people who have chipped in so far already raising 50% of funds for this AUD$10,000 program including:

@sachac @socialtopher @sminkworks @badkoala @kt29 @gypsychk @joannayoung @digitalfilipino @joannestanton @gusposkus @juliancole @ethmanmcc @mspecht @bettinac @janelle_amet @onlinedialogues @blm849 @iggypintado @andypiper @nancywhite @verbaw @marigo @elsua @aqualung @SonjaBarfoed and @deswalsh

You can read more and donate at http://wonderwebby.chipin.com

Update – thanks for your donations so far including drinks and rounds from @kdelarue @deswalsh and @innotecture – only 981 drinks to go!

Spoken From the Heart

Published March 16, 2009 inspiration , non profit , purpose , web 2.0 6 Comments
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Social Media isn’t just about getting the most Twitter followers, Facebook friends or enhancing your online reputation. Social Media also provides a way to express, create and give.

Over the last month a number of people gave towards a project  called #SOS09 (Shout Out Social) which had two purposes; to help raise funds for an Opportunity International project and to encourage people to be creative for a cause.

Around the world, individuals used their creativity to express something that mattered to them, including topics such as Healthcare, Hope and Green Spaces. They submitted their images to a Flickr Group, and the images were displayed as part of a digital wall show at Horse Bazaar over the weekend.

Eileen Clegg graciously created a mural to shout out for Creativity and explains her message on video

She says,

“The more we can express ourselves and what is authentic about us, we are sharing with others to add to (this) collective knowledge…

..” so the more we can define ourselves, our creative selves, what we are interested in, our knowledge – then it makes it easier for other people to find us as well, so we can work together..

When we use visuals to express ourselves we are saying: ‘this is a picture of what I am thinking right now’ we are not passing judgment on the world or trying to tell it like it is. We are saying ‘this is what I see right now’

And that’s the best part about creativity – it’s completely individual, nobody can argue with it – and it’s always wonderful.”

Shahin Shafaei reminded people of the importance of creativity and expression in our day to day lives, by sharing his experience of nearly two years in isolation at an Australian detention centre.

Although the event (unfortunately) didn’t raise a stack of funds, being part of this project and event was personally fulfilling. Eileen and Shahin spoke from the heart. A  number of individuals around the world took a few minutes to use social media for positive change, and a small bunch of people braved the rain to come along to the SOS09 event. Even the decor of the venue represented the importance of people, history and culture in a technical and creative context.

Saturday evening I left the event knowing that people around the planet had made a difference, however small, and that each of us had experienced something good through our individual contributions to this project against poverty.

Have you been part of a creative project that made a difference? How important is authenticity and “speaking from the heart” to you?

If you would like to thank the people who contributed to this project AND make a difference to a group of women living in poverty right now, you can make a donation or purchase some quality greeting cards or wall art (all proceeds go towards this Opportunity International project in the Philippines. Thank you for your kind support.)

Babushka’s fifteen minutes

Published December 21, 2008 art & design 2 Comments
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If you’re going to create some slides explaining the cycle of microfinance and trust banks, you may as well make it interesting.  That’s why I asked Babushka to explain it.  Nooo, not this one..

This one ..

(also known as a Matryoshka doll.) Please don’t ask me to explain what Russian dolls have to do with microfinance in the Philippines.  I can only suggest it is a symbol of women, community impact and the perpetual nature of Trust Bank loans.  Apparently Matroyshka dolls are also known to symbolise motherhood and fertility.

I thought the slides might be silly, I rushed it and I wasn’t happy with the font – but it made it to the Slideshare feature page – nice! And the best thing is people can learn something about Trust Banks and microfinance (well I can only hope!)

Do you like to think of new ways to tell a story? Do you share your ’silly’ ideas?  What holds you back?

Expressions of things beyond

Published December 19, 2008 art & design , non profit 1 Comment
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Matt wrote me a poem for the Creative Challenge themed “Beyond”

…”Follow the chromosomes
that interlock like acrobats
to create the trick of a life
Balance, harmony – a high wire act.

Follow the tectonic fault-lines
that skid round the globe
without our permission.
Plates spinning in that same circus.

Follow the word network,
the net worth of word nets
that catch us each in ourselves
when the high wire snaps.”….{{read more}}

Penni created a special video about her daugher Frederique, and wrote something beautiful about their journey overseas

“thank you for showing me your world, for taking me beyond the surface of places and into the centre of them, and out of the centre and to the edges. Thank you for being angry and happy and sad. Thank you for watching the tiny polysteirine balls bounce down the bridge over the Seine while I fell in love with the Notre Dame, and thank you for making me watch them too, as they swirled and dived in the wind.”


Lee made a video on Youtube with a powerful reading, Iggy shared the story of the web connecting after loss and Arthi commented that sharing our experiences can influence our children, albeit not the way we originally intended! I enjoyed reading each of these 5 entries, which are in the running to win a great prize. I’m happy to report US$215 has been donated through this creative challenge towards a microfinance project and those 6 individuals (plus others who have made donations to date) will be in the running to win a copy of “World Poverty for Dummies”. I’m thinking of getting Spiderman to draw the names out of a hat for me.

There are still 2 more days left to share something creative on the theme of  “Beyond”. Your entry would be a wonderful Christmas gift :) and anyone can enter. Entries close midnight this Sunday Australian EST and winners drawn on Monday.

And as a special Christmas treat, thanks to Mary Martin Books I have another copy of  ‘World Poverty for Dummies’ which I will give to the next Australian resident who submits something new for the creative challenge :) Are you feeling creative? All you have to do is respond as a comment. photo or blog post over on the original post.

World Poverty for Dummies

Published December 8, 2008 non profit Leave a Comment
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I have two copies of World Poverty for Dummies to give away as part of the Creative Challenge. Back in September when I signed up as a volunteer Ambassador with Women’s Opportunity (Opportunity International Australia) this book was endorsed on the recommended reading list.

World Poverty for Dummies includes an overview of world poverty, a history of poverty, covers topics such as women, bribery, the slave trade, human trafficking, impacts of climate chaos, economics and the levers of change, with ideas on how you can personally take action. The book contains a blend of statistics and personal stories by four authors who have worked almost exclusively in organisations dedicated to helping other people. Authors are Sarah Marland, Ashley Clements, Lindsay Rae (World Vision) and Adam Valvasori.

From Chapter 8 “Women: The World’s Poor”
Women are the poorest of the poor, the oppressed among the oppressed.”
“One of the most effective ways to end poverty is to work directly with women. Because women run the households in almost all societies, any improvements in their lives flow on directly to the lives of their families. Helping women helps entire communities”

How microfinance and trade banks help to bring“… a bunch of women in a particular community together , dispenses small loans to help those women set up a micro-businesses or grow their existing businesses. The loans may be as little as US$100 and are used to buy things like a sewing machine or livestock…..”

“These microfinance programs have much lower rates of loan defaults than are experienced by large commercial banks. And they work. It’s been proven that with a tiny injection of cash in the right place, whole communities can work their way out of poverty.”

It’s such an educational and interesting book, and you don’t have to do much to be in the running to win a copy. Simply submit a blog post, comment, or picture for this Creative Challenge before 21st Dec 2008, or make a tax deductible donation (over $2) towards a microfinance project for a group of women in the Philippines (if you do both, your name gets entered twice!)

This is a cross post from “A Woman’s Investment“. Because it’s important.

Thinking Beyond

Published November 25, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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A brief update on my Women’s Opportunity fundraising. You may recall the  Women’s Investment slide project. It raised over AU$500, all web based donations from men and women all over the world! THANK YOU!

I have started a blog to keep track of my journey as an Ambassador with Women’s Opportunity and have launched a new creative challenge over there today.

The theme for this creative fundraising challenge is about thinking “Beyond”. It’s about changing your world. It’s about innovation, vision and hope. And it’s about making a difference.

Beyond yourself…towards the world.
Beyond the immediate…towards the possibilities.
Beyond having an idea…towards sharing it.
Beyond observing…towards participating.
Beyond poverty…towards empowerment and opportunity.


Image courtesy of Opportunity International Australia

You have until Sunday December 21st 2008(midnight AEST) to contribute. The winner (as selected by a random draw of all entries) will receive a prize. The prize pack includes 20 x postcards, 100 minicards and 90 stickers valued at around $50, which has been generously donated by the kind folks at MOO

AND the prize includes a copy of World Poverty for Dummies by Wiley Australia ($34.95)

In addition, any DONATIONS received before 21 December will also be in a random draw for a copy of World Poverty for Dummies.

I hope you will join in. I can’t wait to see some of the creative responses! Hop on over to the original blog post to get more details.

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About Wonderwebby - by Jasmin Tragas - creative and digital media allsorts - mother - imagining new ways to make a difference
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