Microfinance
Financing Freedom
Microlending in leprosy colonies frees residents from poverty, shame, and isolation.
Microlending in leprosy colonies frees residents from poverty, shame, and isolation.
Savings could be the doorway to a more inclusive financial system for young people.
Responsible investing begins in local, underserved communities. In this education podcast, CEO Martin Eakes talks about how his organization, Self-Help, has provided almost $6 billion in financing to more than 60,000 homebuyers, small businesses, and nonprofits, and how it is serving thousands of low-income families through retail credit union branches. Eakes' presentation is an inspiring rallying cry for redirecting resources to those who can benefit the most. His talk is part of a discussion sponsored by the Center for Social Innovation.
The future of international development may lie in the hands of children. In this audio interview with Sheela Sethuraman, Jeroo Billimoria talks about how her organization, Aflatoun, provides social and financial education to youth ages 6 to 14 in 31 countries. She discusses Aflatoun's work with partners to create and disseminate innovative curricula to mainstream schools, and its vision for continuing to empower young people over the next five years.
In the social enterprise sector, community development financial institutions have become important vehicles for advancing the well-being of communities through market-based mechanisms. In this audio interview with Stanford Center for Social Innovation correspondent Sheela Sethuraman, CEO Mark Pinsky talks about what his organization, the Opportunity Finance Network, does to support such institutions in improving people's lives in urban, rural, and reservation-based markets.
Jeroo Billimoria is the founder of six successful enterprises. Her most recent effort is Aflatoun, a nonprofit organization that provides social and financial education to children. In this audio lecture, Billimoria shares the wisdom she's acquired over the years with Design for Change host Sheela Sethuraman. She talks about her successes with Aflatoun, including securing pro-bono support from various corporations, developing a scalable training model, and creating a global network of organizations.