Traveling to the Dominican Republic – Evan Lory
Wisconsin Microfinance
by Trevor Franda
10M ago
I traveled to the Dominican Republic in March as a representative of Wisconsin Microfinance. It was my first trip to a developing country. Upon arrival, I quickly realized how much I take for granted, where necessities like clean water, electricity, education, and healthcare seem so commonplace. At the same time, I realized how much the same we all are. Kids play many of the same games in La Piedra as they do in Waunakee and meals are opportunities to share food and stories (and to laugh!). The language barrier was one of the biggest challenges I faced during the trip. While many of the people ..read more
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Loan Recipients in the Dominican Republic – Evan Lory
Wisconsin Microfinance
by Trevor Franda
10M ago
I recently had the privilege of traveling to the Dominican Republic to deliver funding for loans for female business women. While there, I met many loan recipients and learned about the kinds of businesses that are being funded. Nataylis is a talented 24-year-old who runs her own hair salon in the small community of La Piedra. For many Dominican women, natural long hair is not common, but they still wish to enhance their beauty with extensions or coloring. A beauty salon is a successful addition to the La Piedra community. With her loan, Nataylis purchased new extensions and hair coloring prod ..read more
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New Member Introduction: Evan Lory
Wisconsin Microfinance
by Trevor Franda
1y ago
Hi, I’m Evan Lory a junior at Waunakee High School outside Madison. I am part of the Dane County Youth Apprenticeship Program which coordinates opportunities for high school students seeking hands on experiences with a local organization. Apparently, I’m one of the first students to request placement with a non-profit, and it took a bit of finagling to get my apprenticeship approved. I’m excited to learn more about microfinance, to learn about fundraising and recordkeeping, and to better understand the lives of those living below the poverty line. Another benefit is that I hope to learn more a ..read more
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Does Microfinance Actually Improve Lives?
Wisconsin Microfinance
by Jahnvi Datta
1y ago
Microfinance, once hailed as a miracle solution, has become the subject of skepticism in the last several years.  There is no doubt that repayment rates are as high or higher than traditional financing, but many questioned whether these loans actually led to improvements in individual and family living conditions. For the first time, Wisconsin Microfinance has been able to track what truly matters, and is measuring changes in the quality of life of borrowers over the first 18 months after receiving a loan.  Preliminary survey results were gathered from a small set of our borrowers (3 ..read more
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Microfinance Shown to Improve Quality of Life 
Wisconsin Microfinance
by Allison Cooley
1y ago
Wisconsin Microfinance’s loan programs are improving borrowers’ overall quality of life. We are now able to demonstrate a significant and marked improvement in measures of quality of life, including number of daily meals, the presence of meat in meals and the ability to save money. We have been gathering information from borrowers regarding their quality of life before and after taking out a loan, and our analysis confirms that providing economic opportunity to the working poor leads to improved quality of life. We have survey results from 36 of our borrowers in Haiti who have taken out mult ..read more
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We R uS: Wisconsin Microfinance’s Partner in Ghana
Wisconsin Microfinance
by Allison Cooley
1y ago
Wisconsin Microfinance is extremely excited to work with We R uS, a non-profit dedicated to creating dynamic, sustainable rural communities in Ghana.  Created to support economic development in rural, traditional Ghanaian communities, they are an ideal partner. By working at the grassroots level in a community, We R uS aims to match their assistance to the individual needs of a community.   One of the main priorities of We R uS is economic/community development. By tailoring their approach to individual communities and working with community leaders, We R uS protects the cultur ..read more
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Wisconsin Microfinance’s New Program in Ghana
Wisconsin Microfinance
by Allison Cooley
1y ago
Wisconsin Microfinance is proud to announce that we have launched our first loan program on the African continent.  We will be working with We R uS, a US based non-profit that serves traditional villages in Ghana.  Ghana is situated on the west coast of Africa, between Togo and Cote d’Ivoire. While Ghana does generate wealth from its resources, it has struggled to provide opportunities for rural citizens.    More than 3.4 million citizens of Ghana are classified as living in extreme poverty in 2021. These people live on less than $2 U.S. dollars a day. Poverty remains esp ..read more
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Our Progress in the Dominican Republic
Wisconsin Microfinance
by Allison Cooley
1y ago
We are thrilled to announce that Wisconsin Microfinance’s microloan program in the Dominican Republic has been officially started in La Piedra! Applicants for our loans have been selected and received their first loan in June, providing opportunities to hard-working entrepreneurs who have never had access to resources before. We are so excited to mark the beginning of a new program, and will need new donors and additional donations to grow the program in La Piedra.  Wisconsin Microfinance provided $5,000 for the first round of loans, which is the equivalent of 272,000 Dominican pesos. Ea ..read more
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Stories from the Phillipines
Wisconsin Microfinance
by Allison Cooley
1y ago
At Wisconsin Microfinance, we pay a lot of attention to numbers. Everything we do supports and empowers loan recipients  in Haiti and the Philippines.  Often, we feel that the best way to measure our success is using the data we’ve collected: what percentage of our partners are repaying their loans, how much funding we are comfortable providing to a program, how much loans are mad in each area. It is so easy to become fixated on these numbers, and while they are an important measure of our success in these countries, they do not show the whole picture. Equally important are the inspi ..read more
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Wisconsin Microfinance in the Dominican Republic
Wisconsin Microfinance
by Jahnvi Datta
2y ago
In 2010, Wisconsin Microfinance launched our first program in Haiti. Shortly after, operations were expanded to the Philippines. And now, Wisconsin Microfinance will be traveling to the Dominican Republic to provide more small, low interest loans to aspiring entrepreneurs in poverty.  With sandy beaches, glamorous resorts, and beautiful scenery, the Dominican Republic may seem like a tropical paradise. But beyond the few tourist filled cities exists an underserved population that can greatly benefit from the powers of microfinance.  The Dominican Republic is a Spanish-speaking coun ..read more
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