Want to make a difference? The world of micro-loans...

One of the things that interests me is social justice.  I benefited greatly by the happenstance events that led to me being born to a Caucasian family in the United States.  Life wasn't always easy growing up with 4 (sometimes 5) kids in our house and money was pretty tight.  But we always had food (even if it was oatmeal suppers) and clothing (mostly hand-me-downs and garage sale finds), I always had a roof over my head, and we had love and a lot of fun.

Not everyone gets that chance.  One of my favorite MBA classes was on diversity, but the class touched on so much more than just racial diversity or gender diversity.  We read peer reviewed studies and delved into the dynamics of gender, race, religion, socio-economic status, age, and more.  I knew some things going into this class but the volume of things I read and the online discussions broadened my horizons and helped me further explore the white privilege I enjoy and the things that were handed to or available to me through no choice or impact of my own.

For example:

• I was born to people who highly valued reading and regularly read to me.  My mother was an elementary school teacher.  Through their sharing of books, I became an early-reader bookworm.  This undoubtedly impacted my ability to do well in school. 
• My parents also placed a premium on education and helped ensure that we had educational opportunities.
• I worked hard in school, did well on standardized tests, and earned scholarships that paid for almost all of my undergrad degree.
• Because my parents also valued savings and had experienced the pain of school loans, they set up a system whereby we kids saved 45% of our money for college.  (10% went to "Jesus money" and we picked where we wanted to give it, and the other 45% was for us to spend as we wished.)  This system meant I had $6,000 saved when I went to school.  After scholarships, I paid about $4,000 out of pocket for my four year degree, continued saving through school, and had more money in the bank when I left college than when I went in. 
• My employer paid for 80% of my MBA.

I'm not fool-hardy enough to think that I pulled myself up by my own bootstraps.  I did work hard, got good grades, and did well for myself.  But the seeds of that success (which also allowed me to get a better job and a much higher salary than just a high school education would have) came from others and things I had very little or nothing to do with.  They are also very tangibly demonstrated in the life I've lived and even the opportunity we now have to be living in Peru.

Which leads me to think about the people I interact with and see in Peru.  So many of them have more of a hand-to-mouth existence.  The minimum wage for empleadas is around $1.50 per hour, from what I've been told.  They don't have the same leg up that many of us have enjoyed.  (Despite the differences, I'm learning that Peru is a country with huge natural beauty and resources, lovely people, developing infrastructure, and hard workers.) 

One program I think is very cool is the CUDA microloan program (see microfinance FAQs).  You can lend as little as $25 and use your capital to give people a chance to help themselves as they pay back the money with their new success. When the loan is repaid, you can choose to reinvest your money in a new loan or get your money back.



Click here to see the graphic http://icdu.halcyonflies.com/resources/images/how-it-works/how-it-works_full_white.png

So since I have somewhat of a platform, I encourage you to think about the privilege you've enjoyed in your own life and challenge you to share the wealth- literally.  If you want to participate in this micro-lending program, check out the CUDA website.  I'm personally impressed by their focus on sustainable improvements and education.  They also have Peruvian leadership and United States partners. But this isn't the only thing you can do....see where you have enjoyed privilege and work to positively impact those who haven't enjoyed the same privileges that you have, wherever you are.

CUDA (click here to learn more about the organization):

Urban  Development as the Promotion of Total Wellbeing

The Christian Urban Development Association is a non-governmental, non-profit, faith-based organization that empowers vulnerable communities in urban Peru to overcome cycles of poverty. Our vision of  justice, wellbeing, and joy in the city leads us to promote physical, psychological, social, and spiritual wellbeing through projects in the areas of education, health, finance, and the environment.

Mission Statement
CUDA's mission is to promote holistic wellbeing among vulnerable urban populations. CUDA networks resources and carries out programs that empower sustainable improvement in individual, family, and community quality of life.

As an added incentive...Dave and I will match (dollar for dollar) any CUDA loans people make after reading this post up to $200 by making a micro loan of our own.  Because it's a microloan program, you should receive your money back. As with any loan, there is a chance of default (the compliance part of me feels like I should say this).  But, their repayment rates are high and the program has a proven track record. 

If you are interested in making a loan and qualifying for this "match," just send me an email or Facebook message on my Facebook page.  Thanks for considering this opportunity and know there is absolutely no pressure at all from me to do this; I won't think worse of anyone who doesn't make a loan. But I do hope that you take action to help resolve inequity wherever you might see it in your own sphere of the world.