FINCA provides financial services to the world's poorest families so they can create their own jobs, raise household incomes, and improve their standard of living. We deliver these services through a global network of locally managed, self-supporting institutions.  For more information on FINCA please visit our website:  http://www.villagebanking.org/

This year, FINCA's founder John Hatch, along with myself, Noah Fishman, a student of sociology, have embarked on a pilot project to see about establishing a microfinance program for street-based youth.  I spent 7 months in Tanzania working closely with our local affiliate FINCA Tanzania along with some other key organizations working with youth in Tanzania.  We have founded two groups, one made up of young men and the other of young women.  These youth have been struggling for their lives, disconnected from their families and looking for a way to sustain themselves without depending on charitable institutions to provide for their daily needs.  Although we have just 16 clients at this point, the project is already showing signs of success.  The girls group is at 100% repayment and is on track to receive a second loan.  They have started small-scale businesses ranging from selling food products on the streets, to tailoring and selling clothing and fabric.  They are excited about receiving their next loan in order to expand their businesses and maybe get some more members in their loan group (street village bank).  The boys are struggling to come together in their village bank but some have managed to maintain high repayment rates while others are not.  While we continue looking at ways we can support the male groups, we are seeing clearly that the girls are clearly able to achieve great success in this program.  They have expressed new hope and optimism and see for the first time a future where they can provide for themselves without having to go to the streets to sell their bodies, or going to perform abusive and demeaning domestic labor.  

This project is developing and in its beginning stages.  We are very optimistic about the future of all of this but we need support for this to continue.  If you are interested in supporting us to expand and continue offering youth a means of sustaining themselves please contact me, Noah Fishman, at nfishman@wooster.edu.  Also, if you would like more information or have ideas to share with me please don't hesitate to write.  

Thank You,

Noah