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| Yunus, father of microcredit, to speak at 2012 RI
Convention | Microcredit is an impressive element of vocational service that encourages entrepreneurship while sustainably improving the economy. Nobel
Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, considered the father of microcredit, will be a keynote speaker at the 2012 RI Convention in Bangkok, Thailand. Yunus
began transforming lives while an economics professor at the University of Chittagong in Bangladesh. What started as personal microloans to poor women
in nearby villages grew into Grameen Bank, which today has more than 2,500 branches throughout the country. Grameen has helped launch or expand the
businesses of more than 8 million borrowers – 97 percent of them women. Yunus recently spoke with The Rotarian magazine. Read an excerpt of the
interview. |
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Microcredit projects around the world |  In many ways, microcredit and vocational service go
hand in hand. Microcredit encourages entrepreneurship, creates job growth, and strengthens local economies, enabling community residents to seek out
better lives for themselves and their families. Here are some ways Rotary clubs are developing micro-lending programs: - The Rotary Club of Alexandria Sporting, Egypt provides microcredit
loans to women supporting large families. The first loans were given to 20 entrepreneurs and were paid back over the course of the year, making the
program independently sustainable. The club also runs sewing workshops and literacy classes for low-income women. The program was recently featured in
the March issue of The Rotarian.
- The
Rotarian Action Group for Microcredit is working with the Foundation for Women to develop a microcredit program in Liberia. The first phase of the project
provided 470 poor women in Liberia with US$100 loans. The second phase will see an expansion of the project in new areas of Liberia.
- The
Rotary clubs of Mahabouddha Patan, Nepal and Branchburg, New Jersey, USA are working with Friends of Nepal New Jersey (FONNJ) to run a microcredit
program for women in Lalitpur. Women participate on various levels -- some are given goats to raise, some receive chickens, and others are taught to
farm vegetables. Watch a YouTube video the club made about their
work.
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Have you worked on a microcredit project? | | In our last issue, we asked what the Code of Conduct means to you in your professional lives. This
month, we want to hear what you think about microcredit projects and how they work. Join the discussion on LinkedIn and share your experiences. Please
note that you must be a member of the Official Rotary International
LinkedIn group to view the discussion. |
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| Broadcast your project with Rotary Showcase | |
A new social media application makes it possible for you to share information about your
club’s service projects with the Rotary community and your Facebook friends. Show photos and videos, list partner clubs, and specify the funds
you’ve raised and hours you’ve volunteered. More information coming soon! |
| Learn more about
Rotary and microcredit |  The Rotarian Action Group for
Microcredit is a group of Rotarians, Rotarians’ family members, and Rotaractors who create dynamic partnerships to end poverty through
microcredit. Visit their website for microcredit news and
to learn how to start your own project.- Rotarians in District 6040 (Missouri, USA), have recently put together itsrotary.com, a weekly podcast featuring Rotary news from around
the world. Check out the 13 February podcast about microcredit programs, featuring Rotarian Madu Bishnu. Listen to the podcast here.
- Rotary has a strategic
partnership with Oikocredit International, a Netherlands-based cooperative financial institution that promotes socially responsible
investing. If your club is part of the Future Vision pilot, consider partnering to develop a microfinance program. Learn more about Rotary’s partnership with
Oikocredit.
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Vocational Service Update is Available in Seven
Languages | | Good
news! The Vocational Service Update and Rotary Service Update are now available in English, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean,
Portuguese, and Spanish. Contact Rotary....@Rotary.org if you’d like to receive this
newsletter in a language other than English. |
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Vocational Service Update provides information and resources to help Rotarians practice vocational service in their
professional lives and through club activities. If you have questions, comments, or vocational service project stories to recommend for inclusion in a
future edition, contact us at rotary....@rotary.org. |
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