Finding the 'right' microfinance partner

Lendwithcare on location in Ecuador

Entrepreneur: Leonor Zhingre

© CARE

When describing to a friend recently how lendwithcare works she responded ‘so it’s a bit like an online dating website for charities?’ A comparison that I instantly felt like rejecting yet one which made me think: As life in developed countries becomes more and more digitalised, whether it be how we find love, complete daily chores like food shopping, or indeed how we give to charity, are face-to-face interactions becoming a waste of time?

Microfinance is changing minds - and lives



© CARE/ Emilie Bailey

For a negative story about aid, you don’t have to look far. The media is quick to cover stories of piracy, corruption and misplaced money. Such stories encourage the public to accept that development fosters dependency, lacks accountability and wastes money. The British public can be misled by the prominence given to stories that generate such controversy. But many positive stories are there, and rarely given the coverage they warrant. One story almost unheard of in the public sphere is the story of microfinance.

Small Initiative, Lasting Impact

Vasantamma © CARE/Hema Padmanaban

A Guest Blog from CARE India

Meet Vasantamma: a feisty 45 years old woman from a small village in Andhra Pradesh and a successful entrepreneur. She has found an equal footing in her family. After patiently bearing years of hardship and domestic discord she can now hold up her head high. Her opinion is now sought in her family and she is looked upon with respect in the family and the community. Just five years ago, her husband would beat her up after drinking alcohol. Many times they could not even afford two square meals a day.

I Lend Therefore I Am

A New Blog Series

© CARE/Emilie Bailey

If we identify ourselves through our thoughts, how much more do we through our actions? We are always inspired to find out why our lenders take action and lend. One such lender said quite simply ‘I lend therefore I am’. Catchy phrase it may be, but there is a philosophy behind this that resonates with our lenders.

People choose to lendwithcare for many different reasons. For some it is an act of humanitarianism or a matter of combatting materialism, others are driven by their faith. Women want to help other women; entrepreneurs want to help other entrepreneurs. In this blog series, we hope to discuss some of these and would love to hear from you if you would like to as well. If you are interested in writing a guest blog about why you lend, get in touch.

Sustainable Development: Interview with Lendwithcare's Microfinance Advisor, Dr Ajaz Khan



© CARE/Jon Spaull

It is one of the great paradoxes of the developing world. Those individuals in most need of banking services and credit are the most likely to lack sufficient collateral to support it.  In the past decade, there has been increasing focus on microfinance as a tool to alleviate poverty and sustain business models. Microfinance is not charity.  There is an increasing perception that charity perpetuates poverty whereas it is believed that microfinance can enable an individual to build on their skills and provide a sustainable method of improvement.

Lendwithcare.org recently launched in the United Kingdom.  It is an initiative from Care International UK in association with The Co-operative.  We speak to Dr. Ajaz Khan, CARE’s Microfinance Advisor, about microfinance, Lendwithcare.org and what you can do to get involved.

2012: New Year, New Plans





© CARE/Emilie Bailey

Will 2012 be able to trump the success of 2011?

Christmas really was the season of goodwill at CARE  International UK. For lendwithcare.org, December was our best month yet. With more than 1300 gift vouchers purchased in December alone, it is clear that our lenders wanted to pass on the pleasure of lending and the message of lendwithcare to friends and family this Christmas.

Microinsurance: A safety net for the poor?



© CARE/ Josh Estey



It is becoming widely acknowledged that the provision of financial services to the poor is critical in the fight to alleviate poverty. One such financial service, which has been implemented relatively widely and successfully throughout much of the developing world, is microcredit. However, access to credit alone is not enough to guarantee financial security or stability. After all, microfinance is not just the provision of small loans but the provision of a whole host of financial services and includes microsavings, money transfer and microinsurance as well.