Wellshire Church partners with KIVA, an international program committed to alleviating poverty and creating opportunity through interpersonal lending. Wellshire Microfinance is open to all, so please feel free to join and contribute! "... what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" -- Micah 6:8
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Club 45 Ventures into Microfinance
Club 45, Wellshire's fellowship group for fourth and fifth graders, will make choices how to invest $100 with Kiva at their next get-together (Sunday, March 4 at 4:30 pm). Please contact Holly Inglis, Wellshire's Church Educator, for more information at 303-758-2233, ext. 115.
New Loan Recipients: February 2012
Wellshire Microfinance is thrilled to announce new recipients of KIVA loans:
- Faroles de Esperanza 6 Group | Dominican Republic | Retail
- Manuel Antonio | Nicaragua | Agriculture
- Otto Elmer | Nicaragua | Jewelry
- Noel | Nicaragua | Agriculture
- Carolyne Alusa Mbogo | Kenya | Beauty School
- La Cuadrita De Mi Barrio Group | Paraguay | Sewing
- Chola | Zambia | Services
- Tawopaneh Group | Sierra Leone | Food Market
- Sovan Pho | Cambodia | Fishing
- Chanthou Suon | Cambodia | Vehicle
- Josephine | Liberia | Fish Selling
February 9: Equivalent of one KIVA loan repaid!
On February 9, the Wellshire Microfinance Group received a total of $25 of repayment from several of their loan recipients, allowing them to make their first loan with reinvested funds.
The First Wellshire Microfinance KIVA loan
On Wednesday, September 28, the Wellshire Microfinance Group placed its first loan. Click here to learn more about the loan and its recipient, Rocio, a 19-year-old Peruvian artisan.
The Early Days of the Wellshire Church + KIVA Partnership
Dan Zuchegno, Wes Smits and Glen MacCallum, of Wellshire's Global and Local Ministries, were the original proponents of Kiva who encouraged Wellshire's participation. Then, Rev. Dr. Pattie Kitchen, Wellshire's Associate Pastor for Mission and Outreach (and the most active Twitter user on Wellshire's staff), noticed some key tweets about Kiva in September 2011:
- "(The webinar) was very informative & made me even more confident in my support of @Kiva," @Kiva lender Brad Norman
- @Kiva celebrates #LaborDay in the US w/ economic expansion. #microfinance @kivanola
- Jen T (@zenfuntravel)
#WhyIKiva I first made 6 loans & have reinvested the same 6 $25 loans 22 times. Have not missed the $ & celebrate each new business growth!
Microfinance is broadly defined as the lending of small amounts, particularly to low-income individuals or collectives who may not have access to traditional banking modes, often for the purpose of helping a new business venture. A group interested in exploring microfinance as a ministry of Wellshire, with Rev. Kitchen's input and findings, gathered to discuss the best approach and guiding principles.
The early meetings of the Wellshire Microfinance Group resulted in these goals:
- to introduce Wellshire's Youth into microfinance ministry
- to lend to people in countries actively supported by Wellshire's Global Service Ministries and by other global partnerships with which Wellshire is involved (such as Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver)
- through all endeavors, building toward substantive international relationships, economic progress, and sustainability, while spurring on faith development for the members of Wellshire.
- In 2011, Wellshire and/or Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver partner countries included
- Nepal
- Kenya
- Macedonia
- Nicaragua
- Haiti
- Russia
- Zimbabwe
- Guatemala
- Bangladesh
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