“Relief International (RI), an international relief and development agency with cross-sectoral programs bridging relief and development, currently seeks a Microfinance & Program Development Intern

Position Summary:
Under the supervision of the Program Development Director, assist in the process of institutionalizing RI’s microfinance programming, contributes to the development of the RI response in Haiti, as well as departmental research and proposal development requirements.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:
-Develop reporting system and benchmarks for microfinance programming
-Support specialized research and program development projects
-Create and/update contract and budget templates
-Support administrative needs of PD department (filing, etc.)
-Assist PD staff members as needed
-Assist in writing and editing project proposals

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS:
This position demands a dynamic individual with a demonstrated ability to achieve results in a demanding and fast paced environment.
-Microfinance knowledge/background – required
-Strong oral and written communication skills
-15-40 hours weekly; M-F varied schedule
-Professional demeanor
-Computer literacy (Excel, in particular) and thorough internet knowledge
-General knowledge of world affairs and international/intergovernmental institutions
-Strong interpersonal skills, ability to work independently, as well as part of a team
-Second language preferred

Salary:  Unpaid, monthly transportation stipend and academic credit available.

Application Procedure: To be considered for this recruitment, please submit a cover letter and resume with the date of availability to intern@ri.org .  The email subject line should include the following: Microfinance & PD Intern-DC.”

Source: Devex.com

Here’s a great post by Ryan Calkins over at SeaMO about an interview with Premal Shah, the president of Kiva, and what his expectations are for the next 5 years:

As I’ve mentioned, I’m headed to Ghana on October 23rd to volunteer with Lumana Credit for a month. Of course I’m well aware of Lumana Credit, but if any myKRO.org readers know any individuals or organizations in the microfinance industry based in Ghana – I’d love your help to connect with them. My good friend Sloane Berrent, who is no stranger to microfinance having been a Kiva Fellow in the Phillipines, will be there as well for some of my stay and we’d like to get as many different perspectives as possible on microfinance, and that means talking to as many individuals & organizations with an interest in microfinance as physically possible.

Any pointers or introductions you can provide would be great appreciated!

Salma Hayek Pinault Serving as Honorary Chair at November 1st Event
The Weberg Foundation and Whole Food Market’s Whole Planet Foundation Honored

Pro Mujer, an international development organization that provides women in Latin America with the means to build livelihoods for themselves and futures for their families through an integrated approach of microfinance, business  training and healthcare, today announced the celebration of empowering Latin American women at its annual “Giving Women Credit” benefit. Mexican actress, director, producer and humanitarian, Salma Hayek Pinault will serve as Honorary Chair of the event which will be held on Monday, November 1st, 2010 at the Mandarin Oriental in New York.

“Giving Women Credit” is Pro Mujer’s largest fundraiser of the year with proceeds going to help women in Latin America gain access to microfinance, business and empowerment training and healthcare.

At this year’s event, Pro Mujer will recognize The Weberg Foundation for its commitment to supporting important social causes through its philanthropic initiatives. In addition, Pro Mujer will honor Whole Food Market’s Whole Planet Foundation for their commitment to empower the poor living in developing communities in Latin America that supply Whole Foods Market stores with products.

Rosario Pérez, Chief Executive Officer for Pro Mujer, said, “As Pro Mujer celebrates its 20th anniversary providing women in Latin America with a sustainable way to lift themselves out of poverty, we are delighted to honor The Weberg Foundation and Whole Food Market’s Whole Planet Foundation; organizations committed to poverty alleviation in developing communities around the world. We are also delighted to have Salma Hayek Pinault, a Pro Mujer supporter and a devoted humanitarian, serve as our Honorary Chair. We are thrilled to have such steadfast partners as we continue to reach underserved women in Latin America.”

Salma Hayek Pinault added, “I am honored to serve as the Honorary Chair for Pro Mujer’s annual ‘Giving Women Credit’ benefit as they celebrate this wonderful milestone. As a woman and a mother, I believe all women should have access to the tools they need to succeed and give their families a brighter future. For the past 20 years, Pro Mujer has dedicated itself to empowering women to transform their lives and those of their children and families; a mission which is dear to my heart.

Gail Bradley, a representative for the The Weberg Foundation added, “Pro Mujer’s approach to empowering poor women in Latin America through financial, social and healthcare services is both innovative and sustainable. We are proud of the impact Pro Mujer has on the lives of women and their families and look forward to supporting them in their continued success.”

Lee Valkenaar, Co-Chairman of the Whole Planet Foundation, said, “Whole Planet Foundation is honored to be recognized by such a wonderful organization such as Pro Mujer, which operates in four of the countries around the world where Whole Foods Market sources product. We look forward to continuing our long-standing relationship with Pro Mujer and working together to break the cycle of poverty.”

Those interested in purchasing tickets to attend Pro Mujer’s “Giving Women Credit” benefit should call Susan Martin of Thomas Martin Events at (212) 972-2268 or click here.

About Pro Mujer
Pro Mujer is a women’s development and microfinance organization that provides poor women in Latin America with an integrated package of financial services, healthcare, and training to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. Pro Mujer delivers these services through communal banks, or peer groups, of 20-30 women who support each other and guarantee each other’s loans. With small loans, healthcare, and training, along with group support, women are empowered to become agents of change in their families and communities.

Established in 1990, Pro Mujer has a presence in Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru. In the last 20 years, Pro Mujer has disbursed more than US$885 million in small loans, and provided healthcare and training to more than 1 million women and their 5 million children and family members. Pro Mujer is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. For more information, please visit, www.promujer.org

“This position manages and develops the Council’s internal operations and technology so as to provide support to the Council’s programs, staff and Board of Trustees. The Database and Office Manager serves as the internal operations and MIS (Management Information System) hub and reports to the President/CEO. As part of the Senior Management team, this position plays a key operations role in the Council’s organizational development.  The position works with vendors and acts as a project manager on various initiatives, as well as recruits and supervises 2-3 interns/work-study students each academic quarter in the accomplishment of the goals of the position. On a day to day basis, the primary purpose of the position is to effectively manage administrative, human resource, finance and technology functions of the World Affairs Council, and the processing of memberships, sales, event registrations and list devel0pment.
Position Goals

• Manage the organization’s database and processing incoming funds.
• Ensure that the database and related systems are configured and utilized in ways that
• maximize Council goals.
• Oversee Finance, Human Resource and Administration functions of the Council.
• Ensure that the Council has a stable computer network and applications environment
• which supports the work of the staff.

Position Responsibilities

-Manage the organization’s database and processing incoming funds.

• Manage processing of memberships, including gift acknowledgments.
• Support and track the results of the reoccurring email/mail membership
• campaign
• Oversee processing of event registration, ensuring the process is up-to-date on a
• daily basis and communicating with core business units.
• Process gifts and sales through the database.
• Complete daily reports of money received by check or credit card, making sure all
• batches are closed and balanced.
• Develop 3-5 lists of various parameters from the database each month as needed
• (i.e. all renewed members within past 2 months, etc.)

-Ensure that the database and related systems are configured and utilized in ways that
maximize Council goals.

• Manage database updates and ensure that data is up-to-date and clean
• Oversee the Council database and network, including report running,
• troubleshooting, staff training and manual updating – liaising with technicians as
• needed;
• Oversee up-to-date reconciliation of Council e-newsletter subscriptions in the
• Council database and Constant Contact
• Support the Council’s development goals by working with database technicians
• to coordinate database reports and programming.
• Ensure the website is maintained, updated and its use maximized for
• stakeholders

-Oversee basic Finance, Human Resource and Administration functions of the Council:
a. Finance

• Reconcile financial documents (VeriSign reports and database reports, bill
• payment, etc) for processing by the part-time Finance Director.
• Reconcile the Council’s monthly Credit Card bill with receipts and fill our report
• for payment.
• Manage financial filing together with Administration Team.
• Support for Council wide budget development, reporting on costs and, together
• with the President/CEO, researching budget amounts
• Manage equipment and supply costs
• Manage communication and invoicing to subtenants and collect subtenant rent
• monthly

b. Human Resources

• Together with Senior Management Team, manage new hire and orientation
• processes for staff; including position advertising, application management,
• applicant screening, interview scheduling, correspondence with candidates,
• preparation of new hire benefits package, and orientation for new staff on basic
• office functions and technology norms.
• Manage benefits and personnel files for staff.
• Act as a liaison between Employee Benefits providers and employees.
• Lead internship application process, coordinate office intern schedule, maintain
• internship files, manage intern recruitment, appreciation, and, together with
• Internship Coordinator, support and conduct internship training.
• Act as liaison between outside partners and staff.

c. Administration

• Manage Office Administration Team, including Administrative Assistant and/or
• administrative interns for identified projects for which s/he would develop a
• Scope of Work.
• Oversee daily processing of paper and electronic mail.
• Manage office voicemail system and oversee daily check of general voicemail.
• Oversee office supply inventory and ordering.
• Ensure that all office operations files and archives are organized and current.
• Maintain key organization documents.
• Manage Council-wide reporting schedule, report finalization and
• distribution to staff and Board.
• Update and coordinate disaster recovery plan

-Ensure that the Council has a stable computer network and applications environment which

• supports the staff, membership and board:
• Manage standard settings and locks on all Council computers
• Work with senior management team to ensure stable computer network and plan
• for technology improvements
• Support staff with computer troubleshooting and solution brainstorming; consult
• outside technologies partners when necessary
• Manage daily, weekly, and monthly server/website back-up
• Coordinate server file clean-up

The World Affairs Council is committed to a diverse workplace.
Starting Salary: $39,000 – $41,000 per year.
Benefits: The World Affairs Council offers health and dental coverage, life insurance, short-term and long-term disability coverage, and the ORCA card for public transportation.
To apply: Send resume and cover letter to: Bipasana Joshee, Database and Office Manager, at bjoshee@world-affairs.org. Please, no phone calls.
Application Deadline: October 19th, 2010.”

Source: International Political Economy

MFI Connect is an organization that educates students of microfinance for thoughtful and productive lives and careers in the industry. The organization pursues this mission by providing microfinance education courses, innovative fundraising campaigns, in-field exposure programs, ground-breaking discussion, and access to competitive job opportunities.  Over the last year, the MFI Connect network has grown to include over 1,100 students, 37 groups, and over 150 universities in 60 countries!

MFI Connect provides online networking and discussion facilities, and supports the Microfinance Simulcast Class by Professor Sean Foot of UC Berkeley. In April, MFI Connect organized the first international student delegation to participate in the 2010 Africa Microfinance Summit in Nairobi, Kenya. There we hosted private student gatherings with Professor Muhammad Yunus, Sir Fazel Abed, and Ingrid Monroe, and ran an associated session about student potential in microfinance. Finally, they have partnered with Campus Kiva to organize the first annual Student Microfinance Summit, which will take place in February at the University of Princeton.

With the rapid growth and recognition of microfinance worldwide, and the momentum of MFI Connect in our first year, the leadership team at MFI Connect is thrilled to hit the ground running on future initiatives. In order to better serve you in supporting microfinance and alleviating poverty, they need your help. The following link is for an 8-question survey, designed to give the MFI Connect Team a better idea of what microfinance students, practitioners and enthusiasts need. This information will help us decide how to proceed with the numerous potential projects that we are currently exploring.

Fill out the survey here or visit MFI Connect for more info.

Here’s another job opening in the UK at Opportunity International:

“Opportunity International is a pioneer and global leader in providing microfinance and training to people living in poverty across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. Microfinance gives poor people access to basic financial services, including small loans, savings, insurance and business training. This empowers them to develop a small business, which provides an income and the dignity of work, and gives them a chance to work their way out of poverty.

In a world where many still have to survive on less than £2 a day, Opportunity International UK is responding by committing to raise £25 million by 2013. This will give 1 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa access to microfinance. We are looking to appoint a Director of Philanthropy and Strategic Partnerships who will provide essential leadership towards this goal.

Reporting to the Chief Executive, the Director of Philanthropy and Strategic Partnerships will build, position and present Opportunity International to high net worth philanthropic partners. You will create enriching and transformational opportunities for these partners and their organisations to become valued stakeholders in our work.

Opportunity International UK and its network of partners are Christian organisations. Candidates will need to understand, value and appreciate the Christian ethos that underpins our vision, mission and objectives.

For further information on how to apply for this post, please visit www.perrettlaver.com/candidates quoting reference 0786. The deadline for applications is midday on Monday 8th November 2010.”

Source: ThirdSectorJobs.com

Trickle Up, an international poverty alleviation organization that empowers people living on less than $1.25 a day to take the first steps out of poverty, has released a documentary that profiles the impact of its work and the people it affects.

“The Test of Poverty” follows two women living in extreme poverty in West Bengal, India, as they participate in Trickle Up’s program and work to change the effects that generations of poverty have had on their families’ lives. The film shows that addressing the needs of the ultra poor – those living on less than $1.25 day – involves more than just providing them with capital, and must be viewed through a wider lens. The film also captures the powerful effects that increased self-confidence and empowerment that come from participating in Trickle Up’s program have in helping women break the vicious cycle of extreme poverty.

As the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty approaches on October 17th, “The Test of Poverty” underscores the theme designated by the United Nations: “From Poverty to Decent Work: bridging the gap.” According to the UN, this day of observance comes at a time when people living in poverty are even more uncertain about employment stability, working conditions, training opportunities and the availability of social protection.

“The Test of Poverty” was directed by Gautam Bose and produced with support from the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), which is spearheading a global effort to understand how safety nets, livelihoods, and microfinance can be sequenced to create pathways for the poorest to graduate out of extreme poverty.

Trickle Up takes a comprehensive approach to addressing the needs of the ultra poor. The organization provides seed capital, training and savings support to kick-start microenterprises and create a savings habit that endures. The grants buy things like tools, seeds and fertilizer, and goats—assets that help build income and stability. The savings groups work like community banks; the members save money, make loans to each other, and pay interest that grows the group fund. In 2009 alone, Trickle Up served over 10,000 new participants. Each new or expanded enterprise impacts five lives, which means over 55,000 lives have been touched.

“The Test of Poverty” shows how Trickle Up helps the ultra poor holistically and with lasting results. Filmmaker Gautam Bose, who has been making films for over 25 years, directed “The Test of Poverty.” Based in Kolkata, India, Bose uses film to help people from diverse backgrounds communicate effectively with one another.

In addition to being launched on Trickle Up’s newly redesigned interactive website, “The Test of Poverty” will be distributed widely via online channels such as YouTube and other social and media sharing sites. Trickle Up will also submit the film to 2011 film festivals to more widely raise awareness of the needs of the ultra poor.

Here is the video:

About Trickle Up
Trickle Up empowers people living on less than $1.25 a day to take the first steps out of poverty, providing them with resources to build microenterprises for a better quality of life. In partnership with local agencies, Trickle Up provides business training and seed capital grants to launch or expand a microenterprise and savings support to build assets. Trickle Up works in five countries throughout Asia, West Africa and Central America.

For those in the San Francisco Bay Area, celebrate with Kiva on their 5th birthday on October 13 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.  Tickets are on sale now and going fast!  There will be remarks by Matt Flannery and Premal Shah, along with music, dancing, and a chance to meet Kiva employees and fellows.  For those in the New York City area, the Kiva New York lending team is hosting a party at Royale in Alphabet City.

From their first loan in Uganda in 2005, all the way to today’s 250,000+ loans to entrepreneurs and students on five continents, Kiva has travelled a long road the past five years.  Here are some words for Kiva to help celebrate:

“These past five years the Kiva community has empowered countless families and communities. For our birthday, we’d love nothing more than to spread the word to even more new lenders, so together we can reach even more borrowers… but we need your help to do it.  We’re asking you to invite five new lenders. If you do, you’ll not only help us positively impact more families and communities — you’ll also receive a $25 Kiva credit to loan to whomever you choose.”

On Friday morning, I visited Kito International here in Nairobi. I met with Wiclif Otieno, the co-founder of Kito International, and visited their office in the Kawangware community of Nairobi. Over the course of several hours, we talked at length about microfranchising, marketing ideas, Kito International, and life for youths in Kenya. Kito International is a relatively young organization focused on providing guidance and education to today’s street youth in Nairobi, who will be tomorrow’s up and coming entrepreneurs. Their focus is not on microfinance like many organizations we cover here on myKRO.org, but rather on microfranchising (more on microfranchising at Wikipedia). The 7 youths in their program spend half of every day working fulfilling orders for paper bags (photo below) and the other half of their day receiving training on topics such as banking and entrepreneurship. The average order size is 1,000 bags and it takes Kito 7 days to fulfill an order that size. At the end of each month, the teenagers receive a stipend that is enough to cover housing and food for the month, which keeps them off the streets and increasing their knowledge base as they grow. Microfranchising provides Kito a means to help the teenagers earn money without the personal risks and stress that would be inflicted on the youths if they took out their own loans from a microfinance institution.

I found both Wiclif and Joshua, another Kito employee who arrived later during my visit from a meeting with Accendo (their partner on the new lights they are about to start selling), extremely passionate about Kito’s mission — which is exactly what I like to see from those tackling today’s problems. The more passionate someone is, the more likely they are to succeed in my mind.

Below are a few photos from my visit:

WiClif and me outside Kito’s office

Here’s a photo with me and the 7 youths in Kito’s pilot program.

Here is a photo of the bags they currently sell, along with the new Accendo lights they are just about to begin to offer to residents of their community.

For those that want to learn more about Kito International, check out their website and their Tumblr Blog.

Also, before I wrap this up, I have to thank Maria Springer (Kito’s other co-founder based in Los Angeles) for connecting me with Wiclif and Joshua.

For those with experience with microfranchising, please leave your comments below regarding how you’ve seen it used — either successfully or unsuccessfully.