TMF arranges women's small business loan program
(December 2005)
While in Ethiopia in December 2005, Karel and Bob Waltermire launched a program to loan women in the town of Dinsho, Ethiopia, money to start their own businesses. TMF is funding the project and is partnering with a small non-profit organization in Addis Ababa, the Association for Sustainable Peace and Social Progress, which will provide a coordinator to run the program and monitor the funding.
In the initial stages, the coordinator will meet with the political leaders of Dinsho to advise them of the project and then begin the search for prospective women. The women will be selected from among the "poorest of the poor" in the community. In addition, they must demonstrate some motivation, assertiveness, and learning ability. It is anticipated it will take at least one year before the success of the program can be measured.