GreenMicrofinancing

J2008 Tech Awards TONIGHT!  Join a Live Webcast   7:00 pm PST

Mr. D. Vidya Sagar, Director of SKG Sangha, INDIA, is part of an esteemed group of 2008 Tech Laureates, who were selected from hundreds of nominations representing 68 countries.  Today, twenty-five innovators from around the world, recognized for developing and applying technology to benefit humanity, will receive the 2008 Tech Award in San Jose, California.  

These Laureates have developed new technological solutions or innovative ways to use existing technologies to significantly improve the lives of people around the world.  This year, the 2008 Laureates represent the truly global vision of the program, spanning countries such as Senegal, Peru, Hungary, Canada, Namibia, Germany, Egypt, India, United Kingdom, Laos and the United States. Their work impacts people in many more countries worldwide.

Professor Muhammad Yunus, pioneer of microcredit and founder of Grameen Bank, is the recipient of the 2008 James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award. Dr. Yunus will accept this distinguished honor during The Tech Awards Gala tonight! 

GreenMicrofinance team welcomes Mr. D. Vidya Sagar, this coming weekend to Philadelphia as our guest.  On Saturday evening, we are hosting an event, Harnessing Clean Energy to Microfinance: Waste is Wealth, during which Mr. Sagar will be sharing on biogas technologies that address a range of issues including energy, sanitation, poverty, health, and education.  Please check Betsy Teutsch's blog post for more information on our First Delaware Valley Event.   

Over the past days we have been video-taping various folks here at the conference. I had the privilege to meet and chat with Ingrid Munro founder of JamiiBoro in Kenya, a member organization that works with and uplifts street beggars.

The story of those who have been supported by JamiiBoro is an inspiration – whether through microfinance program or through her housing program and Levuka, a program for alcoholics. Another amazing initiative is Kaputei Town, a housing initiative for some 2,000 families, that will provide employment, housing, and a safe environment in which to live. Ingrid was able to secure around 290 acres of prime land in Kisaju for this project.

Beyond the conversation of our work over the past 28 years with the poor, two white-haired grandmothers here at the Summit shared stories of our children and grandchildren.

Ingrid has 5 children, some of whom were adopted.  My oldest son and his wife from Vermont are adopting Poojah, an Indian six year old girl who was abandoned in the streets of New Delhi two years ago. She will be my eighth grandchild and will be well loved.  As I encounter street beggars and children again, I will always be reminded of both Ingrid’s work and Poojah’s early years.

Today was a breakthrough!  Since 2002, GreenMicrofinance has been participating and leading panels on microfinance and the environment at various Microcredit Summit gatherings- Bangladesh 2004; Chile 2005, Halifax 2006, and today in Bali. 

During today's session on Microfinance, Their Clients, and Clean Energy: Making a Positive Impact on the Environment there was a definite shift in interest and ‘energy' around the topic.  THE LIGHTS ARE ON!

Craig Wilson from The Foundation for Development Cooperation based in Australia and my colleague, Kathleen Robbins from GreenMicrofinance, provided a macro overview of moving forward with clean energy and the microfinance.   

We then shifted to the local perspective.  Paul Thomas, Founder and Exective Director,  Evangelical Social Action Forum (ESAF), India, and Chitta Ranjan Chaki, Deputy General Manager, Grameen Shakti, Bangladesh, both provided very comprehensive overviews of their clean energy initiatives.  

ESAF in partnership with GreenMicrofinance (and Microenergy International) is developing a clean energy lending program; they recently completed a market survey of 1,200 clients in four States in which they work.  A couple of highlights from the survey include:

• Majority of these people use firewood for cooking purposes; even if they do have LPG connections they prefer to use firewood stoves (comparatively cheaper source)
• Waste generated in each household could be processed to produce renewable clean energy.

One can't help but be impressed with the work of Grameen Shakti, which incorporated in 1996, and which provides energy services in remote rural areas of Bangladesh. GS sells, installs, and maintains solar photovoltaic systems, and has biogas, solar thermal, and wind programs.  

The session was very well attended with about 45 participants from government, NGOs, energy service providers, national banks, advocacy groups, and microfinance institutions.  We invited the group to post on this blog some of their thoughts and questions to further the dialogue on this panel theme.   

From my own perspective, I think we need to clearly identify our vision within the microfinance sector, continue to develop innovative solutions, and promote champions (like Paul Thomas and Chitta Chaki), who will reenergize communities to work together to conserve our natural environment and to promote environmental justice.  

On the way to the opening ceremony, Dan and I had a discussion with several people from UDDIPAN . I had a chance to chat with Sawkat Ali Talukder, Deputy Director.   UDDIPAN, in Bangladesh (based in Dhaka), reaches 300,000 clients, has nearly 3,000 employees, and was founded in 1986. Approximately 20% of the clients have no electricity.  They plan on integrating a solar energy progam in the future, perhaps 1 or 2 years from now.

It was encouraging to hear during the opening ceremony several comments by dignitaries regarding the food and fuel crisis. Dr. Boediono, governor of Bank Indonesia, mentioned that food and energy prices on a global scale have escalated and we need to recalibrate our priorities in the microfinance field. Dr. Yunus also said:

"The climate condition and environmental degradation of the world makes it difficult to achieve the Millennium Development Goals"

How do we come up with solutions within the microcredit field to address this food and fuel crisis, and at the same time reduce poverty?  Share your thoughts.

I am home! After a long flight yesterday, Kathleen and I made our way in a taxi through the streets of Nusa Dua from the airport to our hotel. The warm balmy night air and smell of the ocean in Bali felt as if I were back in Commonwealth of Dominica - and at the same time the all-familiar ride weaving through the street with thousands of motor scooters alongside the little roadside kiosks brought me back to my time in India and Nepal.

Dan, Kathleen, and I have been warmly welcomed by our hosts at the Microcredit Summit Campaign, as well as by Sam Daley-Harris and Professor Yunus. We had lunch at a beach-side café with Denise Hughes, a public relations associate who has worked with the Summit Campaign for ten years. With a strong interest in the environment, she would like to join Dan, Kathleen, and me as another blogger from Bali. We welcome her input over the next days.


Dan led Kathleen and me on an afternoon adventure trying to locate a business selling solar and wind systems that he discovered yesterday after his arrival in Bali. Our taxi driver finally caught a glimpse of SPI (Solar Power Indonesia) with its small wind turbine and solar panel on top of the complex building. Although SPI was closed, we hope to visit some of their installation sites.

As so many colleagues gather, I wonder as we look at microfinance over the next 10 years, what will be the most important drivers for the industry. We are interested in what others have to say and hope to post some responses over the next few days.

Thanks USAID microLINKS for this wonderful opportunity here in Bali.

We are thrilled that GreenMicrofinance has partnered with USAID MicroLinks  on this blog at the Summit. 

Dan Lundmark, Kathleen Robbins, and I from GMf are all about ready to head out to Bali.    We look forward to a lively Summit and to meeting you there.  For those attending, please look out for us as we welcome your questions and insights on microfinance, MFI clients, and clean energy.  (Can't miss my gray hair; Kathleen is 5'13"; Dan is our video guy!)