Well there is only 2 1/2 hours left till the end of the blogathon. I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. The ride has been an interesting one with some definite ups and downs. The greatest peaks were when I received an email from Plan saying that someone had donated to our charity of choice for the blogathon. I would like to take a second to thank each and every donor who took the time and effort. The following is a list of people who helped us raise an amazing $1,481. This money will go along way in N’Gouruba and will make the lives of it’s residents brighter.

When we arrive in N’Gouraba they entire village is out to greet us. We are early even, but they are waiting diligently. The road is completely lined with people of all ages and the Hunters greet us with music and strange dancing. I say strange because it is totally random free-form movement and they’re snickering and joking around with one another.

My good friend kc and I went on a pretty nuts trip this past May. It was a whirlwind that started with Amanda and I spending a week on the beach in Mexico followed by London, Bamako, Casablanca, Paris, and Lyon with the main purpose of the trip to get our boots on the ground in Mali, make sure things were going well, and to see where we could further get things done.

Posted by Dario Meli
* This blog post is part of Invoke’s participation in the 2008 Vancouver Blogathon for Charity

5. It isn’t a handout (lender) - From a lender’s perspective microfinance is excellent because you get to directly effect somebody’s effort to better their lives. And once you have aided in bettering the community you get your money back so you can do it all over again! With just $25 you can continually lend to new, enterprising individuals. This is seriously rewarding. Start now.

4. It isn’t a handout (recipient) - People who work hard and earn the things they have are more responsible with them than those who simply receive a handout. This is not a new concept. Having a sense of empowerment and control over your destiny is an exceptional motivator.

3. Women - An overwhelming number (97%) of participants/recipients in global microfinance are women. This suggests microfinance helps to correct discrimination in capital markets.

2. Loan repayment rates - According to kiva.org’s records the loan repayment rate is 98.3% (default rate: 1.7%). Grameen Bank’s default rate is 2%. This is far superior when compared against the 60-90% default rates in some of the same region’s commercial sectors. It also bests default rates in the United States which is approximately 4%.

1. Anybody can participate - It has never been easier for average individuals to make a difference. Take 4 minutes to setup a Kiva account now and change the world!

5 Reasons Microfinance Is Excellent

Posted by Dario Meli
* This blog post is p

For the blogathon Invoke chose to work with a global partner, Plan Canada, to receive the fruits of our fundraising efforts. This is primarily due to the fact that i can largely control where the money actually goes and get the opportunity to see first hand the impact it has because, as a Trustee of Lochmaddy Foundation, we work closely with Plan.