Going forward, we will be continuing our efforts to educate the country and fundraise for microfinance as a means to fight poverty through annual MicroBike events. Now everyone can participate in their own ride; you pick the location, distance and team. Then you can join other teams across the country in supporting microfinance. See ACCION's website,www.microbike.org, for all of the details and to register your team to pedal against poverty. We are excited to continue our partnership and support for ACCION, who continues to lead the world in promoting the development of microfinance institutions around the world.
Microfinance is a technique to promote human rights and development that gives the poor the opportunity to help themselves. Over half of the world is isolated from the traditional banking system. Among these people, hundreds of millions of microentrepreneurs thrive in starting very small businesses. Unlike rich-world entrepreneurs, these people are not looking to strike it rich, they just want to feed their family. However, none of them have the money they need to grow their business. ACCION and other microfinance institutions have demonstrated over the last 40 years that just a little bit of investment in microentreprenuers can be a valuable investment in improving the world.
Visit ACCION's website to learn more about microfinance and to hear stories from microentrepreneurs who have been able to begin their escape from poverty by taking advantage of the opportunity provided by microfinance. For another great educational resource on microfinance, visit Microfinance Information Exchange.
In June 2008, six young men left Darien, CT beginning a 63 day adventure on their way to San Francisco. By reaching out to friends and families, they raised $34,000 for an ACCION project in Ghana. They were inspired by their goal to contribute to the fight to end poverty, and throughout the trip, they found themselves overwhelmed by the generosity and character of the people they met. To see pictures and browse the old website, click here.