How do you think a microlending program may work in the United States versus a developing nation? How did you experiences in Belize help you draw these conclusions?
I think a microlending program in the United States wouldn't necessarily Not work, but it would operate much differently than a program in a developing nation. For instance, Belize has a smaller population which means less competition from large companies like Walmart. Loan money is targeted for small businesses, many of which are in the food industry, clothing, and agricultural industry. Loans in less developed economies have high success rates because it is easy for recepients to pay back their small loans and quickly turn a profit without much government involovement. In the United States beginning a small business requires more capital because there are more issues with licensing and paying taxes. In a developing nation a loan recipient could receive a relatively small amount of money that could go toward a building, or a piece of vital equipment that can transform a business. The same amount of money in the U.S. would not be able to buy a small building and therefore would not be able to support a new business. From my experiences in Belize I have not seen monopolized companies such as McDonald's, Walmart, etc. and this leaves a lot of room for small businesses to capture the small population without stepping on each other's toes.
If a microlending project were to work in the United States, it would have to be in an area with a low amount of large company competition and in an area with lower income levels. From what I saw in Belize, loan recipients are specially targeted because they are determined to pull their families out of poverty, so they do whatever it takes to make their business work in a community effort. Belize Enterprise for Sustainable Technology tailors their loans to their clients. The same customization would have to apply for a non profit group in the U.S. and it would require more money and more thought out business ideas to work around the competition but I do think it is possible.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Blog Entry 4
Compare your observations and experiences in Belize to your chosen major or discipline and career aspirations. Include at least two of your favorite photos from the trip.
-To begin, I am a business and economics major at Bellarmine which has taught me a lot about how a company operates and how to plan for the future. I observed numerous new techniques and ideas of how the non profit organization B.E.S.T. runs their business. BEST really tailors their business practices to the small time client that receives their loan. Whether it's making the application forms illiterate friendly, knowing the loan recipients through first hand experience, screening for the best possible clients, or deciding how to raise more capital, BEST knows the business. These techniques proved to me that there is no definite answer of how to run a company because it always depends on the situation. When our group got to experience how a client is interviewed for a loan, it made me feel like I was finally getting to use some of the skills I have been taught in college. For example, my business trained mind immediately started to weigh out risks of whether or not I believe a pig farm would be a good idea or not. My heart wanted me to give the family a loan for the obvious reason of helping someone in need but the business side of my mind said to analyze the situation more deeply. Unfortunately, the pig farming setup was not as planned out as I had hoped, but suggestions of having a more thought out financial plan made me believe that it had potential for success.
For myself, I would like to be an entrepreneur in the future which has its postives and negatives. On the positive side, owning a business gives you the power to control your own destiny which appeals to me. On the negative side, failure of the company is your responsibility which can make it risky. The Microfinace project is an excellent way to prepare myself for the future and get a first hand look at how a small business can be successful if the correct resources are in order. In fact, being involved with the group over the past few years has helped me decide on what type of job would fit me best. I would like to pursue a career in business consulting because I like to support small businesses, always have a changing venue, and I enjoy helping people help themselves. With all of these ideas in the back of my mind, my favorite pictures from the trip are when I operated the dangerous power saw, the Rotary lunch, and being on top of Xunantunich. Operating a saw reminds me of lending a physical hand to people in need, the Rotary reminds me to always think of people who need financial help, and being on top of Xunantunich reminds me that possibilities are endless when you work hard for something. Go Team Belize!
-To begin, I am a business and economics major at Bellarmine which has taught me a lot about how a company operates and how to plan for the future. I observed numerous new techniques and ideas of how the non profit organization B.E.S.T. runs their business. BEST really tailors their business practices to the small time client that receives their loan. Whether it's making the application forms illiterate friendly, knowing the loan recipients through first hand experience, screening for the best possible clients, or deciding how to raise more capital, BEST knows the business. These techniques proved to me that there is no definite answer of how to run a company because it always depends on the situation. When our group got to experience how a client is interviewed for a loan, it made me feel like I was finally getting to use some of the skills I have been taught in college. For example, my business trained mind immediately started to weigh out risks of whether or not I believe a pig farm would be a good idea or not. My heart wanted me to give the family a loan for the obvious reason of helping someone in need but the business side of my mind said to analyze the situation more deeply. Unfortunately, the pig farming setup was not as planned out as I had hoped, but suggestions of having a more thought out financial plan made me believe that it had potential for success.
For myself, I would like to be an entrepreneur in the future which has its postives and negatives. On the positive side, owning a business gives you the power to control your own destiny which appeals to me. On the negative side, failure of the company is your responsibility which can make it risky. The Microfinace project is an excellent way to prepare myself for the future and get a first hand look at how a small business can be successful if the correct resources are in order. In fact, being involved with the group over the past few years has helped me decide on what type of job would fit me best. I would like to pursue a career in business consulting because I like to support small businesses, always have a changing venue, and I enjoy helping people help themselves. With all of these ideas in the back of my mind, my favorite pictures from the trip are when I operated the dangerous power saw, the Rotary lunch, and being on top of Xunantunich. Operating a saw reminds me of lending a physical hand to people in need, the Rotary reminds me to always think of people who need financial help, and being on top of Xunantunich reminds me that possibilities are endless when you work hard for something. Go Team Belize!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Blog 3
How do you connect the service you engage in to your faith or personal beliefs? How does the Belize Mircolending project fit in? Conduct a short interview with a member of the clergy or spiritual advisor about service and spirituality. Reflect on this conversation in your entry.
I have always been taught to be thankful for the wonderful gifts I have been given. I've had strict Catholic upbringing my entire life and my parents instilled religious morals in me at a young age. My parents are extremely involved in service work at our church, particularly my father's unbelievable handy skills have helped countless people in our close knit community. The ideal of "the more you help others, the more God gives back to you" has been a quote that I like to follow, because I have seen it work in action. As I said, I have always been involved with hands on work at our church. As a kid, I would often complain about spending my weekends helping set up events at church or fixing something that was broken, but as I've gotten older I appreciate the little things in life that have made me a more patient person. If I could turn back time, I wouldn't have changed a second of the service work I've been involved with.
In high school, a group of my closest friends and their parents started an organization called Furniture For Families. We delivered used furniture and groceries to poor mothers who had no way of furnishing their small homes. This was some of my first experiences with real poverty, and I was an eye opening experience that I will never forget, happening within my own area. Then my group decided to go to Belize in the summer of 2006 to do hands on mission work, and it changed my outlook on life. Honestly, I was scared to leave my family and live in a hostile for a week because I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but it was one of the best choices I've ever made in my life. Here I am, four years later returning to Belize again and I can't even believe I've been so blessed. The project is something that has become a part of my religion and my life because I am reminded by myself, and my peers of what an amazing opportunity it is. This is the perfect way to help people, learn the business field, and follow the footsteps of my families traditions.
I talked to a priest named Fr. Dan who has known my family and frequented our dinner table on a biweekly basis since I was in diapers. He knows all about our Belize Project and has always been willing to write a check and talk all about the service work I've been around. He has written multiple letters thanking me for taking an interest in service and explained that service is the ultimate way of expressing your spirituality. Church on Sundays lacks meaning if we do not put our beliefs into action. I'm so glad to have a good education and I want to continue to help people because someday God will reward our actions. Go Team Belize, you guys are awesome!
-Christopher John
I have always been taught to be thankful for the wonderful gifts I have been given. I've had strict Catholic upbringing my entire life and my parents instilled religious morals in me at a young age. My parents are extremely involved in service work at our church, particularly my father's unbelievable handy skills have helped countless people in our close knit community. The ideal of "the more you help others, the more God gives back to you" has been a quote that I like to follow, because I have seen it work in action. As I said, I have always been involved with hands on work at our church. As a kid, I would often complain about spending my weekends helping set up events at church or fixing something that was broken, but as I've gotten older I appreciate the little things in life that have made me a more patient person. If I could turn back time, I wouldn't have changed a second of the service work I've been involved with.
In high school, a group of my closest friends and their parents started an organization called Furniture For Families. We delivered used furniture and groceries to poor mothers who had no way of furnishing their small homes. This was some of my first experiences with real poverty, and I was an eye opening experience that I will never forget, happening within my own area. Then my group decided to go to Belize in the summer of 2006 to do hands on mission work, and it changed my outlook on life. Honestly, I was scared to leave my family and live in a hostile for a week because I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but it was one of the best choices I've ever made in my life. Here I am, four years later returning to Belize again and I can't even believe I've been so blessed. The project is something that has become a part of my religion and my life because I am reminded by myself, and my peers of what an amazing opportunity it is. This is the perfect way to help people, learn the business field, and follow the footsteps of my families traditions.
I talked to a priest named Fr. Dan who has known my family and frequented our dinner table on a biweekly basis since I was in diapers. He knows all about our Belize Project and has always been willing to write a check and talk all about the service work I've been around. He has written multiple letters thanking me for taking an interest in service and explained that service is the ultimate way of expressing your spirituality. Church on Sundays lacks meaning if we do not put our beliefs into action. I'm so glad to have a good education and I want to continue to help people because someday God will reward our actions. Go Team Belize, you guys are awesome!
-Christopher John
Monday, February 8, 2010
Belize Blog 2
Blog Entry 2: What is your reaction to Yunus’ ideas? How do you connect or differentiate this ideology with a) philanthropy and b) service?
Ok so 20 days until we leave for Belize, and I cannot wait! What better of a model for our organization than Muhammad Yunus? He is such a caring and interesting man that it is difficult to think of where to start dissecting his brilliant ideas. This is a guy who recognized a serious problem within his homeland and decided to singlehandedly put an end to poverty, even if bankers told him it would never work. To me, that is true courage and dedication to go against the norms and work so hard for something you believe in.
What amazes me most about Yunus himself is that he was not afraid to share his ideas with people even if they thought he was crazy. When he learned that 22 cents was a difference in someone’s life, he could not believe it. I feel like I can relate to Yunus because he talks about the millions of dollars that people are trained to learn about when they are in a college setting. In my business classes at Bellarmine, teachers are constantly talking about how much money certain companies and employees can make over a short period of time. I almost have to deactivate my finance brain at times, and stop and think about how lucky I am to even have food and water.
I love the service aspect of Yunus’ ideals because it encourages community fellowship. When the first recipient received a 25 dollar loan, she did not think she was going to be able to make ends meet. Her fellow community members told her, “Look we all have to go through it, we will support you. We are here for just that. Don’t be scared. We will all be with you.” I love this line in the book because it is a great example of how society should function. We can all learn a lesson from the women borrowers of Bangladesh because they are being courageous by breaking down the standard pattern of behavior and empowering themselves. Yunus is not only a role model to people of service, but also a model to psychologist, philosophers, sociologist, economist, business people, women, you name it…
With that being said, I know Team Belize will follow in his footsteps and keep Yunus’ ideas alive. Go team!
Ok so 20 days until we leave for Belize, and I cannot wait! What better of a model for our organization than Muhammad Yunus? He is such a caring and interesting man that it is difficult to think of where to start dissecting his brilliant ideas. This is a guy who recognized a serious problem within his homeland and decided to singlehandedly put an end to poverty, even if bankers told him it would never work. To me, that is true courage and dedication to go against the norms and work so hard for something you believe in.
What amazes me most about Yunus himself is that he was not afraid to share his ideas with people even if they thought he was crazy. When he learned that 22 cents was a difference in someone’s life, he could not believe it. I feel like I can relate to Yunus because he talks about the millions of dollars that people are trained to learn about when they are in a college setting. In my business classes at Bellarmine, teachers are constantly talking about how much money certain companies and employees can make over a short period of time. I almost have to deactivate my finance brain at times, and stop and think about how lucky I am to even have food and water.
I love the service aspect of Yunus’ ideals because it encourages community fellowship. When the first recipient received a 25 dollar loan, she did not think she was going to be able to make ends meet. Her fellow community members told her, “Look we all have to go through it, we will support you. We are here for just that. Don’t be scared. We will all be with you.” I love this line in the book because it is a great example of how society should function. We can all learn a lesson from the women borrowers of Bangladesh because they are being courageous by breaking down the standard pattern of behavior and empowering themselves. Yunus is not only a role model to people of service, but also a model to psychologist, philosophers, sociologist, economist, business people, women, you name it…
With that being said, I know Team Belize will follow in his footsteps and keep Yunus’ ideas alive. Go team!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Blog 1
This semester I am looking forward to reading more in depth about Yunus’ books and exactly what he had in mind when coming up with a solution for hardworking people that are stuck in poverty. I want to become friends with everyone in our class that is attending the trip because I believe that is important to know the people you will be sharing life changing experiences with. I expect everyone to listen and respect all the different opinions that people in our class may have, rather you agree or disagree. In past trips to Belize I have had unique experiences, some good and some not so well, that have made me a stronger and more accepting person. I am not necessarily worried about if I will “like” the trip or not, because I know that whatever happens I will making some kind of difference in my life and hopefully the lives of people who do not have the luxuries I do. I expect everyone in our class to put forth 110 percent effort because this project requires people who are willing to do whatever it takes to make this new program prosper. I think I can be a leader in this class because I have been around the Bellarmine micro lending program for several years and I have learned a lot about what it means to be a team player. I want people to experience the Belize culture for themselves without having others take over. We need assertive people who are not afraid to get their hands dirty, not necessarily in a physical sense but also in an intellectual sense. You will get out of the trip what you put into it, so I encourage myself and everyone else to throw their questions and ideas into the meeting because you never know what could come of it. I’m so excited for this year’s group and the trip is only a month and a half away! Go Team Belize, let’s make everyone proud!
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