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Crowdfunding: A Cure to the World's Social Problems?

This blog was written by Lendwithcare lender, Jan Tchamani, and originally posted on DuCredit's website. It has been re-posted here with permission.

 

The Chitimba Women's Group, supported by Jan through Lendwithcare

Crowdfunding activity has been on the rise for a few years. With the rise of Kickstarter and other platforms, no sector benefits more fruitfully from crowd funding initiatives than the 3rd sector.

Micro-finance initiatives allow anyone to invest small amounts of money which make a huge difference to entrepreneurs and workers in the third world. Allowing them to provide a sustainable future for their families.

We asked one UK based donor, Jan Tchamani, one of AgeUK’s current internet champions, why she chose to give through crowdfunding and tell us a little about her experience of charitable giving through LendWithCare.

"It’s really important to me to do charitable giving, even though my means are quite limited. And, let’s face it, everyone has limits. Also, because I’ve been learning about sustainable development over the past few years, it’s also important to me to give in a way that’s responsible and environmentally-friendly.

Ever since I was at school, I’ve been fundraising. I think my first foray was running a sponsored music  day when I was a pupil at Stourbridge High School in the 1970s, raising funds for the Sunshine Children’s Home. I played the piano, as a soloist and accompanist, from 9am to 5pm, friends sang and played instruments, and I still remember what fun we had, and what a buzz it gave us when we handed over the money we had collected to the school secretary to send off.

When I was in my 30s, I was able to go overseas and do two years of development work in the Lobi tribal area of Burkina Faso, W Africa. I was teaching in a school for community leaders: mostly French language, since that was the language of administration, and the students had to be able to write letters and deal with officials. Other development workers were teaching well-digging or composting, treating ailments, organising conferences to bring local communities together, or getting the local languages written down in order to preserve them. Everyone was doing something useful. The Lobi are very dependent on subsistence farming, and therefore on the climate, so I saw at firsthand how important it is for charities who get involved in developing countries to be aware of the right way and the wrong way to intervene. I’m satisfied that Lendwithcare know what that right way is: small amounts lent, rather than given, and to people who have a solid business development plan.

I’m no longer able to travel abroad and help, but doing my bit is still very important to me. Although my means are modest, I’m still so much better off than some of the entrepreneurs the organisation is helping. I tend to go for individuals, and I tend to favour farmers who are trying to cultivate more efficiently, and get to a point where they can employ people and have enough produce to spare to sell it at local markets so, for example, they can afford to improve the house they live in, install a simple irrigation system, or pay for their children’s education.

I’ve been with Lendwithcare – run by CARE International UK – for about a year. I think I saw an ad for them on Facebook, and followed up. Lendwithcare.org offers a way of giving online that provides microfinance for entrepreneurs in developing countries. The entrepreneurs concerned have to have a strategic development plan, and the amount they want to borrow is calculated exactly, to the nearest pound.

Lendwithcare gives you plenty of information about the individual entrepreneur on which to base your choice, including a photograph. You can start with a loan as small as £15, and you can see how near their borrowing target the person has got. You get a notification email when they’re 100% funded. There’s also a repayment schedule. Nobody I’ve lent to has ever failed to pay back the scheduled monthly amount, and they often pay back faster, which goes to show how effective the borrowing is in improving their situation.

I get monthly emails from Lendwithcare – they’re great at communicating, but they don’t bombard me, and they never use emotional blackmail. In fact, their emails are always the first I look at when I open my inbox, because they’re always positive: “X, whom you helped, is now fully funded!”, a thank you, or news that all of my £15 has come back and I can reinvest it. Looking back over 2014 and the number of people I managed to help with my £15 gives me such an amazing feeling of being connected to people in other parts of the world – people who are really trying to improve their lives, and the lives of their local communities. The minimum investment amount of £15 is so small, really – the price of a simple pub lunch for two, or a couple of cinema tickets."

Register on Lendwithcare today and join Jan in supporting entrepreneurs in developing countries work their own way out of poverty.

Diary from the field - cycling from Vietnam to Cambodia

Head of Lendwithcare, Tracey Horner, has embarked on a challenge of a lifetime. For the past seven days Tracey, along with ten other CARE supporters, has cycled from Ho Chi Minh city in Vietnam to Battambang in Cambodia (a gruelling 460km) to raise vital funds for CARE's poverty-fighting programmes. 

Before peddling off into the Mekong Tracey met with one of Lendwithcare's newest microfinance partners, MACDI, who are based in northern Vietnam. 

What follows is her diary from the first six days.


Day 1:

I left a very cold London bound for Hanoi and the first leg of my trip.  Since my trip comprises a field visit to our partner MACDI; a presentation to one of our corporate supporters, Hogan Lovells; a 460k cycle ride; and some beach holiday time at the end, I had to pack a rather diverse range of clothing!

I always look forward to visiting our partners and meeting some of the entrepreneurs we are supporting and although I am looking forward to the challenge of the cycle adventure; having never done anything like this before, and being under prepared I have a bit of trepidation about what might lie ahead.



Day 2:
 

Arrived in Hanoi at 6am and checked into my hotel. I expected it to be cooler in Hanoi than in the south of the country but not 15 degrees as it has turned out to be. I decided to have a wander round Hanoi to get my bearings, followed by a couple of hours sleep.  Min Thai, the CEO of our partner MACDI, came and picked me up for lunch and took me to Hanoi's Ethnology Museum which provided a fascinating insight into the different groups of ethnic Vietnamese. It became clear why so many of the Lendwithcare Vietnamese entrepreneurs have very similar names.  There are only around 60 different surnames in Vietnam, and each area has around five different surnames.  I ended the day with a little stroll back to the hotel, giving myself time to take in this vibrant city.



Day 3: 

Today we went on a trip to the famous Ha Long Bay.  It was a 6 hour round trip to get there but it was well worth it - despite the weather being cold, cloudy and foggy.  Later that day I met with Regan Leahy, from Hogan Lovells citizenship team, who is accompanying me on the field trip since she is taking part in the sponsored cycle ride later in the week.

Day 4:

Regan and I left the hotel at 8am to travel three hours to Hoa Binh province where some of the entrepreneurs we have supported through Lendwithcare are located.  The car journey gave us the opportunity to learn more about MACDI's work from Min Thai and in particular learn about the broader work they do in addition to microloans.  It is clear that Min Thai is passionate about her mission to improve the lives of poor people, particularity those living in remote rural areas of Vietnam.  


Life is very hard indeed if you are far from a town or city with few assets and no access to formal financial services. The closer we got to our destination the more obvious the difference became between the big cities and the rural communities. 




We arrived at MACDI's tiny office which is home to five loan officers and one other member of staff.  The office is rented at a very low cost from the local authority.  We also met with two local officials who told me how much they value the work of MACDI - particularly the work they do to improve the environment by helping people install bio gas facilities to turn their animal waste into gas.  


They also mentioned that they appreciate the training that MACDI give to borrowers, training in things like animal care, protection of the environment and home sanitation.





To see some of MACDI's assistance in action, Regan and I visited a home that was in the process of having a bio gas plant installed.  It was a very interesting process to see. It starts by digging a massive hole in which they put the chamber that the waste will flow into and later be turned into bio gas. 

MACDI worked very hard to set up a relationship with a local bio gas installing company to negotiate a good price for their borrowers. A part of the agreement includes after care assistance, which ensures that if there is any future maintenance needed the borrower is able to access this help for free or at a greatly reduced price.

This is the theme that ran through my visit, MACDI linking people with the private sector - and also trying to link borrowers to appropriate markets for their products.

After watching the bio gas installation, we visited a couple more entrepreneurs. Part of a Lendwithcare evaluation is to check a random sample of entrepreneurs that appear on the website and ensure that all the details match up with the loan that the borrower has received.

Every house we visited began with a ritual of pouring us all some green tea - delicious but there is only so much green tea you can drink in one day!

That night we stayed in the only hotel in the area.  It was very cold in this mountainous region - so cold that both Regan and I slept in our clothes!

Day 5: 

Regan and I left the hotel at 8am and ate a bowl of Pho (noodle soup) for breakfast and visited a number of Lendwithcare entrepreneurs.

The first women we met was called Phoung Dinh Thi. 

One of the things I always ask Lendwithcare entrepreneurs about is their children and on this occasion, as soon as I did so, Phuong Dinh Thi started to cry.  She explained how, her disabled daughter had died only last May.  

She had spent months prior to her daughter's death at home caring for her daughter and had to spend all their meagre savings on medical treatment.  As a mother who has also lost a child it was very hard to listen to Phuong Dinh's story and not be visibly moved. 

Phuong Dinh has one other child and she said that the loan from Lendwithcare has helped her a lot since she was able to buy some pigs and chickens as well as 10 geese which will provide an income for her and her family.  In the future she would like to buy a motorbike as this would make her life a lot easier - it is very remote and she has to walk a long way with a very heavy load to take her rice to the mill and then the local market.  She would also be able to take her son to school which is a 6km walk away.

Between visits we stopped along the roadside many times to buy produce from local people; Min Thai said she always likes to buy from the local people. She is actually in the process of setting up a website to showcase products to others in Vietnam and help her clients find a market for their products.

At the end of a long day of meeting Lendwithcare entrepreneurs we returned on the three hour journey to Hanoi and spent the night in Hanoi.

Day 6:

The next day we visited Hogan Lovells in their Hanoi office to give a presentation about Lendwithcare and have a meeting with Hogan Lovells and the MACDI staff. 

Min Thai took the opportunity to set up the sale of a pig from one of her borrowers to a Hogan Lovells staff member. As the new year (Tet) holiday is approaching it is common for people to buy lots of food for the celebration.
 

Later that day I flew from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh city to stay the night at a colleague's house. Tim Bishop works for CARE International UK but is based in Vietnam as a Regional Private Sector Engagement Specialist, he has been working for many years on promoting the role of business and markets in development and has a fantastic blog, which I highly recommend.   

Tomorrow the cycling starts ... and I have to say, I'm not quite sure I'm ready for this ... I'll keep you posted!

By Tracey Horner

Promoting solar power in Pakistan

The city of Lahore is renowned as the literary, educational and cultural heart of Pakistan and has a long history of beautiful architecture dating in particular from the Mughal period with buildings such as the Badshahi Masjid and the Shahi Qila or Lahore Fort.

Shakeel and Rehan from Akhuwat on the roof  where the solar panels are located

Although on a much more modest scale the new, purpose built headquarters of Akhuwat, Lendwithcare’s partner in Pakistan, continues this custom of bold, innovative design while respecting historical tradition.  The seven storey offices, completed in 2014, is the first large building in Lahore that can be run exclusively on solar power as up to 48 kilowatts of electricity can be generated from the 160 large solar panels located on the roof of the building. The energy is stored in 136 batteries all housed in a special control room on the top floor. When fully charged the batteries can power the entire building, which houses almost 70 staff, for almost eight hours or the whole of the working day. 

Furthermore, rather than install air conditioning units that are expensive and use lots of electricity, the narrow, open plan design of the building incorporates natural ventilation systems to simultaneously cool and channel fresh air throughout the building. Even during the hot summer months in Lahore when the average daily temperature routinely exceeds 40 degrees centigrade, the temperature inside the building remains much lower at around 25-30 degrees centigrade.

Shakeel  from Akhuwat in the control room

Dr Amjad Saqib, Akhuwat’s Founder and Executive Director, explains that the motivation to install solar power was not only an attempt to reduce carbon emissions and promote the use of renewable energy, but also in fact a response to the daily reality of frequent and often prolonged electricity cuts in Pakistan or ‘load shedding’ as it is referred to locally. Load shedding means that households and businesses alike receive electricity continuously only for a few hours each day, with power outages longer in rural areas. Whereas larger buildings and businesses can afford to rely on generators for power when there is no network electricity, small businesses are often forced to simply down tools and wait for the power to return. The costs to the economy in terms of lost production are staggering; one estimate is that annual gross national product has been reduced by 7%. Arguably nothing causes as much frustration and inconvenience for ordinary Pakistanis as load shedding.

Dr Amjad explains “I am convinced that solar energy can offer a practical and affordable solution to the thousands of microentrepreneurs that Akhuwat supports”. Therefore, to enable them to continue working during the frequent bouts of load shedding, Akhuwat intends in 2015 to start providing loans of between 20,000 and 100,000 rupees (approximately £130-£650) for small businesses to purchase and install solar power systems.  Since monthly electricity bills are often in the range of 2,000 to 3,000 rupees a month, Akhuwat estimates that the investment in solar power for most borrowers will actually pay for itself after a couple of years as their electricity bills will be much lower.

Such loans should soon be featured on the Lendwithcare website.

By Dr Ajaz Ahmed Khan, Microfinance Advisor at CARE International UK

Unprecedented floods in Malawi

A few days ago, terrible floods destroyed homes and livelihoods in Southern Malawi.

Flooded areas in Nsanje ©Innocent Mbvundula/CARE

The true extent of the damage is still not known but Lendwithcare's microfinance partner in Malawi, the MicroLoan Foundation, has told us that clients from at least two of their branches have been badly affected. It will take around six weeks for the water to subside enough for  MicroLoan Foundation staff to assess the impact of the floods on their client’s lives and businesses and in the meantime they are simply going out to reassure all their clients that they will help them through this crisis.

We have of course informed our local partner that Lendwithcare will also support them through this difficult time so as soon as we receive more information on which clients have been affected and to what extend we will let you know.

As we wait for more  information , here is the testimony of Innocent Mbvundula, a CARE Malawi member of staff.

“The devastation of floods as we saw it in Nsanje”

Flooded areas in Nsanje district, Malawi where waters have damaged houses, livestock and property. ©Innocent Mbvundula/CARE

Malawi’s Nsanje District in the lower Shire River basin lies 150 feet above sea level. While the district has been hit by floods on many occasions in the past, the recent continuous, heavy rains that pelted the region for five consecutive days led to heavy flooding in areas that have never experienced flooding before.

Floods have, for many people of Nsanje, become a normal annual occurrence, but the scale of this year’s floods are unprecedented. Travelling from Malawi's commercial city of Blantyre to Nsanje at the southern tip of Malawi, one is greeted by the sorry sight of damaged houses, hectares of land where the crops have been washed away, and men, women and children in dire need of basic amenities in various evacuation centres. All this is as a result of floods that have left over 50 people, including numerous children, dead in the district.

In traditional authority Mlolo, all public services have been suspended. Health centres and schools are submerged in water. Access to the area is only possible by helicopter and boats, making it difficult to reach the affected households. Listening to the affected people, especially women, it is clear this is a tragedy that they will never forget.

Grace Lawrence, a 20-year old pregnant woman relocated to Nyachilenda evacuation centre, will always remember this tragedy due to the loss of her daughter; Grace’s second born daughter, 3-year old Marita, could not be traced at the time of the rescue operation undertaken by the Malawi Defence Forces. Apparently, she fell from the roof and died but Grace does not know exactly what happened. 

Grace Lawrence at evacuation camp. ©Innocent Mbvundula/CARE

For Mathews Damiano of Brighton village in traditional authority Mbenje, life will never be the same. The floods happened at a time when his business was growing from strength to strength. From a humble beginning, his vegetable and fruit business grew steadily to become a reliable source of income. Today, a family that had become self-sufficient is now at the Bangula evacuation centre, destitute.

In a matter of days, the house he and his wife, Elube, laboured to build is but rubble as a result of floods. He lost all his property including a store house located 50 meters from their house. At the time of destruction, the store house had merchandise worth K50, 000 (US$104) in it.

“It will take us some time to recover from this damage. It took us years of hard work to build our house and the store house. We don’t know what to do now,” says Mathews Damiano.

In some areas of Nsanje district essential public services have been suspended. School has been disrupted for thousands of students. The floods have forced children to stop going to school because some schools have been damaged by the floods while others have been turned into evacuation centres. This disruption in school is particularly hard on students waiting to sit for their national examinations in May.

Marita Samuel, an elderly woman in her 80’s we met at Marka camp site, on the Malawi-Mozambique border, says in her life time she has never seen such devastating floods.

“We have experienced floods in the past. It is not a strange occurrence. I remember we had extensive flooding in 1986 and it was destructive, but this flooding is worse than that one. I’m lost for a word,” said Marita.

Clearly, these floods have brought catastrophic effects to the people of Nsanje. It will take time to recover from the loss. In some cases it will be impossible to fully recover, as is the case of loss of life. Families, relatives and close friends have been separated, in some cases, forever. History will record these floods as one of the worst disasters in the history of the lower Shire district.

By Innocent Mbvundula , CARE Malawi”

January 26, 2015

Are You Aware Of Loans For People On DSS Benefits?

Are you facing a tough time in life due to shortage of money? When you are living on benefits it is not easy to get through your days as you will find your finance pulling you down at several occasions.

So this can affect you mentally and really depress you and make you wonder as to how to get out of this.

While you are looking out for a job you can have some funds with you by going in for loans for people on DSS benefits. This will immediately give you some financial help, make you settle a few things and thereby will provide a certain amount of solution.

Now these are short term loans so you have to be aware how these loans functions and make sure you only borrow what is needed.

The loan should right now take care of only your immediate needs till you land of on a job or till you have settled your financial issues.

Make your application online once you have calculated as to how much money you want to borrow. The form is available on the site and you just have to key in your details. These facts that you provide to the lender are safe because he has taken high security measures to protect the information that you provide.

There is no credit check done on the applicants nor any kind of assets are collected as collateral. When you apply for the loans, your request will be looked in by the lender who will immediately approve the amount and it will be sent to your bank account. There is no additional fee or processing charges for this service.

You have to only take care about the repayment as these are loans with heavy interest rate and also late payments are charged with penalty. So do not take a loan without being aware of how you are going to pay back the amount.

You can apply for loans for people on DSS benefits whenever you want to as this loan facility is available 24/7.

There is also very less procedures that the loan follows so there will not be any kind of documentation, verifications and also meeting up with lender.

Feasible Financial Deal for People with Disability

Physical or mental disability left no choice for people to spend rest of their life on DSS benefits. They get basic financial gain from this department to survive. But not all the needs can be fulfilled with minimum benefits. The time comes when you have to look after unforeseen needs but not in position to raise cash. At this point do not think disability has closed the doors of financial help. Loans for people on benefits come as blessing in disguise for mentally or physically affected people through which funds for short term needs can be extracted.

With these specialized loan services disabled individuals can remain independent to procure much needed cash in simple manner. The finance generated from these fiscal offers can be anywhere in between $100 to $1000. Applicants have to pay back borrowed sum of cash within specified time frame of 15 days to 30 days.

Cash borrowers from loans for people on benefits can be utilized by applicants for meeting emergency needs like paying for hospital bill, medicine expenses; children school fee, house rent, credit card dues etc.

No collateral is needed to place by borrowers against these unsecured loans. Whether you own a property or not you can still apply for this cash facility. On the other side, loan providers have nothing to do with your bad credit history. Past credit mistakes like arrears, foreclosure, missed payment, IVA etc will not pose hindrance in way of disabled people.

Apply for these loans through online mode without making physical move out of house. You need to process single page of virtual application filled with genuine details. When approval comes funds will be wired automatically in checking account of borrowers without realizing it.

Feel competent enough to raise external finance with aid of loans for people on benefits despite of facing mental or physical challenges. Bad credit ratings will be neglected by lenders to offer loan in shortest possible time.

Guest Blog - A gift that keeps on giving

When for my birthday I asked for donations to my charity instead of presents none of my friends or family thought that was such a good idea. To be fair many of them give already but generally people like to give gifts, to pick something out and see it be appreciated. To me the idea of getting donations without painful form filling, standing in the cold or embarrassing ‘asks’ seems like a great gift but for people who can’t see it being spent, see the money making a difference or people enjoying what it provides for them it’s perhaps less rewarding.
With donations as with gifts it’s great to be able to see it make someone happy.
One of my friends, Helen, was listening when I told her about how much I loved Lendwithcare. How not only was the scheme a great concept but one that comes with an amazing amount of consideration and attention to lenders. My enthusiasm for Lendwithcare led me to ask to visit their partner in Manila, something I wrote about in a previous post and since then I have continued to be impressed with the varied and regular updates, enthusiastic blogs from staff and frank explanations when things have gone awry.
I’ve bought Lendwithcare for three people that I can remember. For my young niece as a nicer way of giving her some money, although I hope she’ll never withdraw from the account, for my dad I chose an entrepreneur from Malawi as he’d spent time there many years ago and for someone who I suspect might never have cashed it in. And this is where vouchers really come into their own.
 We’ve all received presents we didn’t want. Without wanting to name and shame I’m sure my whole family would understand that we don’t really want to receive any more t-shirts or key rings bearing pictures of holiday destinations. But this present doesn’t get abandoned in a drawer or only worn to bed. Even if that person never looks at it again the money is already in the right place doing its job.
For my birthday last year Helen got me a Lendwithcare gift voucher. So now even though I’ve put money of my own in over the years I now think of her gift every time I get a repayment or have enough in my account to make a new loan. That’s an awful lot of enjoyment already out of one voucher. I’m sure it will carry on for years to come.
With donations as with gifts it’s great to be able to see it make someone happy.
One of my friends, Helen, was listening when I told her about how much I loved Lendwithcare. How not only was the scheme a great concept but one that comes with an amazing amount of consideration and attention to lenders. My enthusiasm for Lendwithcare led me to ask to visit their partner in Manila, something I wrote about in a previous post and since then I have continued to be impressed with the varied and regular updates, enthusiastic blogs from staff and frank explanations when things have gone awry.
I’ve bought Lendwithcare for three people that I can remember. For my young niece as a nicer way of giving her some money, although I hope she’ll never withdraw from the account, for my dad I chose an entrepreneur from Malawi as he’d spent time there many years ago and for someone who I suspect might never have cashed it in. And this is where vouchers really come into their own.
We’ve all received presents we didn’t want. Without wanting to name and shame I’m sure my whole family would understand that we don’t really want to receive any more t-shirts or key rings bearing pictures of holiday destinations. But this present doesn’t get abandoned in a drawer or only worn to bed. Even if that person never looks at it again the money is already in the right place doing its job.
For my birthday last year Helen got me a Lendwithcare gift voucher. So now even though I’ve put money of my own in over the years I now think of her gift every time I get a repayment or have enough in my account to make a new loan. That’s an awful lot of enjoyment already out of one voucher. I’m sure it will carry on for years to come.

This blog has been reposted here with permission from Amy Lythgoe.
Originally posted here

When for my birthday I asked for donations to my charity instead of presents none of my friends or family thought that was such a good idea. To be fair many of them give already but generally people like to give gifts, to pick something out and see it be appreciated. To me the idea of getting donations without painful form filling, standing in the cold or embarrassing ‘asks’ seems like a great gift but for people who can’t see it being spent, see the money making a difference or people enjoying what it provides for them it’s perhaps less rewarding.

With donations as with gifts it’s great to be able to see it make someone happy.

One of my friends, Helen, was listening when I told her about how much I loved Lendwithcare. How not only was the scheme a great concept but one that comes with an amazing amount of consideration and attention to lenders. My enthusiasm for Lendwithcare led me to ask to visit their partner in Manila, something I wrote about in a previous post and since then I have continued to be impressed with the varied and regular updates, enthusiastic blogs from staff and frank explanations when things have gone awry.

I’ve bought Lendwithcare for three people that I can remember. For my young niece as a nicer way of giving her some money, although I hope she’ll never withdraw from the account, for my dad I chose an entrepreneur from Malawi as he’d spent time there many years ago and for someone who I suspect might never have cashed it in. And this is where vouchers really come into their own.

 We’ve all received presents we didn’t want. Without wanting to name and shame I’m sure my whole family would understand that we don’t really want to receive any more t-shirts or key rings bearing pictures of holiday destinations. But this present doesn’t get abandoned in a drawer or only worn to bed. Even if that person never looks at it again the money is already in the right place doing its job.

For my birthday last year Helen got me a Lendwithcare gift voucher. So now even though I’ve put money of my own in over the years I now think of her gift every time I get a repayment or have enough in my account to make a new loan. That’s an awful lot of enjoyment already out of one voucher. I’m sure it will carry on for years to come.

When for my birthday I asked for donations to my charity instead of presents none of my friends or family thought that was such a good idea. To be fair many of them give already but generally people like to give gifts, to pick something out and see it be appreciated. To me the idea of getting donations without painful form filling, standing in the cold or embarrassing ‘asks’ seems like a great gift but for people who can’t see it being spent, see the money making a difference or people enjoying what it provides for them it’s perhaps less rewarding.

With donations as with gifts it’s great to be able to see it make someone happy.
One of my friends, Helen, was listening when I told her about how much I loved Lendwithcare. How not only was the scheme a great concept but one that comes with an amazing amount of consideration and attention to lenders. My enthusiasm for Lendwithcare led me to ask to visit their partner in Manila, something I wrote about in a previous post and since then I have continued to be impressed with the varied and regular updates, enthusiastic blogs from staff and frank explanations when things have gone awry.

I’ve bought Lendwithcare for three people that I can remember. For my young niece as a nicer way of giving her some money, although I hope she’ll never withdraw from the account, for my dad I chose an entrepreneur from Malawi as he’d spent time there many years ago and for someone who I suspect might never have cashed it in. And this is where Lendwithcare Gift Vouchers really come into their own.

We’ve all received presents we didn’t want. Without wanting to name and shame I’m sure my whole family would understand that we don’t really want to receive any more t-shirts or key rings bearing pictures of holiday destinations. But this present doesn’t get abandoned in a drawer or only worn to bed. Even if that person never looks at it again the money is already in the right place doing its job.

For my birthday last year Helen got me a Lendwithcare gift voucher. So now even though I’ve put money of my own in over the years I now think of her gift every time I get a repayment or have enough in my account to make a new loan. That’s an awful lot of enjoyment already out of one voucher. I’m sure it will carry on for years to come.

By Amy Lythgoe

Guest Blog - Ethical Loans Transform Lives in the Developing World

This blog has been reposted here with permission from Owen Knight.
Originally posted here

Joining LendWithCare three years ago was one of the best decisions I have made.During this time, my loan has been recycled four and a half times to a total of twenty-five entrepreneurs in six countries. Together with loans from other lenders, it has assisted people who would otherwise have no access to finance on the journey to work their way out of poverty. The individual loans have enabled entrepreneurs to buy raw materials, stock, tools and other essentials to start or develop their business and take control of their lives, in such diverse areas as farming, food production, general stores, market stalls, carpentry, vehicle repairs and sewing and tailoring.

The wonderful thing is that this has cost me absolutely nothing. With UK interest rates on savings at an all time low, it is a no-brainer to make better use of the money by helping people who want to improve their lives through their own efforts and with dignity.

LendWithCare makes interest-free loans to carefully screened microfinance partners that charge ‘reasonable and fair’ interest rates (or charges) to ensure that loans used are for ethical purposes and offer transparency. Loans are repaid in monthly instalments and, once they are repaid, you have the option of reinvesting with a loan to a new entrepreneur or withdrawing the funds. If you can afford to lend a minimum of £15, you will be making a real difference.

LendWithCare is supported by, amongst others, news presenter Alastair Stewart and Deborah Meaden of Dragon’s Den. The Co-operative was a founder launch partner.

Click here to take a look at the videos on the LendWithCare website, to learn more of their work and the benefits to entrepreneurs. 

You will see why, this Christmas, I have decided to double the amount of my modest loan to a worthwhile organisation.

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Owen Knight

Guest Blog - This Christmas, give the gift of giving.

This Christmas, give the gift of giving.
Posted on 30 November, 2014 by Keith Channing

Hang on; I didn’t mean that.

This Christmas, give the gift of lending.

For some months, my wife and I have been involved, in a small way, with Lendwithcare, a micro-finance organisation set up by Care International, one of the world’s leading aid and development organisations.

Microloans from CARE International UK The premise is simple: an entrepreneur in one of the world’s least affluent areas proposes a business idea to a microfinance intitution (MFI). The MFI approves the plan and grants the requested loan. The entrepreneur is then helped to construct a profile that appears on the lendwithcare.org web site. Supporters (that’s you and I) visit the site, select a profile that interests them, and make a contribution to support it. Once the full amount is reached, it is sent to the MFI, releasing their funds to support another entrepreneur.

As the supported business develops and grows, the loan is repaid, and the repayments find their way into your account with lendwithcare. You can then either withdraw them or, more likely, use them to finance another entrepreneur; and so the virtuous cycle continues.


What’s so great about this? Let me tell you what I think:

My money doesn’t go into a ‘pot'; I choose which individual or group is going to benefit from my contribution, based on a good amount of information about the applicant(s) and the business proposal. It’s personal. Many years ago, I was on an emergency blood donor list. On more than one occasion, when we were called to the hospital for an emergency bleed, we (usually only three or four of us) were introduced to the patient who would be receiving our blood. A cup of tea and a rich cream biscuit never gave that feeling!

The full amount of the loan goes to the desired recipient. There is an (optional) addition of 10% of the amount loaned to help cover the running costs,

It is a loan, not a gift; it can be re-used,

I have often heard the hackneyed ‘give a man a fish and you feed a man, teach a man to fish and you feed a family'; think what happens when you lend a man the money to buy a fishing rod, or maybe to repair or upgrade a fishing boat.

One of the people I have been privileged to support in recent months is a Togo man, married with two small children. He owns a small computer shop that provides office services such as photocopying, word processing and computer training. He also sells computer and office equipment.

He applied for a loan to buy a new photocopier and to expand his business. He is also keen to transform his small shop into a training centre, to pass his knowledge on to others. His ultimate goal is to build up his business so that he will be able to provide a better standard of living for his family.

Like most of the people I have been privileged to support, in many walks of life and across three continents, he is fully funded, and is on target with his repayments. The repayments that arrive in our account are all used for new loans.

What has all this to do with Christmas? Simply this: follow this link to lendwithcare.org, and buy your loved one, your friend, your colleague the gift that, quite literally, keeps on giving – a lendwithcare gift voucher.

Exclusive Loan Offer Designed For Someone with Disability!

Only basic expenses are meant to be covered with benefits that you receive for your disability. What about the other unplanned expenses? Do you want to seek for other resorts? If yes then disability loans can be a very good choice in this regard. You may get hold of needed cash with least exertion and most probably for period which will be beneficial for your financial stability.

It can be a usual electricity bills, telephone bills, grocery bill or credit card dues, bank overdrafts etc that can be managed with disability loans. For something which is additional and that cannot be covered with benefits these loans are the only remedy. Here you have been set free by the lender to plan your expenses accordingly.

Disability loans are issued considering your physical limitations. But all the verification procedures will be performed to establish your eligibility. It will just take a few minutes for your end to submit all the application details. Here you will be required to present all the essential information for loan approval online. Thus here no paper documents and faxes should be provided. Make sure that you have made correct entries in the free online application so that lender can process your requirements successfully. Once loan money gets sanctioned, you will receive the same in to your checking account.

If you wish to get funds without collaterals then you are required to seek for unsecured funds which are even accessible for non possessors like tenants and other non home owners.

For someone who has been facing difficulty in managing extra monthly expenses despite benefits, disability loans on same day  are a real help. Now these loans can easily be obtained with just few clicks on the mouse.

For loan funds with security, secured finances should be your pick.

How to increase investment in micro-enterprises (and get your money back)

This blog was orginally posted on CARE Insights.

Today CARE has submitted written evidence to the International Development Committee (IDC) of the House of Commons on our peer-to-peer lending network, Lendwithcare. (For a snappier and more entertaining overview of Lendwithcare, see our new Christmas animation above.) The IDC is currently looking at jobs and livelihoods and is interested to understand more about the role that a relatively new way of funding micro-enterprises can play in generating growth and jobs in developing countries.


Lendwithcare.org has been hugely successful since its launch four years ago, and now supports over 14,000 MSMEs by engaging online with over 18,000 lenders who have each, on average, loaned £35, raising nearly £5 million in the last four years. These really are loans – almost all are repaid within the agreed timescale. To date, only death and major disasters, like Typhoon Haiyan, have prevented our microentrepreneurs from repaying. Of course, our committed lenders very frequently recycle their loans to other entrepreneurs, keeping money in the system and reaching more businesses.

Lenders find Lendwithcare a compelling proposition: they can choose who to lend to, based on detailed information on the individual and their business plans, they get regular feedback on progress, and they know that they are helping resourceful individuals lift themselves and their families out of poverty. And they get all of this within a web experience in their own language, culture and currency. The other compelling aspect is that, when you put money into Lendwithcare, 100% of the money goes to the entrepreneur who is borrowing – CARE does not take a slice off the top. Rather, our modest administration costs are met from other funding within CARE, and until recently, by sponsorship from the Co-operative Group.

The opportunity (and the key issue)

There is a lot of scope for expanding Lendwithcare’s operations – there is certainly no shortage of small enterprises requiring loans. And we believe that there are many more microfinance institutions out there who are likely to meet our (demanding) criteria. We know this because Lendwithcare only lends in nine countries, compared to the 80 countries in total in which CARE International works.

We also believe that there are considerable opportunities for expanding the lender community of the Lendwithcare model. For instance, we believe that it is likely to be successful in other European countries where there already exists a CARE office. As this includes Germany, France, Austria, Norway and Denmark, there is a lot of opportunity. We would also like to explore rapidly developing countries such as India and Brazil. We know that lenders find it important to link with an organisation in their own country, for reasons of language, currency, tax laws and cultural affinity.

All of which would take some more investment – but we know that we can raise loans to the value of seven times the marketing and administration investment. This is a powerful win-win-win between CARE’s mission to end poverty, an individual’s desire to use some of their own hard-earned cash to help others, and entrepreneurs’ drive to build strong businesses to lift themselves and others out of poverty.

So now all we have to do is find the cash to pay for some administration and marketing…

By Gerry Boyle
CARE International UK's Senior Policy Adviser on Private Sector Engagement

Download our written evidence in full here.

Know The Real Facts About Personal Loans Before Obtaining!

Improved life standard also increases the expenses of the family. This is the major reason that more and more individuals are turning towards personal loans to fulfill their personal needs and desires. Moreover, if you are experiencing any unexpected financial agony and need quick cash support, applying with these finances would prove as a favorable option. These financial services basically offer small cash for short duration without any hectic and tough traditional lending formalities. Enjoying this tempting financial product will let you enjoy the multiple benefits too.

However, before applying with Personal Loans, read the guide below that explains some of the real facts to let you take the rightful decision.

Real Facts To Know About Personal Loans Are As Follows:

• These Finances Offer Small Money For Urgent Expenses And Desires:

Personal Loans are basically a short term financial product that offers the finances for meeting the urgent and unavoidable financial expenses and desires. However, it is advisable for the borrower to use the finances for short term purpose only and not for long term expenses to avoid creating further financial problems in the future. Lender does not restrict the borrowers in spending the money at all.

• Repayment Of Loan Is To Be Made In Single Lump Sum Payment:

It is essential to note down that due to its short duration, the loan money is needed to be pad off in single lump sum payment when the applicant get his/her next paycheck in account. So, it is better to check your repayment affordability in advance to make sure that you can timely handle the service.

• Interest Rates Are High Due To Its Small Tenure:

Due to its collateral free nature and short tenure, the interest rates charged on these finances are quite high. So, making a clever and smart research is required that help you to select the most pocket friendly and suitable financial deal of all.

• Huge Penalties For Late Payment And Loan Defaults:

It is important to note down that the applicant who make any delays in the payment or make loan defaults have to pay high penalties and late fees. This makes the financial deal extremely expensive to handle. So, check your pocket in advance and try to make the payments on time to avoid the chances of delaying or making loan defaults.

Conclusion:

On thing you should know about personal loans is that these loans are tempting and advantageous financial deal that helps to solve your financial emergencies on time. However, knowing the real facts about the service will let you avoid the troubles that may arise in future.

Green Microfinance - supporting renewable energy in Vietnam

Biogas facility in Vietnam © MACDI 2014

In recent years a growing number of ‘green microfinance’ initiatives have encouraged eco-friendly microenterprises and supported the use of renewable energy. One such programme is implemented by Lendwithcare’s partner in Vietnam, the Microfinance and Community Development Institute (MACDI). MACDI provides loans to rural households so they can install household plants that use animal waste to generate biogas, a clean fuel that can be used for cooking, lighting and heating.
According to Minh Thai Dinh Thi, Director of MACDI, the motivation for providing biogas loans has as much do with the economic as the environmental benefits. She explains that “since households do not need to spend money on buying firewood, and for the poorer families the time spent by women and girls gathering firewood, biogas plants simultaneously save money, time and also reduce deforestation”. 

Biogas offers other compelling advantages. It promotes better health through eliminating smoke from cooking with firewood. It also reduces harmful pathogens from animal waste that might lead to illnesses (the Asian Development Bank estimates more than 70 million tonnes of animal waste is improperly disposed of each year in Vietnam, contaminating the environment and often finding its way into streams and rivers). Importantly it also converts animal manure into an improved fertiliser, saving farmers money on expensive chemical fertilisers. Many families who have installed biogas plants have also commented that their general environment looks cleaner with less foul odours and flies. While the biogas technology can work in most climatic conditions it seems particularly suitable to countries such as Vietnam with generally warm temperatures and sufficient rainfall. 

Biogas being used for cooking in Vietnam © MACDI 2014

However, despite the potential benefits, the adoption of biogas technology has been slow. This is mainly because of the relatively high cost of biogas plants for people living in rural areas with limited financial resources. To overcome this obstacle, starting in 2011, MACDI has been providing households with loans for between US$500-700 with a long repayment period of between 24-36 months to install the biogas plants. On average, households with at least two cattle or six pigs can generate sufficient biogas to meet their daily basic cooking and lighting needs and the investment pays for itself after about three years. To date, almost 400 families have benefited from the loans. MACDI negotiated with a specialist company to build, service and maintain the biogas plants to ensure they are correctly and safely installed so that they have a long life span. MACDI also provides borrowers with training on management and upkeep of the biogas plants to ensure that they receive the best returns from their investment.

Most of MACDI’s borrowers are small-scale farmers who grow rice and maize and typically raise livestock and poultry. Whilst previously the pig, cattle and buffalo manure and crop residue was left to rot or burned (wasting valuable plant nutrients), households now feed the manure mixed with water, but also some crop residue and other organic matter, into the biogas plant where it decomposes. Under anaerobic (without air) conditions the rotting matter produces biogas which is pumped into the home, usually the kitchen, and used for cooking, lighting and in the winter months heating as well. The slurry which has a high nutrient content is used as a fertiliser and crop yields of vegetable crops such as potatoes and onions, fruit, sugar cane and rice have reacted particularly favourably. The biogas generally comprises  just under 60% methane, almost 40% carbon dioxide and a small fraction of other gases such as hydrogen, nitrogen  and hydrogen sulphide. Although methane is a damaging greenhouse gas, since it is burnt the process is essentially ‘carbon negative’.

The potential for biogas in Vietnam is huge, with more than two-thirds of the population earning a living from agriculture, animal husbandry and fishing and most have traditionally relied on wood, agricultural residue and animal dung for their energy needs. Lendwithcare is supporting MACDI to increase the scale and outreach of its green microfinance programme to ensure more rural households in Vietnam are able to install household biogas plants and have access to clean, sustainable and affordable energy.




You can invest in a green loan today by simply visiting the Lendwithcare website www.lendwithcare.org

By Dr Ajaz Ahmed Khan, Lendwithcare Microfinance Advisor

Quick funds available for Folks receiving DSS benefits!

Lots of people living in the USA are provided small fiscal aid in the form of DSS benefits so that they can get meet their basic requirements without depending on their relatives or other persons. Such people are mentally for physically challenged and unable to work to generate income for themselves.

When such people face sudden financial problems, it takes a little time to get their financial condition worse. Are you a person surviving on DSS benefits and in the need of additional financial assistance following some immediate cash issues? If yes, DSS loans will help you get extra money instantly without going any where.

All adult US people who have an active bank account in their own name, legitimate proof of identification and have been getting DSS benefits constantly for last 6 months are eligible to apply for such cash advances and they can get small funds up to $1000 depending upon their cash needs and resources to pay back the borrowed money.

No collateral and lengthy documentation is needed for loan acquisition. Even a DSS benefit person who is tagged in various bad credit issues can access such cash advances without any trouble and he/she should pay off the fetched money to make their credit ratings once again.

You need to avail these disability loans carefully for meeting urgent financial needs only as credit lenders charge higher fees of interest on the borrowed money due to no collateral placement. Through the online application method, you can borrow your desired money at any point of time from all places just by emailing your genuine personal data to the selected online credit lender. The entire process of the loan gets completed within a short time period and you avail same day finance into your bank account through these cash advances.