1,000 Microloans for Rural Women in East Africa

WMI just completed its 2011 trip to East Africa to review the progress of loan program operations.  The results were just terrific - the village level loan programs are running smoothly under the guidance of WMI's Local Director, Olive Wolimbwa, and her team at the Bulambuli Widow's Association (BWA).  Women's businesses are growing steadily larger and the local economy has expanded noticeably in the villages where WMI operates.  A full report on the visit will be posted shortly.

 

Colleen Rossier, a 2010 graduate from UVA with a degree in environmental science travelled to Uganda in January 2011 for a 3 week internship with the WMI loan programme. She joined Montana Stevenson and Ainsley Morris who have been in Uganda since the end of September working with the ladies on their transition to independent banking and preparing a banking manual. Colleen currently works for the US Department of Agriculture and was especially interested in local farming techniques, animal husbandry, and environmental stewardship. Click here to see a slideshow of her visit including many shots of the WMI loan program in action and village life.