We turned 3 in 2011
Monday, December 19th, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
$112,000 raised to date – can you help us hit $125,000?
Final figures for 2011 are not in yet, but we thought we would share with you some information on where the money donated to MicroLoan Foundation Australia went so far this year.
It’s fair to say that – despite prevailing economic conditions around the world – 2011 has been our best year yet. We are indebted to all of our supporters, from our patron Simon Tedeschi and ambassador Peter FitzSimons to every single person who donates or who has donated to our cause.
In 2011 we held our second Simon Tedeschi concert at St James’ Church in Sydney and we were delighted by a stunning fundraising drive put together by our friends at the Ubuntu Art Exhibition which raised over $35,000 for MicroLoan back in February.
Other very generous donations this year have lifted our total funds raised (since we launched in August 2008) to $112,000 or an average of $37,000 per annum since MLFA set up.
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Where does the money raised go?
All money raised by MLFA supports one branch in Malawi – the branch in Mulanje. Since Mulanje was set up, it has lent out money to 2,213 women running or setting up small businesses in the form of 4,717 separate loans, so just over two loans per person. The two thousandth loan was made in September 2010 and we can’t be too far away from the five thousandth.
To give you an idea on what these loans are for, anything you can imagine (and a lot of things you can’t) are funded by MLFA – businesses selling anything from bags to wrappers, with vegetables, fish, bananas, second hand clothes, beer and ‘flitters’ (something you eat for breakfast) in between.
The ladies helped by MLFA are on average 36 years old, the youngest being 18 (the minimum age) and the oldest 91! Loans are anything from 2,000 Kwacha (around $12.50) to 13,000 Kwacha (around $700). The average loan is around 13,000 Kwacha, or $80.
With these small businesses, the women who have loans from MLFA support, on average, four dependants, although the range is anything up to 17. Of the loans made, over a thousand are to women looking after orphans with some families supporting up to eight orphans (see our previous report here).
We try to keep our overheads here in Australia to an absolute minimum to maximise the amount we are able to transfer to our Mulanje office – all the team working in Australia are volunteers and in some cases donate other services as well, and we are very grateful to receive help from many other supporters free of charge. For example when we needed some technical help migrating our website to another host, BA Creative in Brisbane stepped in to help us do this.
One of our New Year’s Resolutions for 2012 is to keep you informed on our fundraising initiatives and on how the money raised is being used, on a more regular basis with a monthly (short) update.
Once again thank you for all your help and we look forward to being able to help our customers in Malawi even more – with your help – in 2012.
Bikes are priceless! MicroLoan funds the mechanic.
Tuesday, November 29th, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Most people in Malawi live on less than $2 a day meaning that regular transport on buses, let alone owning a car, is nearly impossible. For many in Malawi, owning a bicycle can be priceless – it enables women to run their businesses by giving them the means to buy and transport stock which they can sell within their local communities; it enables them to collect water and food for their children; and it allows them to have greater contact with the world outside their front doors.
It was the importance of bicycles to their owners that lead Alena Phiri to open her bicycle repair shop after her first loan from the MicroLoan Foundation. The invaluable business training MicroLoan gives to all the women we help enabled Alena to spot an obvious gap in the market in her village.
‘Market traders rely very heavily on their bicycles. If they do not work properly, they cannot buy the goods that they sell to people every day. With my loan, I was able to open up a bicycle repair shop which means I can provide an important service and also earn good money to make sure I can feed my family.’
Another important consideration that is not lost on Alena is the service she can provice to health care workers. The healthcare system in Malawi is under severe and constant pressure, with only one doctor per 50,000 people – the lowest figures in the world. With around 70,000 HIV/Aids related deaths each year, the ability for healthcare workers to cover as much ground as possible cannot be overstated.
We are the 99%
Tuesday, November 8th, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
No doubt you have read about the “Occupy Wall Street” action that has spread to the world including our fair shores.
Essentially, many people feel that it’s the ‘bankers’ making up the 1% who are reaping ever increasing rewards, whilst the 99% have to pick up the tab whenever the smart set in the 1% get it wrong (sub prime loans, Lehmans, Greek debt, etc.).
Yet, the Microloan Foundation, is one type of ‘banker’ that is very much part of the 99%.
- 99% of the Malawian population has no access to commercial banks – but we lend to them
- 99% of all loans provided by Microloan to some of the poorest people in the poorest countries of the world are repaid in full (no bailouts for these borrowers)
- 99% of our work is to improve the lives of poor women in the poorest country in the world (well – maybe it’s 100%)
So if you want to support a ‘banker’ that supports the 99% – then donate to MicroLoan today.
MicroLoan wins European Microfinance Award
Thursday, August 11th, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Our sister charity, MicroLoan Foundation UK, has won Hanson Wade’s European Microfinance Recognition Award in the “Commitment to MFI Professionalization” category.
Hanson Wade, presented the European Microfinance Recognition Awards at the Grosvenor Hotel London, in celebration of innovative contributions to the Microfinance industry in Europe, Central Asia and India. The Recognition Awards, an opportunity to celebrate and showcase best practice, closed day two of the annual Investment and Innovation in Microfinance Europe conference, which examined innovative products, new delivery channels and emerging regions in microfinance.
“This award recognises the hard work being done by our people on the ground in Malawi. It’s a clear indication that responsible, non-commercial microfinance is valued by the industry” comments Peter Ryan, the charity’s Chief Executive and founder of MicroLoan Foundation UK. “We strive to reduce poverty effectively through our commitment to providing professional services of the highest standard. As over 80% of our African activity is conducted through training, mentoring and support, our priority is to ensure that our clients receive a professional service.
Simon Tedeschi & Kevin Hunt @ St James 11th August 2011
Sunday, July 10th, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
IT’S ON TODAY – YOU CAN STILL BUY TICKETS ON THE DOOR!
We are delighted that, once again, world renowned concert pianist Simon Tedeschi and jazz virtuoso Kevin Hunt are putting on another concert for us at the beautiful St James Church in Sydney on Thursday 11th August 2011.
If you attended their concert last year, you will know what a treat is in store for you next month.
Simon and Kevin will again perform their own mix of favourites, with music from Bach to Duke Ellington and other classical and jazz greats such as Shostakovich, Debussy, Fats Waller, Brubeck and Oscar Peterson.
Last year saw the launch of their much acclaimed album “Woodlands”. To hear an example of their collaboration click on:
http://www.simontedeschi.com/BlueRondo.php
Tickets are still just $35, but we recommend you book quickly as many of those who attended last year will be keen to relive the magic of the concert held in 2010 in the acoustically and aesthetically beautiful surroundings of St James Church.
Book through Moshtix here:
http://www.moshtix.com.au/event.aspx?id=48599&ref=microloanfoundation
Our average client in Mulanje, 37 years old, 4 children, selling fish and called Dorothy
Sunday, April 24th, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
It is interesting looking at the detail statistics we receive each quarter from our in country partner MLF Malawi.
The big picture is that, during 2010 our office in Mulanje, southern Malawi , made 1802 new loans to women who support 3,600 dependents. MLF Malawi not only provided the loans to set up nearly 50 different kinds of small businesses, but they provided the vital business training to help our new clients overcome their nerves of becoming small time entrepreneurs.
Our average client is around 37 years old: has 4 dependents, (including, around half the time, at least one orphan). She may go through a number of loan cycles, but she will borrow MWK 14,000 (or $90) at any one time, but then has also managed to make savings of $20.
Her business is likely to be one of the Top 5 most popular enterprises being (1)selling fish, (2) selling bananas,(3) making flitters, (4) brewing beer, or (5) selling general groceries. Nevertheless, some have borrowed funds to set up tailoring businesses, cook scones, or become hair dressers. Jean Majawa has even turned her hand to becoming a carpenter.
There is a reasonable chance her first name is some wonderful throw back to early 20th century Britain such as: Mary, Magret, Rose, Dorothy or Agness (Top 5 in Mulanje)
Although our client is likely to be in her mid thirties, we have several borrowers who have just reached the minimum borrowing age of 18, and a number of borrowers well into retirement age.
Martha Palchina is going to be 79 years old this year, but is still running her ground nut business to support her 8 dependants. But Martha is not the most dedicated mum, no that must surely go to Lizineti Chiwaya who at the tender age of 38 years has 17 dependents or which are 8 orphans. No wonder she runs a second hand clothes business.
It is really is quite fascinating seeing what our clients do.
Website woes!
Sunday, April 17th, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Over the last few months our website has been playing up, such that posted entries and updates have been deleted for no descernible reason. In the end we traced this to unreliabilty of our web hosting company. In the last 2 weeks our very own David Bateson and Pete Accini from BA Creative have worked hard to migrate our website to a more reliable web host. Unfortunately moving a website is trickier than one would expect, and a few issues remain to be fixed such as the temporary loss of a number of pictures.
Please bear with us during this testing time – our website is the main form of communication with you, our supporters.
Once reliable we will be adding new content including the 2010 review of MicroLoan world wide.
Thank you
$35,029 to Malawi – thank you Ubuntu
Saturday, April 2nd, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Now that all the money is in, Ubuntu Art 2011 raised over $35,000 to help our work in Malawi.
This money will now be transferred to our partner in Africa, - MLF Malawi who will use the money exclusively to provide loans to women in the Mulange area. $35,000 equates to about MWK 5,400,000, and based on actual loans issued in 2010 in the “Australian” office, the money raised over one week end will provide 390 new loans to women who want to make difference to their lives. MLF Malawi also provides the all important business training and on going mentoring to help these women make a success of their new ventures.
So thanks to Ian, Gillian and Cathy from Ubuntu yet again for making 2011 such a great year for nearly 400 families in Malawi.
What women & children in Malawi think.Barnardo’s report.
Tuesday, March 15th, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
In 2009, two Directors from Barnodos Children’s Charity in the UK, carried out a 4 month independent research program into the work of MLF in Malawi by interviewing a cross section of women who were the recipients of our loans. Jane Stacey and Jane Parker also took the unusual step of interviewing the children of these women to get an understanding of their lives and how it was affected by MicroLoan.
The report makes fascinating reading, but the overriding message was that MicroLoans did make a positive difference, and in more than half the cases, a significant difference to the quality of life for the client and her families.
The kids themselves saw many tangible benefits, not least being able to attend school more regurlarly, as their mothers had more money for school uniforms. (The percentage of families where their children missed days at school because of no uniform fell from 56% before the loans to 5% post loans – page 34 report)
For a copy of the report go to the Links opposite of download here.
Impact Report 2009/10
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Each year our sister charity in Britain publishes a report on the activities of MicroLoan in Africa. This year’s report has just been published and gives a wonderful insight in how your money and those of other overseas donors are used by our in country business partner MLF Malawi.
To download the Review click here, or go to the Links opposite