“The Missing Middle”

Come join us for our next event…

Register Here: http://svmn20080728.eventbrite.com

What is it really like to run a microfinance institution? What does it feel to be a loan officer?  What things keep you up at night?  How do you decide who to loan to?  What do you do if someone just can’t repay?  Come hear from three leading microfinance institutions: Pro Mujer, WORTH, and WAMER; about their experiences in the field,;and dealing with the day to day operational challenges of microfinance.

When: Monday, July 28th

6:00-6:30pm: Registration, Dinner & Networking
6:30-8:00pm: Speaker & Discussion
8:00-8:30pm: Networking & Wrapup

Location:

eBay Corporate Office, “Community Building”
2065 Hamilton Ave
San Jose, CA 95125

Cost (dinner included):

in advance: $20 regular attendee | $10 for students & non-profits (with ID)
at the door: $25 regular attendee| $15 for students & non-profits (with ID)

Speaker Bios:

Gloriana Guillen’s professional experience spans the sectors of communications, marketing, and international development. She currently works as a Communications & Marketing Manager for Pro Mujer, an 18-year-old Latin American microfinance and women’s development network.

She manages fundraising communications: marketing, public relations and the website for the Pro Mujer Network; and also contributes to internal communications tasks, including providing support to Pro Mujer’s microfinance institutions with their communications efforts and dissemination of Pro Mujer’s best practices among the Network.

Prior to working in microfinance, Gloriana worked for Oxfam Great Britain, where responsibilities included launching a communications strategy to engage youth with Oxfam’s work and leading Oxfam’s volunteer program. Prior to this, she was the Latin American Manager for the Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership. During her earlier career, she worked as an anchor and research journalist for Costa Rican Channel 4 News, Channel 15 and Radio Universidad.

Gloriana holds a Master’s in Management of Non-Governmental Organizations from the London School of Economics and Political Science, where she was awarded the Chevening Scholarship, a Master’s in Film & Electronic Media from American University, where she was a Fulbright Scholar, and a B.A. in Communications with an emphasis in Journalism from the University of Costa Rica.

Jaqueline Mwaba serves in programs, operations & as an NBD Advisor for the WORTH Support Unit in Nairobi, Kenya. WORTH is a program for Pact, a US-based non profit organization whose mission is to help build strong communities globally that provide people with an opportunity to earn a dignified living, raise healthy families and participate in democratic life. Pact achieves this by strengthening the capacity of grassroots organizations, coalitions and networks and by forging linkages among government, business and citizen sectors to achieve social economical and environmental justice.

In 2006, Jaqueline led the implementation of the WORTH program in Zambia, working with 3 international NGOs and 7 community based organizations (CBOs). WORTH is a women economical empowerment program based on self help, it combines literacy, saving-led village banking and microenterprises. Based on the premise that ‘dependence is not empowering’ and working through 200 women groups and 7 CBOs, the program reached more than 5000 poor women in a rural district enabling them to become literate (essential for transparency in their village banks), save money, access loans and start various businesses. Profits realized from such businesses were then used to meet basic needs for their families. Additionally, these groups provided a forum for women to discuss social issues that affected their communities and eventually became agents of social change.

Jaqueline is of Zambian descent and holds a Master’s Degree in Education.

Awa Ndiaye serves as the Micro-Finance Project Officer for the World Wildlife Fund WAMER. She works with stakeholders in her community to reduce poverty while conserving the environment. For example, through micro-financing, Awa has helped 600 fisherman turn to other income-generating activities such as gardening, animal breeding, and trade, at the same time enabling depleted fish populations to recover.

Awa’s vision is to build a future where people can earn livelihoods while living in harmony with nature. She also wants to increase the capacity of women to participate in community life and decision making. Awa has established two credit unions with more than 1200 members. In west Senegal, 98 percent of the women hold responsible positions in the cooperative union. In Cayar, 40 percent of the women are decision makers in the union. “My challenge,” she says, “is to have stakeholders in my community link up conservation strategies and activities with effective poverty reduction and build the capacity of women in financial management.”
Awa holds a degree in Agricultural Engineering, a Master’s Degree in Econometric Statistics, and certificates in Economic Tools for Conservation and in Climate Change.