Microfinance as a Means to Many Ends

At its root, microfinance is intended to reduce poverty by providing the poor with credit to pursue goals not attainable without a monetary head start. However, the success of microfinance has attracted the attention of groups interested in using microfinance as a means to a more specific end. There may be some who think these are distractions or encumbrances on the primary goal. I don’t. I think leveraging the success of microfinance to achieve other ends is a testament to its utility. Here are a few goals, and the associated groups working to achieve them through microfinance:

• Education: Vittana.org
• Health: Promujer
• Environment: Microenergycredits.com
• Peace: International Microfinance and Peacebuilding Symposium
• Art: Artist Micro Credit Program

So those are just a few. Can anyone else think of organizations that use microfinance to achieve their primary goal?