The Unsung Heroes of Microfinance: Microloan Officers
June 22, 2010 No CommentsEditor’s note: Below is an excerpt from an article originally published in the Global Partnerships newsletter on the important role that microloan officers serve. Read the entire article here.
Justiniano Osco drove his dirt bike right into the meeting room where 11 women–members of a communal lending group, or village bank, sat awaiting him. The “room” was an open field in Achocalla, Bolivia. Justiniano is the loan officer who leads the twice-monthly meetings for this village bank, providing trainings, facilitating the loan process and supporting these women who are working to better their lives with the help of microfinance.
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| Justiniano visits 20 village bank meetings a week, often in remote areas. |
I had the opportunity to meet Justiniano–a loan officer with Global Partnerships microfinance partner CRECER–last summer. I was immediately impressed by the respect that Justiniano showed the members of this village bank and the rapport he had with them. He started the meeting off with an icebreaker that involved jumping up and down in place—which led to lots of giggles as the women bounced in their broad skirts, derby hats perched on their heads and long braids flapping at their sides. He then led a participative training on good nutrition, complete with posters of the food pyramid.
Though he has every reason to be proud of his work, Justiniano is soft spoken and humble. An agronomist by training, he has served as a loan officer with CRECER for 11 years. He loves his job, in large part because he knows he is helping his own people.
Like many microfinance loan officers, Justiniano has a background that is very similar to the clients that he serves. He grew up in a poor, rural community: His parents were small farmers, working a tiny plot of land with a few animals.
See a 1-minute video of Justiniano at work.
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