What Microfinance in Nicaragua and Bolivia Looks Like

This is the topic that Global Partnerships staffer Chris Megargee and Seattle video team Rustin Thompson and Ann Hedreen are investigating in a 10-day trip through Nicaragua and Bolivia to document microfinance programs of three of GP’s partner groups.

To read real-time posts from the road about the extraordinary borrowers Chris and the team are meeting, follow along on our Facebook fan page and on Twitter. People like:

• Elisa and Rosa, clients of Global Partnerships’ microfinance partner FDL, who receive technical assistance such as training in vaccinating their chickens (pictured at left) as part of their loan package.
• FDL client Rosario, whose daughter Betsy is in her first year of university, thanks to the success of Rosario’s business.
• A 70-something FDL client named Porfirio, who demonstrated how he carefully prunes his 320 fruit trees to keep them healthy and flourishing.
• A León, Nicaragua, loan recipient named Norma, 59 years old, who only started receiving regular cervical cancer screenings when she became a Pro Mujer in Nicaragua client.

This Facebook photo album that Chris posted yesterday is a good place to start. The team heads to Bolivia tomorrow and is filming there until next Monday.