Micro-enterprise Development

What is it?

“A micro-enterprise is a type of small business. Persons who found a microenterprise are usually referred to as entrepreneurs. ”Typically, these entrepreneurs have no access to the commercial banking sector."

Today 980 million people (2004 Statistic) in developing countries live on less than a $1 a day. For 90% of the world’s hungry, food is available but money to buy it is not. There are multiple causes for poverty in countries. One of the most important factors is the high rate of unemployment. The poor often have entrepreneurial instincts but they lack the job training and financial capital to start small businesses.

The first Millennium Development Goal is to ‘Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty’. Specifically, to halve by 2015 the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 a day.

Micro-enterprise development programs combine small loans with training and mutual accountability. Recipients consistently work towards an improved quality of life which frequently impacts the broader community. These men and women often realize then they can help towards addressing other needs in their communities.
 

Obtain more information on our work with micro-enterprise in our Hunger for Change Annual Project.

We assist our partners with micro-enterprise development in:

• Angola with Evangelical Church of Angola
• Bolivia with Bolivian Baptist Union
• El Salvador with Emmanuel Baptist Church
• India with Burden of Love for the Economically and Socially Suppressed,Council of Christian Hospitals and Sharon Education Society
• Kenya with Africa Brotherhood Church and African Christian Church and Schools
• Rwanda with Association of Baptist Churches of Rwanda