A Smart, Creative, Biblical Way to Equip the Poor in West Africa

It seems to me that the strategic initiative ASSET (Advancing Stewardship • Social Enterprise • Training) is a very compelling way to implement holistic, biblically based, church-centered Microfinance with Education in the Majority World. They write, "In contrast to the traditional, credit-led approach to microfinance, the Chalmers Center promotes what's now considered a game changer within the microfinance space: the promotion of savings and credit associations (SCAs) in poor communities."

Their approach to microfinance has the following advantages:

eliminates the need for outside capital
is user-owned and operated
builds on indigenous operated
offers finance for emergencies, life cycle needs, and business investment
is easy to implement
is self-replicating
can operate in rural areas (where 70% of the world's poor live)
has lower cost per beneficiary
can reach the "extreme" poor

 

You can learn more here, and watch a little intro below: