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HISG Pursues Community Development in South America

Kay Hiramine at a meeting in South America

HISG staff members are currently in South America, exploring ways to assist in community development. One of the chief purposes of this trip is to identify situations where micro-finance loans can be used to provide sustainable employment and income in poor communities. A great deal of recent research has demonstrated the impact of micro-finance loans, and HISG has been able to use this model with great success in the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Mauritania, and many other countries around the world.

Micro-finance is a method for starting sustainable businesses that help people lift themselves out of poverty. People who have no opportunity for credit from large institutions are able to launch sustainable businesses with loans that are sometimes as small as $50. That may not seem like a significant amount of money, but when 2.7 billion people earn less than $2 per day, a small loan that can start an agriculture or craft business can change an entire family's economic future. In many cases, repayment rates are above 95% for these small loans.

HISG has provided startup money, in the form of grants rather than loans, for a number of small businesses in nations around the world. In addition to startup money, HISG is also able to offer guidance on how to operate and grow a business. Most of those grants have yielded incredible results and we are anxious to see the possibilities in South America, specifically in the Tri-Border region where Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil meet. We believe there is enormous potential in this area, even though much of the population is very poor. Please check back with us for updates on how HISG is using the micro-enterprise formula to impact these communities. If you would like to contribute money for either a micro-enterprise loan or grant, please contact us.