NextBillion.net - Development Through Enterprise - Latin America - Comments

yes

madrid man — Thu, 08 May 2008 09:20:25 -0500

I think that idea is from India, where they have had this kind of loans for 15 years.

Affordable Housing For Streetchildren In Phillipines

Ivan Paton — Tue, 06 May 2008 05:52:14 -0500

Dear Mr. McClean, I saw your comment expressing interest in affordable housing for streetchildren in the Philippines. I would like to offer a suggestion. Have you considered using shipping containers? They have many advantages for conversion to affordable housing. They are structurally sound. They are stackable and can be used in multi-level developments. They can be welded or bolted together depending on the level of permanence required. They can be pre-fabricated in countries where labour is competitive and shipped worldwide. The exteriors can be clad with a permanent product like James Hardies weatherboard (50 year guarantee) and the finished product could be such that the residents or neighbourhood would have no idea that the structures were made of steel shipping containers. Rainwater could be harvested into permanent storage tanks that could provide the residents with most if not all of their water needs free of charge. If the budget allowed it then alternative energy systems could also be fitted - wind or thermal turbines, and solar panels and most of the energy requirements could be met this way. I would be interested to know more about Global Family and what you do as well. Yours sincerely Ivan M. Paton (ivanpaton@hotmail.com)

PURCHASE PLASTIC HOUSE?

IAN Maclean — Sun, 04 May 2008 06:21:51 -0500

GREETINGS FROM THE PHILIPPINES: I want to build a plastic building facility to house homeless street children here in the Philippines. Please email me details and cost to purchase. Kindest regards, Ian McLean, Chairman GLOBAL FAMILY

techical know-how of plastic home

Mohamed Haniff — Sun, 04 May 2008 01:10:06 -0500

I would like to know the various aspects of plastic homes built in Venezuela. kindly, send details of the same for import of such homes to India.

Microcredit creates obscene poverty - report by France24

Amon — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:01:19 -0500

The crushing burden of microcredit Friday 04 April 2008 In Bangladesh, FRANCE 24 reporters find that far from alleviating poverty, microcredit has been plunging people deeper into debt. Microcredit changed Shobi Rani’s life. An impoverished yoghurt seller, Rani travels across her region in northern Bangladesh on a cycle rickshaw, selling her dairy produce. She is a beneficiary of microcredit, the much touted development scheme to help eradicate poverty. Three months ago, Rani received a loan for 500 euros from the Grameen Bank to start her little dairy enterprise. Every week, a bank official carefully checks how her business is going. The brainchild of Rani’s fellow countryman Mohammed Yunus, who won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, the Grameen Bank has been hailed for executing the microcredit mantra: giving the poor a helping hand, not a handout. Called “the banker of the poor,” Grameen has been attracting big businesses such as Danone, the French food giant, who supplies the yoghurt to Rani and thousands of other women in the area involved in similar projects. But the situation is far from rosy in Kalihati, one of the first Bangladeshi villages to benefit from Grameen’s low interest credit scheme. The villagers here who have taken a loan are unable to reimburse their credit, and claim to be harassed by Grameen Bank representatives. Korshed Alom, a former debt collector, was put into early retirement for having questioned the Grameen Bank’s methods: “Their technique is to scare borrowers and insult them. We tell them to sell their clothes, that they have no other choice. I’m not proud of myself, but several times, I had even been obliged to say ‘sell your children.’” The Bank’s representatives choose not to respond to these accusations. It is impossible to obtain an interview with Mohammed Yunus, and the Grameen Bank headquarters are off-limits for journalists who are too curious. The Grameen Bank counts more than 100 million clients in the world’s poorest countries. It targets 500 million clients in 2020. -grameen-bank-mohammed-yunnus... ------------------------ This is well known by now, microcredit rips off the poor and makes them poorer. It should be illegal.

water treatment

Barbara — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 18:53:56 -0500

I am not third world but do live in a part of Wyoming where dinosaurs roamed, hence water with TDS of 3600+ and dangerous levels of sodium and sulfates. I am pretty desperate to find a solution that would treat my water just out of the well. I have horses and they cannot drink this water. Would Mr. Kamen's invention be a possibility for me?

yunus the world's most trusted

chris macrae — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:46:29 -0500

I am not surprised to see yunus call for an entrepreneurial revolution at WB since my father's 1984 book written after 5 decades at The Economist timelined exactly such a system change to economics with 2008 the deadline if the world was going to escape major sustainability meltdowns http://www.normanmacrae.com/netfuture.html I am a bit surprised that for 3 years in row now our survey of world's most trusted person has ranked Yunus clearly number 1 - not personally surprised that is but staggered by Washington's apparent disinterest in such findings chris macrae 301 881 1655

Mobile Toilet Restroom Trailers - You can die from tainted water

Helicopter Tour Guy — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 12:53:22 -0500

I enjoyed this thoroughly...My son for whatever reason, decided to take a swig of Mexican water from the Restroom Trailers we had rented and drove from the states...Of course it was filled with Mexico tainted water, long story short he nearly died... I commend D-Lab for their innovation...using baby bottles to cut cost and make purification cost effective for everyone deserves ra ra...thanks Good thing we didn't have Portable Sinks we'd be one short at the dinner table

MIcro loans are the best way

Anonymous — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:46:30 -0500

MIcro loans are the best way to help solve the problem of immigrants coming across the Mexico border into the United States looking for jobs. Instead of them coming here, the micro loans will enable the Mexicans to set up a business for themselves in their own country, which will give them a steady cashflow. It's a nearly foolproof way to slow the number of illegal immigrants coming into the country.

Ethics & Repayment

Rob Fore — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 16:05:22 -0500

What really stands out for me is the repayment rate of US consumers verus the much higher repayment rates of those in Bangladesh and Jamaica. It's almost as if "we" come from an entitlement mode while "they" come from a more integris mode. Perhaps there is a lesson to learn here...

Please Help.

Candace Jones — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 13:41:23 -0500

I am a single mother, that is a full time student and part time worker. I am in need of a loan to help me finish college. i need to borrow just $3500 bucks and I will be fine. If any one out there reads this and can help me please contact me @ samcandmuh@hotmail.com. I will be so appericative.

Need to Contact Mr. Kamen

Vincent Ricasio — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 00:06:54 -0500

Dear Mr. Kamen: I am interested in helping raise money to get your water purification device manufactured and sold at reasonable price. I am helping poor communities that even now desperately need safe but economical water for drinking and household use. Please get back to me at the above email. I need to help them as soon as possible. Sincerely, Vincent Ricasio New York University

price barriers

Arnoud — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 06:23:49 -0500

With great interest I read the article on mr. Kamen being active in solutions for the Bottom of the Pyramid. Great minds like his can have huge spinoff. I would be very much interested in an estimate on the price the poor will have to pay for his solutions. Or if not know yet: what does he think the price barrier is? Is it sold directly to the poor and if not, to who will it be sold? These are questions we run into on a daily basis when selling water and energy products to the BoP.

MFI for the poorest

Josh — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 17:38:51 -0500

I read with pride the posting about Fonkoze's global summit. As both a participant in the summit and one continuing to work in Haiti, I can attest to the apparent galvanization of effort taking place there. "If it can happen in Haiti, it can happen anywhere" was a sentiment frequently echoed during this summit. As to how others might adapt their MFI work to the poorest of the poor, I would suggest talking to those who defaulted on their MFI loans, and partnering with organizations that can address those issues. In Fonkoze's case, healthcare was the main issue, and so partnership with Zanmi Lasante was the key.

finance me with $2000

Fredrick Ofili — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 20:31:10 -0500

Please i need this money tommorrow or next. I may not frequently be online. But contact me on my cellular phone on +2348037661785. Be sent thro western union.