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Entrepreneurship
Lift communities out of poverty, one business at a time

IMPORTANT MESSAGE ABOUT MEDA TRUST

Dear MEDA Trust supporters,

Thank you for helping the working poor in Afghanistan and Nicaragua find new roads out of poverty through your sponsorship of microloans.

The creation of MEDA Trust in 2006 provided us a great opportunity to offer supporters like you a chance to become closer to MEDA clients. When we designed MEDA Trust, we wanted to help you engage friends, colleagues and family members – to pass along your faith, values and concern for the poor to your children and grandchildren.

Three years ago, we embarked on the Afghanistan Challenge, where donations to our microfinance work in Afghanistan were matched dollar for dollar by the Government of Canada. You may have noticed that we no longer offer Afghan loans on MEDA Trust. That’s because – thanks to your support – we have met our goal to provide loan capital for microfinance in Afghanistan. That work continues through a group of microfinance banks with which MEDA remains closely connected.

With our commitment in Afghanistan now fulfilled, we had an opportunity to review the feasibility of our MEDA Trust initiative, and have decided to dismantle MEDA Trust effective March 31. Until March 31, you can still visit MEDA Trust to view loans, make new loans to Nicaragua and track repayments. Your donations to date will continue to be used by our partner microfinance institutions to fund new loans.

As the world of microfinance has grown beyond loans to offering savings and other financial services that many in the Western world take for granted, MEDA has broadened its areas of expertise to help financial institutions in developing countries meet the growing needs of their customers, ensuring they have continued access to financial services.

The advent of social media is providing new and exciting ways to engage others – so stay tuned for more information on our changing online landscape! Again, thank you for your continuing support, and your commitment to creating business solutions to poverty.

Allan Sauder
President

Rosa's Story
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Rosa's Story

The Oriental Market is the economic heart of Nicaragua. Located in the city of Managua, it is the largest market in Central America with over 20,000 stores serving 50,000 people daily.  The market is the main indicator of economic activity in Nicaragua.

When a fire broke out in the market on the night of July 31, the impact was felt throughout the country. Over 1,000 stalls were damaged, causing an estimated $100 million in losses.

The fire is a daily reminder for Rosa Alejandra Potosame. Her market stall is on the edge of the fire-ravaged area. From there, she watches as construction workers rebuild the businesses of her friends and neighbors. The stall she rents in the market was not directly damaged by the fire, but she did lose some of her merchandise to looters in the days following. She has since noticed a drop in customer activity, but has not lost hope that business will pick up once the area is rebuilt.

Rosa is a 53-year-old mother of three. Her father died when she was 12 years old and she had to start working after completing elementary school to help support her family. Today, all three of her children have a university education, with one of her children studying for their PhD.

She ran a convenience store out of her home for over 20 years and used the money she saved to rent a stall in the Oriental Market. Her business has continued to grow thanks to three loans she has received from MiCredito. With each new loan, she’s been able to purchase more merchandise and expand her business.

Rosa hopes to buy her stall and continue to see her family grow and flourish. In the heart of Nicaragua – even amidst the ashes of a devastating fire – you can find resilience and hope for the future.