Unleash
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

Reyna's Story
Reyna's Story

In spite of the economic situation across the country, I continue working and fighting to offer a better future to my son and my family...

At 35, Reyna is a successful entrepreneur, running a grocery store in her neighborhood. She also sells products derived from quartering three to four pigs every week, generating employment.

MiCredito, MEDA's microfinance partner in Nicaragua, has granted Reyna three loans, with which she has increased her inventories and her customer base. Reyna says, “I am very contented with the loans made to me. With the profits I was able to purchase the land where my business is located and I improved the conditions of place where the pigs are quartered.”

A MiCredito credit officer reports that, “Reyna, besides being an excellent client, is taking accounting and her 10-year-old son attends a private school.”

Reyna says that, “in spite of the economic situation across the country, I continue working and fighting to offer a better future to my son and my family with MiCredito's support."