FAMVIN News

One participant described it as the “Vincentian Family’s best kept secret”. The “Globe” initiative from St. John’s University in NY,  a Vincentian university, trains students  in micro-finance techniques. The recently concluded “Training the Trainers“  workshop focusing on systemic change presented a series of “Trailblazer” workshops illustrating how the Vincentian Family is already moving toward systemic [...]

At a June 29 conference — the world’s largest gathering of international volunteer and service leaders from the non-profit, government and corporate sectors — St. John’s presented “It’s a Borrower’s Market: Microfinance in Action,” which showcased the University’s service partnership with Grameen America. Related FAMVIN Posts:“GLOBE – students changing the world, one loan at a [...]

Voice of America writes, “A new website makes it easier for the Haitian diaspora in the United States to help fund the reconstruction of their homeland following January’s devastating earthquake. Zafen.org connects projects in Haiti with individual and institutional sources of funding. Zafèn means ‘It’s our business’ in Haitian Creole. Podcast Related FAMVIN Posts:Vincentians transforming [...]

“Building new life out of fragility” is one of the themes of the Superior General’s Lenten letter. What can  Vincentians do? No one can doubt the fragility of life in Haiti. But followers of Vincent and Louise ask what are the next steps, “long term solutions”? Here are some next steps – big and little,  [...]

As part of our worldwide celebration, the Vincentian Family has initiated a project, Zafen.org, in partnership with Fonkoze, the largest microfinance institution in Haiti, to empower sustainable, economic development in Haiti.  Zafen, Creole for “It’s our business,” has been developed to bring together a global community of lenders and donors who believe in the power [...]

GLOBE, a student-managed academic program at St. John’s University, provides loans to entrepreneurs in the developing world.   Through GLOBE, students are educated about the world of microfinance while helping the poorest of the poor help themselves and their families out of poverty.  Students, in describing their mission as part of GLOBE, say: “We are committed [...]

Can ground-up “banking for the poor” work in the United States? In Belleville, Ill., a Society of St. Vincent de Paul council thinks micro-financing, pioneered by Nobel prize winner Mohammed Yunus, can. Related FAMVIN Posts:A Grandfather describes impact of VinMore Mobil Outreach eventInternational meeting of Vincentian Youth 2013Mini Vinnies – Big HeartsVinnies Chief Executive Officer [...]

“So, if you find yourself engaged in a debate about the usefulness of microfinance, from now onwards let the speaker know that yes microfinance has been proven to have a significantly positive economic (consumption, nutrition and asset accumulation) and social (female empowerment) impact on the of the poor and that this positive effect is very [...]