| | |  Vallarta Living 
PEACE Announces New Microfinance Organization
 Mar Moller - SeMasMicroFinanzas.com
August 03, 2010
| | To become a donor or investor to !Sé Más! contact Molly Fisher at (329) 291-5157 or Molly.Fisher(at)semasmicrofinanzas.com | |
Change is in the air! As the season turns a corner and the humidity settles over Nayarit, PEACE has been busy with its own developments.
As many of you know, PEACE has been building a microfinance organization to provide capital and business development skills to local microenterprises. Two weeks ago, ¡Sé Más! (Be More!) was officially launched and is proud to present its enthusiastic team and initial progress.
About ¡Sé Más!
Mission: To offer a full suite of quality financial services that responds to the needs of low income families and acts as a catalyst to boost and keep clients out of poverty
Vision: To work hand-in-hand with clients to help them build solutions for a better quality of life over the long-term
High Demand
We are currently offering a loan range of $1,000-$5,000 pesos which will be distributed to borrowers in lending groups at a 3% monthly interest rate for on-time payment. Although that may seem like a high interest rate, it is in fact half the interest rate offered by local microfinance banks like Compartamos and a third of what is usually charged by local loan sharks.
Loan recipients will also be provided with initial financial literacy training and weekly business development meetings with their loan officer. So far, there are over 200 interested local entrepreneurs from Punta de Mita, Higuera Blanca, Sayulita, El Guamichil, San Ignacio, Mezcales, La Cruz, and Bucerias.
As a result we need to find almost $50,000 in funding as soon as possible so we can provide them with loans in the next three months. You can help out by providing an interest free loan today. It is a great way to make a social investment at virtually no cost! Please see the attachment to this email for more information!
Make an interest free loan today to support ¡Sé Más!
WHAT: This program allows social investors to directly support local microentrepreneurs at virtually no cost. For example, a loan of $5,000 USD can support a total of 60 microentrepreneurs over the course of a year. All social investors will receive a quarterly report on the businesses they are supporting. Email Molly Fisher for more information at molly.fisher(at)semasmicrofinanzas.com.
WHY: A very small loan can give someone the chance they need to create a business to support their family. By donating a loan, instead of a handout, local entrepreneurs can achieve economic stability with the dignity that stems from solving their own problems instead of accepting demoralizing hand outs. Your donation will not only act as a catalyst to boost and keep clients out of poverty, but will bring dignity and self esteem along with respect from the community.
HOW: 1.) A social investor makes a loan to PEACE, interest free for one year. 2.) PEACE sends the funds directly to ¡Sé Más! 3.) ¡Sé Más! lends the funds to micro entrepreneurs in the Bay of Banderas. 4.) The money is lent four times over the course of the year to micro entrepreneurs 5.) Interest charged on the loans remains with ¡Sé Más! to cover operating costs; any profits are donated to PEACE. 6.) If any loans are not repaid in full, the social investor receives a tax deductible receipt for the lost funds. 7.) After a year, the funds can be returned to the social investor or lent again.
The Team
Meet Mar Moller: Our first loan officer is a Bahia de Banderas local who was born in Bucerias and went to high school at the American School in Puerto Vallarta. He graduated in May from Western Washington University with a degree in International Business. Welcome Mar, we are so glad to have you!
Meet Pablo Lubbert: Pablo is working with ¡Sé Más! this summer to help us create an information management system and a system for tracking financial metrics. He is currently half-way through his MBA at Columbia Business School. Pablo is a native of Chile and prior to starting his MBA, he worked for both Metlife Chile and Banco Santander. He is also founded part of Un Techo para Chile, an NGO that helps homeless families. Thanks Pablo, for helping us reach financial sustainability ASAP!
Meet Florencia Mora: Florencia is helping us create our financial literacy curriculum and a survey to monitor social impact. She is a native of Argentina and a psychologist by training. She also has experience in banking as well as in community development and education. What a great combo!
Meet our Board of Directors: Melissa Floca, Molly Fisher, Fernando Valerio, Ken Dahl, Dennis Barsema, Linda Moller and Bob Fletcher. Thanks to everyone for working over-time to make ¡Sé Más! a reality!
We are also working with a pro bono consulting team from Columbia Business School that is researching additional financial products and services such as insurance and individual loans. They will be visiting in late summer to present their recommendations. More details to come soon!
Get Involved
To apply for a loan contact: Mar Moller Credit Adviser at Cell: 322-141-5504 or Mar.Moller(at)semasmicrofinanzas.com
To become a donor or investor to !Sé Más! contact: Molly Fisher Board Member !Sé Más! at Cell: 322-138-5064, Tel: (329) 291-5157 or Molly.Fisher(at)semasmicrofinanzas.com
To become a volunteer or intern with ¡Sé Más! contact: Melissa Floca Board Member !Sé Más! at Cell: 552-270-1861 or Melissa.floca(at)semasmicrofinanzas.com
Your contributions allow us to grow and expand our programs, providing more opportunities for those living in the Bahía de Banderas.
Thank you for your interest and support as we strive to deliver a pathway out of poverty.
In Peace,
Mar Moller
¡Sé Más!
Email: mar.moller(at)semasmicrofinanzas.com
Tel: (322) 141-5504
Website: SeMasMicroFinanzas.com
 PEACE: Protection, Education, Animals, Culture and Environment, is a nonprofit organization established in 2005, made of four main programs which focus on education, entrepreneurship, animal well-being, and community engagement in the coastal regions of Nayarit, Jalisco and Quintana Roo, Mexico. Through innovative and community based programs, PEACE is working to improve the quality of life in local communities throughout the Bahía de Banderas. For more information, please visit PeaceMexico.org or click HERE to read more about PEACE |
|
| |
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us