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HRC - FINCA [Foundation for International Community Assistance] Video 2/13/96
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HRC - FINCA [Foundation for International Community Assistance] Video 2/13/96
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Alison (Lissa) Muscatine's Files
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2-29-1996 6.02PM FROM FINCA" INTERNATIONAL 202682 535 P.2 June 193 DRAFT REMARKS FOR HiLLARY CLINTON'S VIDEO FOR FINCA To FINCA. its friends and supporters: I want io congratulate FINCA International on ten years of providing much-needed small loans to the poor. I would have liked w be present on the occasion of FINCA's tenth anniversary gala, but unfortunately, previous commitments demand my attention on this day. I did, however, want to tell you how important I think your work of bringing credit to those without opportunities is. To truly help the poor, both at home and abroad, we must help them to raise their own incomes. This is the vasis for any long-term solution to poverty. Most of us also realize that the poor are capable and hardworking: what they lack is not initiative, but opportunity. FINCA has taken this idea to heart. And through its 2,500 village banks, it has provided the poor with opportunity - the opportunity to star! small businesses, to borrow small amounts of money to help those businesses grow, to prove that they are creditworthy, and. most important, the opportunity to improve their inn lives. FINCA engages in economic development & the grassroots level, where it can take root and grow. and produce amazing results. 1 saw those results first hand on my visit to the FINCA Village Bank "Mujeres Unidas" Mothers United in Managua, Nicaragua. None of the women 1 met was wealthy as 1 result of her participation in viliage banking. But the stories that members told me indicated that their lives had clearly improved. Village banking had enabled many of them G work to carry through the ideas they had for helping to support their families. It had helped their fledgling businesses -- selling tortillas, sewing clothing, baking bread. - in grow and thrive. Orten, the women began with no more money than the amount it takes to buy goods in buik, such as com meal, fabric, or flour But though small, these loans of $50 to $300 had made a difference. They had allowed the women to produce more, to earn more, and is save. The Nicaraguan village bankers were proud that their carnings had improved the welfare O! their families proud that they had become productive members of the community. They had become a network of support for one another, 100, giving their chosen "Mothers United" special meaning. I was touched to hear that. after my visit, the village bank voted to change its name to "Mothers United with Hillary I am proud as any mother would be to be counted among those who are working !O make a better world for our children. 1 know how hard many of you must have worked over the past ten years to bring village banking to the more than 60,000 families in Africa. Asia and the Americas whom FINCA serves. I am particularly pleased to know that FINCA is taking its methodology to the former Soviet Union and 10 our own country T urge you to continue bringing hope. opportunity, and economic vitality into forgotten neighborhoods of the world. draft FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON VIDEOTAPED REMARKS for FINCA's 10TH ANNIVERSARY GALA AND AUCTION February 15, 1996 I am so happy to congratulate FINCA International on a decade of helping our world's less advantaged men and women help themselves. I only wish I could speak to you in person. The basis for any long-term solution to poverty rests in a community's ability to help those living in poverty raise their own incomes. Most of us realize that the poor are capable and hardworking. What they lack is not initiative, but opportunity. FINCA has taken this idea to heart. Through 2,500 local banks here and around the world, FINCA has provided the disadvantaged with opportunity -- the opportunity to borrow small amounts of money, to start small businesses, to prove that they are creditworthy, and most important, to improve their own lives and the lives of their families and communities. The modest loans you give have yielded amazing results. I saw those results firsthand on my visit to the FINCA Village Bank, "Mothers United" in Managua, Nicaragua. The women I met there told me how modest loans of $50 to $300 had changed their lives. One woman talked about a bakery business she had started; another made mosquito netting; still another told me how her loan enabled her to make a living as a seamstress. The hard-working women were proud that their earnings had made them even more productive members of their community. They had become a network of support for one another, too, giving their chosen name, "Mothers United,' special meaning. I know how hard many of you have worked over the past ten years to bring village banking to more than 60,000 families in Africa, Asia and the Americas. I am particularly pleased to know that FINCA is taking its methodology to the former Soviet Union and to our own country. I wish you only the best as you continue to bring hope, opportunity and economic vitality to the forgotten neighborhoods of the world. ### FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON VIDEOTAPED REMARKS for FINCA's 10TH ANNIVERSARY GALA AND AUCTION February 15, 1996 world's I am so happy to congratulate FINCA International on our len completing a successful decade wish of helping cound the world' S poor help themselves. I would much rather be speaking to all of you in advantged men T person. but I didn't want to miss the chance to tell you how important your work of bringing much needed credit to those women without opportunities is. herisehr. Prose living in poverty The basis for any long-term solution to poverty rests in the community's ability to help its poor raise their own incomes. Most of us realize that the poor are capable and hardworking; that what they lack is not initiative, but opportunity. FINCA has taken this idea to heart. And through 2,500 local banks here and around the world, FINCA has provided the poor with opportunity the opportunity to borrow small amounts of money, to start small businesses, to prove that they are creditworthy, and most important, to improve their own lives and The leves 8 rein Your the modest loans you have yielded amazing results. I saw those give last fall families + communitis. results firsthand on my visit to the FINCA Village Bank, "Mothers United" in Managua, Nicaragua. None of the women I met was More wores persing bullied 5' wealthy as a result of her participation in village banking. But the stories they told me indicated that their lives had clearly changed. Village banking had enabled many of them to support their families with small businesses. Modest loans of $50 to $300 had helped fledgling businesses selling tortillas, sewing V3 This & 25$1 clothing, baking bread -- to grow and thrive. This. One seamstress I met there told me she felt "like a caged was bird set free" after receiving a small loan to buy a sewing Chile, machine. The Nicaraguan village bankers were proud that their not earnings had helped their families and made them productive members of their community. They had become a network of support Manajue. for one another, too, giving their chosen name, "Mothers United, " special meaning. I was touched to hear that, after my visit, the village bank voted to change its name to "Mothers United with Hillary." I am honored as any mother would be to be counted among those who are working to make a better world for our children I know how hard many of you have worked over the past ten years to bring village banking to more than 60,000 families in Africa, Asia and the Americas. I am particularly pleased to know that FINCA is taking its methodology to the former Soviet Union and to our own country. I wish you only the best as you continue to bring hope, opportunity and economic vitality into the forgotten neighborhoods of the world. ### draft FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON VIDEOTAPED REMARKS for FINCA's 10TH ANNIVERSARY GALA AND AUCTION February 15, 1996 I am so happy to congratulate FINCA International on a decade of helping our world's less advantaged men and women help themselves. I only wish I could speak to you in person. The basis for any long-term solution to poverty rests in a community's ability to help those living in poverty raise their own incomes. Most of us realize that the poor are capable and hardworking. What they lack is not initiative, but opportunity. FINCA has taken this idea to heart. Through 2,500 local banks here and around the world, FINCA has provided the disadvantaged with opportunity -- the opportunity to borrow small amounts of money, to start small businesses, to prove that they are creditworthy, and most important, to improve their own lives and the lives of their families and communities. The modest loans you give have yielded amazing results. I saw those results firsthand on my visit to the FINCA Village Bank, "Mothers United" in Managua, Nicaragua. The women I met there told me how modest loans of $50 to $300 had changed their lives. One woman talked about a bakery business she had started; another made mosquito netting; still another told me how her loan enabled her to make a living as a seamstress. se The hard-working women were proud that their earnings had made them even more productive members of their community. They had become a network of support for one another, too, giving their chosen name, "Mothers United, special meaning. I know how hard many of you have worked over the past ten years to bring village banking to more than 60,000 families in Africa, Asia and the Americas. I am particularly pleased to know that FINCA is taking its methodology to the former Soviet Union and to our own country. I wish you only the best as you continue to bring hope, opportunity and economic vitality to the forgotten neighborhoods of the world. ### FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON VIDEOTAPED REMARKS for FINCA's 10TH ANNIVERSARY GALA AND AUCTION February 15, 1996 I am so happy to congratulate FINCA International on a decade of helping our world's less advantaged men and women help themselves. I only wish I could speak to you in person. The basis for any long-term solution to poverty rests in a community's ability to help those living in poverty raise their own incomes. Most of us realize that the poor are capable and hardworking that what they lack is not initiative, but opportunity. FINCA has taken this idea to heart. Through 2,500 local banks here and around the world, FINCA has provided the poor with opportunity -- the opportunity to borrow small amounts of money, to start small businesses, to prove that they are creditworthy, and most important, to improve their own lives and the lives of their families and communities. The modest loans you give have yielded amazing results. I saw those results firsthand on my visit to the FINCA Village Bank, "Mothers United" in Managua, Nicaragua. The women I met there told me how modest loans of $50 to $300 had changed their lives. The sums had helped them start or expand small businesses sewing clothing or baking bread. For many of them it was the first time they had been responsible for bringing cash into their homes. And, more often than not, they spent it in ways that improved the living conditions of their families. hard- works nomen The Nicaraguan village bankers were proud that their earnings had made them even more productive members of their community. They had become a network of support for one another, too, giving their chosen name, "Mothers United,' special meaning. I know how hard many of you have worked over the past ten years to bring village banking to more than 60,000 families in Africa, Asia and the Americas. I am particularly pleased to know that FINCA is taking its methodology to the former Soviet Union and to our own country. I wish you only the best as you continue to bring hope, opportunity and economic vitality into the forgotten neighborhoods of the world. tone woman talked about a bakry business she ### had started; another mode mostu L netty; shu anorer told me how She used her Loan 10-make-stack boker can business as a seas her. enabled her he make a Cig as a seaasters OFFICE OF SCHEDULING FOR THE FIRST LADY DATE ORGANIZATION/ EVENT FINCA international, Inc. DATE LOCATION EVENT DESCRIPTION STATUS ACCEPT REGRET PENDING VIDEO confermestates LETTER CONTACT Rupert Scofield 682-1510 NOTES FINCA INTERNATIONAL, INC. 1101 14th Street, N.W. 11th Floor Washington, DC 20005 202-682-1510 FAX 202-682-1535 Nicale 4 January, 1995 Attn: Katie Button Ms. Melanne Verveer Pis respond Office of the First Lady Room 100 Old Executive Office Building Can't So but can $6.800 Washington, DC 20500 Dear Ms. Verveer: Send photo morket for & video Enclosed you will find a briefing package that Jean Nelson suggested we prepare for you. Jan Piercy had also indicated that the First Lady might be interested in visiting a FINCA micro-credit program in the Washington, DC area. After her visit to FINCA Nicaragua, this would allow her to see how FINCA has brought village banking home. We would also like to extend a cordial invitation to Mrs. Clinton to join us as FINCA celebrates its tenth anniversary with a Gala and Fundraising Auction on March 21, 1996, at the National Photos- Museum of Women in the Arts. We will be creating a "FINCA Marketplace," where some of the ] members of our local village banks (called "self-employment associations" in the U.S. program) Barrio [will will display their products and offer information about their services. Our gala would provide Mrs. Clinton with an excellent opportunity to speak with a cross-section of video low-income borrowers from FINCA self-employment associations in the Washington area. We believe that her presence will also serve to highlight the benefits that microcredit programs can have in the United States, and forge a connection with the international efforts of which Mrs. Clinton has been so supportive. As Mrs. Clinton said in her address to the World Bank, microenterprise loans "give confidence to women who before had none, confidence to believe their lives are worthy, their children's lives are of value, and confidence in the future, which is the first step towards sustaining the kind of prosperity and democracy that future hope relies upon." We hope the First Lady will consider our request; her support, would help FINCA to reach even more low-income women as they strive toward the independence, prosperity, and confidence they deserve. Sincerely, Rupert Scofield Executive Director cc: Jan Piercy Jean Nelson Foundation for International Community Assistance Banking on the Poor FINCA USA WASHINGTON, DC PROGRAM AT A GLANCE Program Community counterparts 8 Self-Employment Associations 7 Entrepreneurs reached 56 Loans issued 54 loans for $35,850 Average loan size $664 Repayment rate 100% Total member savings $6,000 Member Profile Percent women 86% Percent minority 92% Estimated median income $20,000 Primary/only income earner 62% Public Assistance recipients 34% Business Profile Startup businesses 18% Type of Business 16% production; 18% commercial 66% service Percent with paid employees 19% Percent with unpaid employees 24% As of December 31, 1995 GREATER-DC SELF-EMPLOYMENT ASSOCIATIONS North Capitol Entrepreneurs Counterpart: North Capitol Neighborhood Development Corporation (NCND) Location: NCND (North Capitol St. and New York Ave., just north of the Capitol) Members: 3 women and 2 men: all African-American most live in the north capitol neighborhood Businesses: paging; catering; painting and home repair; commercial cleaning Association will receive their first loans on January 18. Providers United for Families Business Associates (PUFF) Counterpart: Danny Chitwood Early Learning Institute Location: Danny Chitwood Early Learning Institute (Arlandria neighborhood of Alexandria) Members: 8 women: 6 African American, 2 white. Businesses: all in-home child care providers; most specialize in caring for children with disabilities and other special needs. One member wants to focus exclusively on children who are HIV+ or have AIDS. Association will receive their second loans in late January or early February. Future Empowering Women Peer Lending Association (FEW PLA) Counterpart: Women Entrepreneurs of Baltimore Location: Henderson House (North Central Baltimore) Members: 9 women: 7 African-American, 1 Caribbean, 1 white. Businesses: Catering; event planning; barter/exchange; small business referral; clothing and jewelry design; child care Association will receive their second loans in mid February.