The revolution of microenterprise development is built on   the foundation of a simple truth: Many of the world's poorest people are a good credit risk. A lifetime of struggling just for food and shelter fosters the kind of single-minded drive that it takes to start or build a small business. Rather than being merely victims, the world's poor are the key to their own emergence from poverty. Given a working chance - just a start - they can begin to build their own future.

Microenterprise development started as microcredit - the provision of small, collateral-free loans to the poor in developing nations. Over time, this term has expanded to include a broader range of services such as savings and insurance, all encompassed by the term microfinance.

But poverty is multidimensional. Therefore, microenterprise development builds on the foundation of microfinance and adds business training, mentoring, financial planning and leadership development.

By helping a poor family to increase their income, microenterprise development has an immediate and lasting impact on quality of life - the ability to afford food, shelter, education and healthcare. As business income increases, the business is able to expand, and the effect spreads beyond the family into the local community, through employment and contribution to the local economy. Thus, the benefits of microenterprise development help grow not just businesses, but stronger communities as well.

What kind of businesses do our clients operate?

They operate very small businesses in the informal sector-food preparation, sewing, knitting, weaving, and basket making, for example. Other popular activities are retail businesses, where clients buy and resell goods like fruit, vegetables, clothing, soap, and hairbrushes. Some are farmers raising chicken, pigs, and fish.

Entrepreneur Training & Development

Trust Group programs target the poorest of the working poor, especially women, by providing financial services along with training that aids in positive transformation of families and communities. The collective wisdom of several Trust Group pioneers among the MEMG Network partners, combined with their hard work on behalf of the poor in their countries, has led to the development of a field-driven and field-tested set of best practices.  Training and development occurs on an ongoing basis through the use of cutting edge Video Phone Technology.  In our quest to increase proficeiency on the part of our micro entrepreneurs, we have built a high level communication process using GlobalLinks and Skype technology.

With this technology, training is conducted face to face with our staff and lenders who volunteer to serve the needs of the poor.