Student MFI Leaders Meet to Discuss the Future
Student led-discussions generated fresh microfinance ideas at “Scale and Sustainability: Increasing the Impact of Student-Led Microenterprise Organizations”
The Aspen Institute’s FIELD, the Intersect Fund and Elmseed Enterprise Fund co-hosted an event for emerging student-run MFI’s this past weekend at Rutgers University with the headline: “Scale and Sustainability: Increasing the Impact of Student-Led Microenterprise Organizations.” Nine of these organization (students from Brown, Bentley, Cornell, Rutgers, Yale, Lehigh, Duke and grads from UCLA and MIT) got together to exchange best practices, talk about ways to engage with the field, and figure out the best way to collaborate and leverage their diverse strengths.
As a microfinance practitioner, it was so refreshing to hear their new ideas and visions for their local organizations. I feel strongly that members of the seasoned microfinance field need to find ways to engage with these students, whether through internships, mentorships, or partnerships. I walked away so impressed and realized that this really is our future.
You can read more about the event on the Intersect Fund’s blog.
Are you involved in a student microfinace group? Leave a comment telling us about your organization and your experience working in the field.
October 29th, 2009 at 9:39 am
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