Cherlin

Microcredit Conference

Existing microcredit programs cover more than 100 million people. To get to full coverage of 4 billion poor people requires a 40-fold expansion. Microcredit is vital to getting ICT into villages. Several billion dollars will be needed as seed capital. Then as the initial loans are repaid with interest, programs will be able to expand and fund further development.

"The Asia/Pacific Regional Microcredit Summit Meeting of Councils will be held February 16-19, 2004 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The regional summit will be preceded on February 14 and 15 by optional two-day field visits to either ASA, BRAC, Grameen Bank, PKSF, or Padakhep (an institution serving street children). Submission of a 2003 Institutional Action Plan will be a prerequisite for attending. Additional details including hotel and registration information will be forwarded when they become available."