Many people consider providing education and job opportunities for women to be important, not just for their effects on fertility but also as a matter of social justice. One organization that works on this is the Foundation for International Community Assistance (FINCA), which provides microfinance services to low-income people, mostly women. Explore the FINCA website (www.finca.org).
Evaluate the website and work with the information to answer the following questions:
Is FINCA a trustworthy organization? Does it have a clear and transparent agenda?
Who runs this organization? Do his or her credentials make the work of the organization and the information presented reliable or unreliable? Explain.
What are the mission and vision of this organization? What are its underlying values? How do you know this?
Do you agree with FINCA’s assessment of the problems and concerns about poverty? Explain.
Explore the “About FINCA” links.
What are microfinance and village banking? Does the website provide supporting evidence for FINCA’s claims about how these programs can help the poor? Is the evidence reliable?
What is the Smart Microfinance Campaign, and why is it important to microfinance clients?
Do you think FINCA’s business model is valid and effective? Explain.
Select the “Take Action” link.
Who can be a part of FINCA’s solution? How can they get involved?
Identify a specific solution and the strategy to accomplish it. Are the solution sufficient and the strategy reasonable? Explain.
How might the FINCA model influence cultural, economic, and demographic factors that influence population growth?
Find an additional case study online at www.macmillanhighered.com/launchpad/saes2e