One must be entrepeneurial to survive on less than a dollar a day.  A wide variety of organizations throughout the world are using microfinance, the provision of small loans, to tap this entrepeneurial spirit and help rural women improve their livelihoods.   Pioneered by the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, this pro poor model has been proven effective again and again in India, Rwanda, Haiti, and elsewhere. The number of organizations offering micro-credit in Haiti has grown considerably but there is still a need for expansion.  

The South Florida Sun Sentinel ran an article concerning the failure of reforestation efforts in Haiti.  While little progress has been made to date, there have been small successes.  We can learn a great deal by examining the programs which are doing well,  asking ourselves why, and then replicating them.  Read more »