Wokai: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added
Bird.ct (talk | contribs)
Bird.ct (talk | contribs)
Line 18:
 
==Activities==
Wokai allows accredited [[microfinance]] institutions in China, called "Field Partners", to post profiles of qualified local [[entrepreneur]]s on its website.<ref name="SF Chronicle"/> Wokai currently has two Field Partners, the Association for Rural Development of Yilong County (ARDY), which is based in Sichuan, and Chifeng Zhaowuda Women's Sustainable Development Association (CZWSDA), in Chifeng, Innter Mongolia. Lenders browse and choose an entrepreneur they wish to fund.<ref name="SF Chronicle"/> Wokai aggregates loan capital from individual lenders and transfers it to the appropriate Field Partners to disburse to the entrepreneur chosen by the lender.<ref name="About"/> The average loan is around $300 and is used by farmers to invest in simple business improvements such as adding additional livestock or buying new products for dry goods stores.<ref name="MSNBC" /> As the entrepreneurs repay their loans, the Field Partners remit funds back to Wokai and the lender is alerted of this repayment.<ref name="About"/><ref name="AsianWeek">[http://www.asianweek.com/2009/07/13/bay-area-microfinance-reaches-rural-chinese/ "Bay Area Microfinance Reaches Rural Chinese : AsianWeek"]</ref> Once the loan is repaid, the Wokai lenders can re-loan it to another entrepreneur, up to a total of three loan cycles.<ref name="About"/>
 
Donors' funds are transferred to Wokai through [[Google Checkout]].<ref name="HelpCenter">[http://www.wokai.org/f/about/index.php?page=questioncenter "Help Center" on Wokai.org]</ref> Wokai's Field Partners charge between 15% and 20% interest rates.<ref name="HelpCenter"/> Field Partners use the interest from borrower loans to cover staff salaries, transportation, and operating costs.<ref name="HelpCenter"/>