Wokai: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 07:49, 9 March 2011

Revision as of 07:52, 9 March 2011

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==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 [http://www.mixmarket.org/mfi/czwsda 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 farmerslow-income entrpreneurs 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-loanredistribute 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"/>