IRC UPDATES

Welcome Back!


To those of you who have secured wonderful international internships for the summer of 2008, CONGRATULATIONS! For those of you who have not yet started looking, we have some more tips for you in this month's Career Development Corner.

At our last meeting, we decided to postpone international week of service until we have a better understanding of the needs of two programs in Haiti. I will visit Haiti this month and will speak to two organizations which we will work with in the Spring. Once I return from Haiti, we will update you on our revised plans for International Week of Service.

We hope to hear from you on how to serve your needs better. Don't forget to send us your stories of internships and travel abroad.

Michelle



Interning in Haiti


Fonkoze

Fonkoze is Haiti's Alternative Bank for the Organized Poor. Fonkoze was created by Ms. Anne Hastings. It is the largest micro-finance institution offering a full range of financial services to the rural-based poor in Haiti.

Fonkoze is a Haitian Creole acronym for Fondasyon Kole Zepòl, which means, "The Shoulder-to-Shoulder Foundation". The word itself conveys the meaning, "in the midst of sharing." Fonkoze's mission is to build the economic foundations for democracy in Haiti. Established in 1994, Fonkoze currently has over 115,000 depositors, over 45,000 active borrowers (99% of whom are women), and 32 branch offices spread throughout every department of Haiti.

Anne Hastings, Executive Director of Fonkoze, is interested in finding solutions for extreme poverty. Hastings believes that microfinance, education, health care and case management plays large roles eradicating poverty. Hastings was Senior Partner and Managing Director of Scanlon and Hastings, a management consulting company in Washington DC, from 1985 to 1996 and a Senior Analyst at Advanced Technology in Reston, Virginia from 1982 to 1985. Hastings holds a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia and an Honorary Doctorate in Business Leadership from Duquesne University. She also held research fellowships at the Brookings Institution and the U.S. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations.

Interested in Fonkoze? There are two great internship opportunities available to you!
Fonkoze is accepting interns in their dynamic rural microcredit and business development programs that are on the cutting edge of innovation in rural poverty reduction as well astheir pioneering educational program that combines basic literacy training with practical education in business development, sexual and reproductive health, and use of financial services. Fonkoze has listed as conditions for acceptance of an internship with them:1. A match between your skills and our needs 2. Available to live in Haiti for a minimum of 3 months3. Fluent in Creole (preferred) or French or willingness to study Creole4. Ability to finance your entire internship (unless you are a Creole speaker)For further information, contact:

Anne H. Hastings, Director
Email: director@fonkoze.org

Since its inception in 1994, Fonkoze has steadily grown until today it is the largest microfinance institution in Haiti offering a full-range of financial services to the rural poor. Through its network of 18 branch offices, located in every Department of Haiti, Fonkoze provides its clients access to: (1) microcredit, using the Grameen Bank method of solidarity lending, (2) savings, (3) currency exchange, and (4) a money transfer service. As it recognizes the problems of the poor go beyond the need for financial services, Fonkoze complements these services with educational programs like literacy, business skills and sexual and reproductive health training. As Fonkoze continues to grow, the popularity and demand for its services grow too.
Information adapted from Fonkoze’s Website: http://www.fonkoze.org/