Kay Warren on the effectiveness of microloans.

Question: What does Africa need?

Waren: Africans are no different than anybody else. They . . . Some of them live . . . have less physically, less materially of this world’s goods. But they are sure rich in relationships. I’ve . . . Some of my heroes are folks I’ve met in Africa. We talk about that Africa doesn’t need a handout, but it needs a hand up. And that most people who live in poverty don’t need a handout. They need dignity. They need a job. They need something to make a living for themselves so they can take care of their families. And to me one of the most powerful things we can do is to help with job training and microfinance, microenterprises. The stories are amazing of people who received tiny little loans - $10, you know, $5 U.S. And for us that seems like . . . That’s a Starbucks coffee plus a donut. And yet in other places of the world, $5 or $10 makes the difference between a life of bonded slavery to somebody they can’t get out of debt to; somebody living on the edge of poverty; or somebody having their life . . . So microfinance, microenterprise is a great way to go.

Recorded on: 12/11/07