Microfinance is the provision of financial services to low-income clients who traditionally lack access to banking. Organizations like Kiva and the Grameen Bank believe it's a vital weapon in the war against poverty. But how do we help kids grasp the concept? Here are five books that introduce children to the impact of microfinance (full disclosure: one is mine).
Beatrice's Goat | Page McBrier | Atheneum | 2001
A young girl's dream of attending school in her small Ugandan village is fulfilled after her family is given an income-producing goat. Based on a true story about the work of Project Heifer.
A Basket of Bangles: How a Business Begins | Ginger Howard | Millbrook Press | 2002
With seed money borrowed from a bank, a young woman and four of her friends in Bangladesh change their lives by starting their own businesses.
Rickshaw Girl | Mitali Perkins | Charlesbridge | 2007
Naima is a talented painter of traditional alpana patterns, which Bangladeshi women and girls paint on their houses for special celebrations. When Naima's rash effort to help to raise money puts her family deeper in debt, she draws on her resourceful nature and her talents to save the day.
Give a Goat | Jan West Schrock | Tilbury | 2008
After hearing a story about a girl in Uganda whose life is changed for the better by the gift of a goat, a class of fifth-graders pulls together to raise funds to make a similar donation to someone in need.
One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference | Katie Milway Smith | Kids Can Press | 2008
A Ghanaian boy buys a chicken through a community loan program, which eventually helps lift him, his mother, and his community out of poverty.
Beatrice's Goat | Page McBrier | Atheneum | 2001 A young girl's dream of attending school in her small Ugandan village is fulfilled after her family is given an income-producing goat. Based on a true story about the work of Project Heifer.
With seed money borrowed from a bank, a young woman and four of her friends in Bangladesh change their lives by starting their own businesses.
Naima is a talented painter of traditional alpana patterns, which Bangladeshi women and girls paint on their houses for special celebrations. When Naima's rash effort to help to raise money puts her family deeper in debt, she draws on her resourceful nature and her talents to save the day.
After hearing a story about a girl in Uganda whose life is changed for the better by the gift of a goat, a class of fifth-graders pulls together to raise funds to make a similar donation to someone in need.
A Ghanaian boy buys a chicken through a community loan program, which eventually helps lift him, his mother, and his community out of poverty.