MicroEnterpriseDevelopment(MED)atHBA

ItisimportanttoutilizetheCommunityHealthEvangelismPathwayorRoadMap(Figure1).Thisiscentraltoeverything
wedoatHBA.Further,itisextremelyimportanttoindicatethatMEDbeginsattheendofthisPathway/Road
Map/Journey(Figure1below).Onceavillage/grouphasreachedthispointinthejourney,theymaybereadyforMicro
EnterpriseDevelopmentandwillneedspecializedtraining.MEDtraining(MEDTOT)isoneofmanytoolsavailableinthe
CHEtransformationtoolbox.Itisnotthetoolbox.MEDcanbecomeakeyelementofCHEtohelpmovealong/energize
thephysicalcommunitytransformation(financially)butislimitedinitssuccessbythedepthofthespiritual
transformationthatmustoccurfirstineachbuddingmicroentrepreneur/newbusinessowner.Amicro
business/enterprise(ME)isonethatcanbestartedonUS$50to$300inthedevelopingworld.

Figure1CHEPathwaytoTransformation

MED,withintheframeworkofHBA,isatargetspecificdirectedtrainingprogramforgroupsinvolvedinCHE.Ithasmain
twopointsoffocus:1)trainingCHEleadershiptoassess,planandlaunchamicroenterpriseprogramtohelpthevery
financiallypoorassessandbeginamicrofamilybusiness,2)trainingCHEfieldtrainershowtoidentifyanddevelopsmall
(micro)businessentrepreneursintheirCHEcommunity.

SynopsisofCHEbasedMicroenterprise(excerptedfromtheCHEMELeadershipTOTManual):

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MicroEnterpriseDevelopment(MED)atHBA

TheOpportunity!
Manyoftheveryfinanciallypoordesiretobeginverysmallmicrobusinesses(microenterprises)tohelpprovidethevery
basicneedsoftheirfamilies.Manyhavesomeskillsorabusinessidea,butlacktheencouragement,businesstraining
andstartupfundingnecessarytogetastartandsucceed.Attemptsofthefinanciallypoortosecure$50(or$100)loans
tobeginamicroenterprise(ME)areoftenrefusedbytheirlocalbanks.Thisformalfinancialsectorhastraditionally
consideredthemaveryfinanciallypoorrisk.Theymistakenlybelievethefinanciallypoorareunabletosaveandrepay
theirloans.Banksalsoconsidertheirsmallloanstobetooexpensivetomanageandthereforeunprofitable.Asaresult,
manyofthefinanciallypoorfindnowayoutoftheireconomicplight.Theyfindthemselvesgoingfromonefinancial
crisistoanother.Indesperationmanyturntomoneylenderswhochargeveryhighinterest(some10percentperday!).
Inpayingtheseexorbitantrates,thefinanciallypoorremainfinanciallypoor,passingthisburdenontofuture
generations.MEexamplesareshowninFigure29.TrainingprogramsareshowninFigure1013.

Figure2MicrobusinessinTrujillo,Peru(StreetVendor)

Figure3MicrobusinessinTrujillo,Peru

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MicroEnterpriseDevelopment(MED)atHBA

Figure4APickerMicrobusinessinTrujillo,Perubario

Figure5MicrobusinessinAccraGhana(streetvendor)

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MicroEnterpriseDevelopment(MED)atHBA

Figure6MicrobusinessinGhana(FoodHawkers)

Figure7MicrobusinessinruralGhana

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MicroEnterpriseDevelopment(MED)atHBA

Figure8RoadsidebreadsellerMEinGhana

Figure9RoadsidetextilesellerMEinAccraGhana

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MicroEnterpriseDevelopment(MED)atHBA

Figure10CHETrainingofTrainersinGhana

Figure11CHEMEDTrainingofTrainersinTrujilloPeru

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MicroEnterpriseDevelopment(MED)atHBA

Figure12CHEMEDTrainingofTrainersinSierraLeone

Figure13CHEMEDTrainingofTrainersinLiberia

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MicroEnterpriseDevelopment(MED)atHBA

ChoosingaCHEMEStrategy:ProviderorPromoter?
TherearetwobasicapproachesforestablishingMicroEnterprise(ME)programstohelpfortheveryfinanciallypoor.
ThefirstistheMEProviderwhoprovidesfinancialservices(loans)tothefinanciallypoor.Thisoccurswhenanoutside
organizationestablishesandoperatesamicrofinanceprogramforthecommunity.Thisiscurrentlyapopularmodelfor
largeMEprogramsinvolving1,000+participants.WorldReliefandOpportunityInternationalareexamplesofME
Providers.ThesecondapproachistheMEPromoter.TheMEPromoterhelpsthefinanciallypoorsetupaselfmanaged
andlocallyownedMEprogram.Theseareoftensmallerprogramsinvolvinglessthan200(withsomeassmallas15)
participants.Also,MEPromotersoftenencourageandtraininbasicbusinessconcepts.Theyalsoencouragethe
financiallypoortoformtheirownsourcesofbusinessstartupfundingthroughselffundedsavingsGroups.Thesesavings
groupsandassociationsthenhelpfundtheirmembersmicroenterprises.InsomecasestheMEPromotermayhelplink
thelocalMEprogramtoestablishedMEProvidersforfunding.AsCHEisadevelopmentaltrainingprogram(nota
fundingprogram)CHEMEprogramsgenerallyfunctionsasaMEPromoter.TheMEDfocusatHBAistoencourage,
supportandequipMEPromoters.Pleasejoinus!Visitwww.heartbeatforafrica.orgtofindouthow.

HBA/CHECoreValues(FoundationalBasisforIntroductionofMED)
IntegrationandWholism:WearepersonallycommittedtocompleteobediencetoallthatJesuscommanded,including
compassionforthephysicalneedsofpeopleaswellasevangelismanddiscipleship.Werecognizeanintegral
relationshipbetweenthephysical,mental,social,andspiritual.Ourprogramsseekthetotaldevelopmentofthewhole
personandcommunity.
CommitmenttothePoorandMarginalized:Jesuscametopreachgoodnewstothepoor.AsHisambassadorsweare
committedtothepoorandmarginalized.Weaffirmtheirworth,callthemtobechildrenofGodthroughfaithinChrist,
andseektoreleasethemfrombrokennessanddespair.
LongTermSolutions:Weconcentrateoureffortsonlongtermsolutionsthatbreakthecycleofpovertyanddisease.
Wetrain,equip,andempowerpeopletodoforthemselves.Wefocusondevelopmentratherthanrelief,anddisease
preventionratherthancure.
LocalOwnershipandInitiative:Sustainableprogramsareownedbythepeopleandbuiltonlocalinitiative.Ownership
andinitiativeisdemonstratedthroughvolunteerismandstrengthenedthroughcapacitybuilding.Wetaketimein
communitiestoparticipatewiththepeopleinassessingtheirneeds,identifyingresources,andassistingthemin
organizingforactionthroughtrainingandconsultation.
ParticipatoryLearning:Webelievepeoplemustbeactiveparticipantsintheirowndevelopment.Therefore,weuse
methodsforadultlearningthatengageparticipantsinaprocessofreflectionandaction.Wealsobelievepeoplelearn
bydoing,andthatmodelingisessential.
MultiplicationandMovements:Ouraimisnotmerelyprojects,butmovements.Thisisfacilitatedbytrainingpeopleto
trainothersusingconceptsthataretransferable.Weemphasizetheuseoflocalresourcesandappropriatetechnologies
sothatsolutionscanbepassedalongneighbortoneighbor.Webuildcooperationandvisionatacommunitylevel.We
workcollaborativelywithfaithandcommunitybasedorganizations,localandinternationalreliefanddevelopment
agencies,churchesandmissions,aswellasgovernmentstofacilitatethetransformationofcommunitiesandnations.
ChristianServantLeadership:Jesusisourmodel.Weseektoimitatehiminhumilityandlove.Jesustaughtthatthe
greatestinthekingdomistheservantofall.EveryleaderinourorganizationisChristian,andeachoneaservant.We
seektomodelservantleadershipinourorganizationandprograms,andraiseupleadersineverycommunitywhogive
sacrificiallytoservetheneedsofthepeople.
Contextualization:Ourprogramswillbeadaptedtolocalneedsandrequirementsasidentifiedbythelocalcommunity.

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