Accounting and Program Audit Team
Log # 7
By: Shawn Chowdhury
Poverty mapping is something that I’ve heard of before but have
never really looked into. Today Dr. Brenton, a professor of
anthropology, helped shed some light on the subject of poverty
mapping. Dr. Brenton, who received his PhD in nutritional
anthropology from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, gave a
lecture on utilizing mapping tools. In the lecture he gave
different features of Google Earth as well as other free map
services that could be used to augment maps to convey some sort of
message.
The presentation he gave was very insightful; Dr. Brenton showed
the class how maps can be linked to data to augmented maps and help
express different situations. In his presentation, he showed
us how the average amount of money women receive was different from
the empowerment of women. The maps use different indicators
that are relevant to each situation.
These maps could be used as a visual aide to help teams find which
areas are most likely to be helped. Using key indicators will
show what areas are most likely to cooperate and benefit from micro
financing. The accounting and finance team can most
definitely benefit from using these new tools because of the
obvious application of finding new regions to work with and seeing
what resources are available. The marketing and technology
team can also benefit from this information by using the maps as
visual presentation of how bad poverty is in some areas of the
world.
Finance and Risk Assessment Team
Log # 7
By: Nattalia Balkaran
This week has been trialing as we experienced Hurricane Sandy. As a
group of students who are trying our best to make a difference in
the lives of others in third world countries it was especially
gripping for GLOBE to continue onwards with our efforts. With
tragedy at home, it is difficult to think about others; out of
sight, out of mind. Witnessing the scramble for resources and
people waiting for help is heart wrenching because we live in a
first world country. We have become so accustomed to things being
provided to us at ease that when something as tragic as this
occurs, survival seems impossible. It made me realize, what do the
people do in countries that are poverty stricken and have
ineffective governments? How do they manage? We are very lucky to
be able to know that our country has methods and ways of providing
relief to those who are suffering, with a population and community
that are willing to donate their time. In other countries, that is
not the case.
As GLOBE managers, we have to continue to seek out the people who
need the most. With loans in regions such as Vietnam, a country
that is not a stranger to natural disasters, at least our help
would make a difference in that type of situation. Our loans are to
empower individuals, to bring relief into their lives and to
hopefully sustain them for the rest of their time on earth. It is
to end the cycle of poverty, to have their children be educated and
to be better off than they were; just as Peter Kimeu managed to do
because of the help he received from others. What we can do today
will benefit the lives of many others in the future. Our little
loans can help make a change in the countries as generations
continue to build upon one another. As time progresses, the little
baker’s great grandchildren will be politicians, doctors and
lawyers who will change the scope of the state. Even if this will
take years to happen, there will be a day when that country will be
able to provide for their citizens. Supporters of GLOBE can
think of their contributions as the “future forward payment.”
Marketing and Fundraising Team
Log # 7
By: Nurus Salam
For this week’s reading summary, the Marketing team was assigned
Martin Osberg’s article “Social Entrepreneurship”. Before reading
this article, I had watched a video about KIVA, a microfinance
organization that allows people to lend money via Internet to
people in developing countries, in class. Though we have talked
about the social entrepreneurship in detail during class, this
article pointed out the differences between social entrepreneurship
and for-profit entrepreneurship.
In distinguishing the social entrepreneurship from for-profit
entrepreneurship, the author mentions “the social entrepreneur’s
value proposition targets an underserved, neglected, or highly
disadvantaged population that lacks the financial means or
political clout to achieve the transformative benefit on its own.”
After reading Dr. Yunus’ book Banker to the Poor , it was
really simple to understand why Martin Osberg mentioned that Social
entrepreneurs choose to lend money to people that are not
recognized by our traditional banking system, as if they do not
exist.
Dr. Yunus, the pioneer of social entrepreneurship, showed the world
that people with no financial history also could be trusted as
evidenced by the borrowers of Grameen Bank, who have a very high
loan repayment rate. Dr. Yunus’ decision to provide loan to
neglected or as traditional bank would call undeserved people, not
only proved to be a successful one, it was an innovative thinking
as well. People in our society often think that small amount of
money cannot make any difference; however, by starting up their own
businesses. Grameen Bank borrowers, through micro-finance,
were able to lift themselves up from poverty. This shows that how
important it is to have the courage and creative thinking in social
entrepreneurship.
As for our outside class activity, the GLOBE class was preparing
for the Annual Treat for Change event. However, due to University
closure because of Hurricane Sandy, we had to reschedule our event
to this coming Monday. Hurricane Sandy has washed away so many
houses and left millions of people without power and basic
necessities in this cold weather. As a result of this, we will be
raising money for the Hurricane impacted people in the tri-state
area, as well for our borrowers in different parts of the
world.
Technology and Communications Team
Log # 7
By: James Vanie
The University was shutdown for the whole week because of the
damage that Hurricane Sandy caused throughout the tri-state
area. Our daily lives were all greatly affected, especially
for the ones who lived in certain parts of Long Island and lower
Manhattan.
On Thursday, Patrick Diamitani and I met up with Positive Energy
Group, an unofficial St. John’s organization, to assist with
cleaning up the debris in the surrounding area of St. John’s
University. About three hours into our efforts, Mujibur, a middle
aged Bangladeshi man, stepped out from his house with an assortment
of tools to help us. Before offering his manpower and tools,
he asked for our assistance to cut and remove a fallen tree that
was obstructing the sidewalk and street. We learned later that
Mujibur was raised in Chittagong, the same hometown as Dr. Yunus.
More interesting than that, he studied economics under Dr. Yunus in
his earlier years. During the day, the acquaintance was all too
ironic. Later in the evening, I thought more about the core values
of the people that I had worked with and met along the way. We all
had something in common- a service and personal obligation to help
others. At that point, the acquaintance did not seem so
haphazard.
We created a synergy that attracted other likeminded people. Our
volunteer work was definitely not the most impacting. We even
received negative comments from a few of the local passers by,
discouraging us from touching any of the debris. But this was our
way of showing compassion through dedicating our time-it was our
little stones thrown for the day. And the reward was a sense of
self-fulfillment, clear sidewalks/streets, and a day spent with
current and aspiring leaders of the world.
I realize that, while eradicating extreme poverty is most important
to me, there are times when local communities need to come together
to show their resilience in the presence of calamity. And through
all the destruction and loss, I hope everyone can find something
worth remembering from Hurricane Sandy.