Spring 2023

Spring 2023 GOLE Program Photo

Each semester, students enrolled in the Global Microloan Program will update this site with their bi-weekly program logs. The Spring 2023 student teams include

Enterprise Development and Program Impact Audits; Finance and Risk Assessment; Marketing and Fundraising; and Technology and Communications.

Enterprise Development and Program Impact Audits Team Aadilah Bajwa, John Ciccone*, Epiphany Hill, José Sosa, Cameron Wood

Finance and Risk Assessment Team Giselle Abril*, Caroline Giangiordano, Lora Nicaj, Arhum Shahid, Philip Wieman

Marketing and Fundraising Team Hibah Ahmad, Lauren Cerwinski, My “Wendy” Nguyen, Alexis Quan*, Alexis Tigua

Technology and Communications Team Matthew Bhonsly*, Niah Exama, Julianna Grgurovich, Reece Perry, Owen Williams 

*Team Liaisons

Finance, Budgets and Risk Assessment Team

By: Caroline Giangiordano

Log #1

The first few weeks of GLOBE have been nothing shy of busy! We truly hit the ground running and have immediately started familiarizing ourselves with how this process works. So far, the class has been time-consuming, but I am up for the challenge. We took time to discuss poverty and the different opinions about it. I've always thought that those who are poor are doing everything they can to get by and poverty is the inability to provide for even the most basic requirements. I believe that most people have very bad perceptions of those who are poor, and this stereotype typically elicits negative responses and the belief that poverty is the result of personal failings. Despite the fact that my first perception of poverty is that it's negative, folks who are poor may actually be affluent in intangible aspects of life. Despite not being able to afford food or a place to live, they may be abundant in love for the people around them. Additionally, I believe it is improper to draw broad conclusions about those who live in poverty because I believe every individual's situation is different. To be able to think so deeply about this topic was eye-opening as I’ve never given it that much thought in the past.

After presenting chapter two of The New Microfinance Handbook, I was able to familiarize myself more with microfinance. I found that it's crucial to look at "portfolios" in order to comprehend how situations, tastes, and objectives influenced financial choices. Like I did when I took a dive into the graph in that chapter about a small businesswoman named Pumza. After reviewing her situation, I found that the needs of the impoverished are larger than those of the nonpoor in terms of financial services. Low-income households, like Pumza’s, in developing countries frequently have to borrow money or save money in addition to their regular income to pay for expenses besides food and housing. Due to the gap between economic strata, MFIs were developed especially to assist the underprivileged. MFIs have changed from their original mission to better serve areas of lower income. Researchers also found that through lending money through impromptu lending and repayment groups, these communities developed new methods of saving. I found the information in this chapter to be crucial in assisting my group with our loan decisions.

We have been working on our team objectives and making the suggested updates to them. These objectives are going to provide us with a game plan to attack our decision-making. We were presented with a loan that entails two sisters who have taken out a loan in the past which they have not finished paying yet and are looking to take out another loan. As a group, we have decided to accept the loan with caution. We still must firm out our decision and collaborate as a team to present our decision to Dr. Sama.

Enterprise Development and Program Impact Audits Team

By: Epiphany Hill

Log #1

My GLOBE experience is off to a wonderful start. My Enterprise Development & Auditing teammates come with many diverse perspectives and have a plethora of goals in mind for the future. I think this will play a big part in contributing fresh ideas to the team and finding new approaches to problems. So far, the class has completed two discussion board posts in which we were able to learn much about our fellow GLOBE managers. The first was an introductory post in which we were given the freedom to let our classmates a bit into our worlds. I was able to learn about everyone’s pathway into GLOBE and their reasons for joining. It was very eye-opening to read some of these responses. Likewise, it was interesting to read the responses to our second discussion post in which we described our perceptions of poverty. I found that many of the other managers had similar initial perceptions of poverty to mine, however, through our different life experiences, observations, and inquiries, we were able to discover so much more about the realities of those living below the poverty line. These perceptions certainly contribute to our reasons for being in GLOBE today.

In the first few weeks with my EDA team, we established a concrete list of objectives and deadlines for us as a group. We utilized some of the great models from the EDA teams before us while including certain matters that we feel are of particular interest for us this semester. Working with my group has been a nice experience. We have found and utilized different ways to keep on the same accord in and out of class including Microsoft Teams and iMessages. At times, I feel a bit timid offering new ideas because I feel they need to be fully fleshed out before presenting them. But with time, speaking up has become easier because I realize that good ideas can come from everywhere and initial thoughts do not have to be perfect to be worthwhile things to consider. I am certainly keeping that in mind as we go forward.

These first few weeks have been an amazing introduction into the world of GLOBE both in the classroom and out. In the classroom, we have gained new pointers on how to improve our presentations – being concise with the wording and including visual aids that help the audience retain our main points. I’ve also gained a great amount of information about the Daughters of Charity and have dived a bit more into the needs and experiences of our borrowers. One of our main goals now is to strategize ways to measure our impact so that we can ensure we are serving our borrowers in the best way we can. This is something that I have especially started to think about after reading our assigned chapter from “How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas” by David Bornstein. In chapter 16, Bornstein emphasizes the need to listen to the communities you serve as their feedback will be the blueprint for how to serve others going more effectively forward. I am so excited to see all that we will be able to accomplish this semester!

Marketing and Fundraising Team

By: Alexis Quan

Log #1

This past week of GLOBE, we began planning our events for the semester. We’re tasked with planning two events and coming up with the theme for the GiveCampus theme. We discussed our ideas in class, and we have a lot, which Dr. Sama says we have to narrow down. So far, we’ve talked about having a charity basketball game, which Alexis T. suggested, and the whole team loves the idea. We spoke about doing a ball or something along those lines- something that’s a unique big event and will be interesting for the student body, former GLOBE managers, and more. We also discussed the possibility of doing a bake sale, but we’re not feeling it. After meetings with Dr. Sama, Lina Cajiao-Quiroz, and Scott VanDeusen along with the IT Team, we’ve gotten a lot of feedback that must be incorporated into our objectives which are due soon. We discussed our objectives on February 7th (today) alongside former GLOBE managers and we have a much better plan.

We plan to only do the Charity Basketball Event and turn the GiveCampus campaign into a screening/panel/networking event. For the Charity Basketball Event, we plan to have people pay $10 to play on a team, which will be named after a country that GLOBE has (or will) offer microloans to. It will take place in Taffner and it will feature an emcee who will host the event, Dr. Sama will give a short speech about the GLOBE program, and a winner of the teams will receive a replica of the NBA trophy. In addition, audience members will provide a small contribution to watch the game, and we will also have a bake sale that features baked goods with stickers on the packaging, and information on GLOBE on the labeling. We also hope to have a DJ playing and a “sports commentator” who will be live streaming the event, allowing us to increase engagement on the event. The entire event will take direct inspiration from the NBA Finals games. This will take place with a tentative date of March 29.

For the GiveCampus campaign, we need to hone in on the theme. One cool idea we had was turning the launch of the campaign into a screening. This idea comes from our original idea of a ball, the IT Team’s and the former GLOBE manager Lauren’s idea of a networking event, and the former GLOBE manager Abbey’s idea of a panel. The idea is simple but layered: the GiveCampus campaign will be shown to the audience in attendance at the “live launch”. It will also feature a panel of guests- current GLOBE managers and former GLOBE managers- that will speak on their experience in GLOBE and promote the program itself. In addition, it’ll end as a networking event and we also plan to sell baked goods with the same vision as the Charity Basketball Event, and hopefully even some popcorn! I also think it'd be easy and cool to have people dress up and have their pictures taken. I think it’ll be a cool way to get people to donate and engage them!

I also got us all together using Notion to do our event/project management all in one place and it’s going a lot smoother. A lot of stuff to do but we can do it!

Technology and Communications Team

By: Julianna Grgurovich

Log #1

First GLOBE log of the Spring 2023 semester! Just as Dr. Sama said, we certainly hit the ground running. After the first class meeting all the groups and bonding with my team, I became confident this would be a successful semester for GLOBE. All my classmates are so passionate about GLOBE’s mission, and each has such unique backgrounds and passions, yet we all came together under a common cause. There is so much talent in this group, and especially after solidifying our objectives for this semester our vision for growing this program has become even clearer. Even though this class only meets once a week, the work done outside of the classroom is consistent, and there is never downtime or lull in communication. I love having the ability to share ideas with teammates and work with other teams to make visions turn into a reality. I especially love being part of the IT team- with every social media platform, we gained access to unlocked new ideas to add personal touches to the program and leave each GLOBE manager's mark. By the second meeting, our team had already set up a Linktree and programmed NFC tags to begin a trial of students being able to scan and access GLOBE’s website and social media accounts! I have already learned so much from lectures, my teammates, and other groups, I cannot wait to see where the semester leads.

Finance, Budgets and Risk Assessment Team

By: Giselle Abril

Log #2

Going into the fourth week of GLOBE, I am super grateful to be able to dive into this world of new and valuable knowledge. The topics in the class are very easy to follow since they are topics that I feel very passionate about. As a student, I am normally used to lectures being about the last chapter we were assigned to read, taking notes in class to study (or unfortunately sometimes memorize) for an exam, and once the exam is finished naturally, I start to forget the content over time. I am very grateful that the dynamic of this course is different compared to those of other classes; its authenticity is very refreshing. My engagement sitting in GLOBE is effortless, whereas compared to many other classes I sometimes have to force my engagement. Learning and talking about the topics we do in GLOBE is sometimes not easy when it comes to recognizing that there are people in this world that truly live a life that is out of pure survival. For example, during the first team presentations, one group presented about a specific country (if I am not mistaken, I think it was about Bangladesh) and their accessibility to the internet and phones; something that we have an abundance of accessibility to, but for that part of the world it had fairly been recent.

Each class I am reminded of the privileges I have, and how important it is to not take any of those for granted, especially the privilege of education and academia as a whole. It is through that privilege/resource that I can learn more about specific ways I can apply myself, in the best way I can offer of course, to the world and play a role in eliminating poverty; or at the very least make a significant contribution toward that goal. In essence, I am very thankful to have found GLOBE, where I am able to explore my strengths, take risks and perhaps recognize weaknesses, but overall find myself in my own career path. I am very excited to continue leaping forward with each applicant, each class, each discussion, and each team meeting, where my team has been super helpful! I feel as if this semester we, as a class altogether, are truly going to be making great progress.
 

Enterprise Development and Program Impact Audits Team

By: Aadilah Bajwa

Log #2

The previous weeks, in the GLOBE (Global Loan Opportunities for Budding Entrepreneurs) program, has been extremely productive. So far, I have learned a lot through this program not only from a business aspect but also as a global citizen. I learned the history of microfinance and its importance. I think microfinance is especially important in helping break the cycle of poverty because it gives people opportunities to grow their businesses. I learned how poverty influences people's success and their ability and motivation to pursue their passions. Microfinance serves to help people gain opportunities and succeed which is crucial because not everyone is privileged enough to live in a society where opportunity is accessible. In many developing countries inequality and a lack of accessibility to education are prevalent issues. Education is crucial in breaking the cycle of poverty because it gives people the chance to succeed, develop and build a better life for themselves. In class, we also learned the importance of considering culture and religion when giving out loans and microfinance. I thought it was interesting how Islamic countries don't believe in paying interest which is why the idea of loans might not seem appealing. I thought this was important and I wanted to do more research on this. After all, it made me think of how considering cultural factors such as the ideas of traditions, gender, class, caste, and religion is important in developing countries because it influences education and building businesses. As a GLOBE manager, I learned the importance of keeping in mind the cultural aspect and understanding cultural barriers. I am working well in the Enterprise/ Audit team. We will be sending out audits by the end of next week. My team and I have been using Microsoft teams to communicate and share our files.

This has been effective so far and it has been helping me stay organized and on top of everything. GLOBE is beneficial in preparing me for future work because it prepares me in ways such as making me pay closer attention to deadlines and being more proactive and faster in responding to my peer's discussions. I am learning a lot through this course and looking forward to the upcoming weeks.

Marketing and Fundraising Team

By: Hibah Ahmad

Log #2

This week we learned about how cultures and gender can influence the effectiveness of microloans. For instance, women were found to be more reliable in handling the family’s finances and running their businesses. Furthermore, this directly relates to our mission since the majority of our borrowers are women working to feed their families and pull themselves out of poverty.

Additionally, we got to meet the former Managers during our class time. This was a great experience in getting to know the people before us and certain objectives they had. They guided us with our objectives and explained how we can go about them to be successful. Will, Lauren, and Abbey gave amazing advice since they had already been through this journey and pushed us into the urgency that is needed. It was an eye-opening conversation, and they were a great resource that we hope to use throughout our journey. Lastly, we were able to head over to view all the GLOBE products and merchandise that we hope to be able to use. And after a thorough discussion with Dr. Sama, we were able to clear up and finalize our semester’s objectives. Our GLOBE classes and discussions continue to keep us engaged in the field and motivated in how our work is towards a greater purpose.

Technology and Communications Team

By: Owen Williams

Log #2

Wow, it’s week 4 already and time is flying by. We’ve finalized our goals and are ready to get into the full swing of things and grow all our social accounts. We have acknowledged that our toughest challenge will be getting more followers on Instagram and Facebook. We will have to keep our posts consistent and engaging to reach this goal. We have been receiving a lot of likes on Instagram which is awesome, many past managers love to see the new posts going up and see how hard the new managers are working.

One problem we have run into is the lack of engagement from the class. We haven’t been getting the number of likes from current managers that we’d like. They are also very reluctant to sign up for takeover Tuesdays and manager Mondays. Tonight, in class the IT team plans to speak to everyone to stress how important class engagement is on social media. It is all our job to spread the word about GLOBE and show all the good we’re doing. We are confident with this push the class will increase engagement and do their part to help us succeed on social media.

Last class, we had a great lecture while the photographer took photos of our engaging class session. We spoke about gender and culture in microfinance and Hofstede’s model of national culture. Cultural norms and customs vary from country to country, making it challenging to work in specific countries. Also, the roles of men and women are different in every country, this usually varies by region. During class, we also had the pleasure of meeting former GLOBE managers. They gave such amazing insight into how the semester would go and what they did to succeed. The meeting with former IT managers went very well and was super productive. They seemed so glad to be there and help us out with anything we needed. One idea they had for us was to make a huge spreadsheet with our posting schedule and all the captions for each picture. We thought this was a great idea and will heavily consider doing this.

I am excited about class tonight and the great lecture that Dr. Sama has prepared. The speed at which this semester is flying by is stressing me out, but I am trying to enjoy every minute of the remainder of my undergrad.

Finance, Budgets and Risk Assessment Team
By: Arhum Shahid
Log #3

It was important for us last week to understand the different aspects of microfinance pertaining to loan repayment and interest. We explored more of the philosophy of Muhammad Yunus and understood that in Islamic countries, it is forbidden to charge interest when getting the loan back. Understanding Islamic ways helps us develop a strategy that doesn't overcharge these people living in poverty when they have to pay the loans back. In contrast to many banks and their interest rates, GLOBE provides an affordable opportunity that helps those in poverty pay it back in a much easier fashion. Ethics are a key component in microfinance, and something that I was looking to focus my position paper on. Unethical microfinance practices can end up doing more harm than good to those in poverty and prevent them from actually making progress in their lives. It felt good for me to listen closely and comprehend the ethics of microfinance because to me, ethics should be among the top priorities of any business or fund. In our world today, many people sacrifice ethics for capital gain, but to truly make a difference in helping people, we must keep our hearts pure and operate with good intentions and diligence. The more I learn and consume, the better I can understand and feel out how various businesses affect the livelihoods of many people. These are real people just like us and should be treated as such. Love, respect, and integrity are key components to being a manager and last week at GLOBE I was able to really reflect on these feelings.

Enterprise Development and Program Impact Audits Team
By: Epiphany Hill
Log #3

GLOBE has been quite eye-opening from the very first day. It is interesting to think that just last semester, I knew so little about microfinance. I had only briefly heard this topic mentioned in a few business classes. Now I feel quite knowledgeable about the common problems that microlenders face, the means by which these funds are distributed, and the ways in which these loans are leveraged by the communities that receive them, and I am eager to learn more. What is most surprising to me is that microfinance is not a new buzz word; these institutions have existed for quite some time. I firmly believe that the topic as a whole should be more covered in our courses. I am only in my second year of college, but I wonder if I had not joined GLOBE, how soon would I really get to learn about microfinance? I am very grateful for this opportunity.

I chose to study International Management because I want to foster lasting change throughout global communities through business efforts. Our recent lecture, Ethics of Microfinance, truly brought this idea home for me. We discussed how some organizations only give to social causes to add to their public image and in turn, make a bigger profit for themselves. One point Dr. Sama made that really stuck out to me was that businesses that are guilty of this tend to only contribute to “safe” charities. That is, they will donate funds to popular organizations that deal with neutral topics, however, organizations that could use funding but may come with some controversy, such as Planned Parenthood, may be neglected. The idea that businesses will go out of their way to donate to charity or lead some social impact project to serve themselves more than the communities they claim to help can be disheartening. However, I am confident that there are businesses and organizations that exist with pure intentions that truly want to make a difference with the resources afforded to them.

Another topic of discussion covered in the lecture was the ways in which microfinance efforts can do more harm than good to the communities they touch. Issues with undercoverage, discrimination, and high interest rates create greater damage in these already underserved communities. I think much of this can be attributed to lack of proper planning and research as well as little regulation over these microfinance projects. This was a very timely lecture because it ties into my topic for my position paper which will discuss the ways in which these endeavors can be restructured to better assist the individuals they are targeting. My paper will specifically cover the sub-Saharan African region. I am excited to dive into this topic and learn more about the financial habits of the people, as well as the needs of the families and small business owners there.

Marketing and Fundraising Team
By: Hibah Ahmad
Log #3

As the classes and the weeks go by, the mission of GLOBE becomes more and more apparent in our lives. Our work combined with our learning in class gives us a wider understanding of the lives of our borrowers so we can work harder for them to be able to access these loans. This week we learned about the ethics of microfinance. Some of the essential points I gained from this were that microfinance has many positive impacts in empowering women and education. This deeply relates to our real-life experiences since most of our borrowers through GLOBE are women that are running their small businesses to bring income into their households. In cultures and societies where men are supposed to be the breadwinners of the family, microfinance is increasingly empowering women to also become a source of income for their families.     

Furthermore, it was very fulfilling to hear that with the income earned, borrowers are able to send their family members to school. This directly relates to our theme this semester in education. We will be looking into how the loans and efforts of GLOBE have impacted the lives of our borrowers by teaching them essential skills to lift themselves out of poverty. Additionally, through the income earned, our borrowers are able to break generational cycles of poverty by sending their children to school and shaping new lives for their families. It is a great feeling to learn that through our own education we are able to apply our knowledge so someone else across the world can also experience the privilege of earning an education.

Technology and Communications Team
By: Julianna Grgurovich
Log #3

Despite having Covid this week, my team was active in communicative and relaying all important information during lecture, as well as facetiming me for a portion of class! I am so grateful to be working with such a flexible inclusive group. During this session, though I was remote, I felt as though I was still sitting in a circle with my peers planning the next move for our teams. This session, we especially worked alongside the marketing team in planning our events for this semester. I wish we had collaborated with the marketing team earlier, as it seemed our team had a different idea of what events were going to occur, but over the course of our conversation this session really helped to centralize our event planning and fundraising. We discussed our ideas moving forward with a fundraising basketball event in Taffner Field House on campus. I may not be athletic, but I am super excited to play against fellow classmates and volunteers for GLOBE.

As for the lecture this week, we discussed the ethics of microfinance. In order for microfinance to be successful, it is vital for both parties, the lenders and borrowers, to do their part. Whether that is regulation or paying back the loans, maintaining balance on both sides is really what makes microfinance thrive. This ethics lesson is crucial to understanding how microlending works- I believe it's a common misconception that once the money is lent out, the borrowers won’t repay it. In reality, this money has been shown to improve income and savings, education & infant mortality rates, gender relations, and food supply. Unfortunately, there is a cyclical aspect where the effects may be hindered, increasing inequality and bias. The steps against these negative effects begin with greater transparency and prudent regulations, better supervision, etc.

Being part of GLOBE means that now I can correct these misconceptions in discussions with people and educate them on the mission of microfinance and microlending. As the semester progresses, our class's vision for events and how to raise the funds for the borrowers to contribute to changing young entrepreneurs' lives becomes more real as we see tangible results from our objectives.
 

Finance, Budgets and Risk Assessment Team
By: Lora Nicaj
Log #4

This week we recapped what we learned in Chapter 3. The most interesting thing to me was reading about how the government creates and implements financial services. As someone who works at a grocery store, EBT Foodstamps, and WIC are two types of benefits cards I help customers with on a daily basis. While the chapter did discuss ways the government prevents fraud, I feel like restrictions are not tight enough on these programs. This is because I have witnessed many people abuses these programs. I’ve encountered costumers who claim to have “finessed” the system and achieved these cards through unethical means. When people abuse benefits, it is detrimental to those who actually need them. We also learned about MFI’s in developing nations such as Grameen and Kiva. It really surprised me how there is a female majority in the word of microfinance. I was pleasantly pleased to hear that, and I might add that in my culture, and many other cultures, the woman is seen as the one who handles money in the household. Even though stereotypically in my culture the man of the house is the patriarch and breadwinner, the woman is seen as the one who is responsible for dictating where the money goes to. It made me wonder if this ideology had something to do with the female majority.

I was also happier with my team’s progress this week. Now that we finished doing the first loan application, I feel like we can speed through the rest. My personal goal is to have all Loan Amortization Table, and Risk Model charts for each new application completed within the next two-three weeks. I honestly feel like it is the most fun, and easiest part of this process. That way we can have the willpower to put in more time and energy into the actual recommendation.


Enterprise Development and Program Impact Audits Team
By: Aadilah Bajwa
Log #4

In the previous weeks in GLOBE, I learned many valuable skills, such as creating effective audits, making up helpful questions, and teamwork and leadership. Before spring break, I worked to develop an effective survey for the IT team based on their objectives. I made questions that would help me understand and follow the IT team's progress and overall goals for the semester. I enjoyed creating the survey for the IT team. In my team, Enterprise, and Audit, I can connect and work with other groups and help them with their objectives. Talking to the IT team about their goals and ideas, and current progress was interesting for me because I got a sense of the work that they are doing for their team, which helped me gain more knowledge and different areas of microfinance and entrepreneurship. Listening to the IT team talk and describe their objectives, I learned more about the importance of social media. The IT team is using different social media platforms and is coming up with other techniques to create more engagement which is fascinating. I also filled out the Audit for my team and discussed improvements and our progress in the Enterprise and Audit team. This was highly beneficial because we could communicate our honest thoughts on our progress so far and how we can improve as a team. We discussed how we need to be more proactive in working together to create surveys rather than individually. Most of our progress has been made separately, but we need to improve teamwork, especially with future projects and objectives, such as the Post Loan Survey. We must also be more active in pursuing our ideas, especially with the semester already halfway done. Overall, this helped my team and me be on the same page and excited to move forward.

Today's class discussed social entrepreneurship, a highly crucial topic. Social entrepreneurship allows entrepreneurs to base their business on addressing social issues. A social entrepreneur explores business opportunities that are measured by social impact. They strive for systemic change and apply their talents to create projects to achieve their mission. I find this very noble because social entrepreneurs start their businesses for the greater good, to find solutions to social issues rather than money and ranking. This is so important, especially in today's society, where there is a lot of bureaucracy in the workplace, especially with businesses. Many people are self-interested and work to benefit themselves rather than help society.

Marketing and Fundraising Team
By: Alexis Tigua
Log #4

We are currently in the month of March; the month of March is also Women's History Month. It just so happened that for our second oral presentation the chapter that we had to present on dealt with genders specifically it looked at the relationship between microfinance and women. It went into details about why microfinance is so dominated and heavily influenced by women, learning about both, some positives, and some negatives. I found this very insightful due to many real-life occurrences around me and in the world. One of the reasons that women tend to make great borrowers of microfinance loans is because of how little labor mobility they have. You know the way they spin it “great borrowers “, it sounds like it's a positive thing but when you really think about it being worthy candidate simply because you don't have options it's very sad. Then I started to think about all the women in my life that I know some of them were very hard workers. for example, the woman that raised me for a large part of my life was my grandmother, she was born and raised in Ecuador and spent most of her life there. I can't tell you what my grandma did as living because she quite literally had so many different jobs. she used to work in construction, she used to tailor dresses and suits, she's used to sell fabrics from the United States to Ecuador and sew them and sell clothes as well. Basically, however way my grandma could get it she'd get it, she would come up with many ways to get money. Then I think about these women in other countries such as the ones that we were studying this chapter such as Bangladesh, Bolivia, and others. These women might have the same drive and hustle as my grandmother but given the social circumstances they are not allowed to go through that door it's completely shut on them. Then there's the impact of these women receiving such micro funds. one of the main impacts that these women have is that they take care of the home, and they cater and care for the children. I think this is the most impactful factor of giving women micro-loans. these women really shape the way children grow up specifically in their outlook in education and life. again, I think about my grandmother who instilled the importance of education and my mother and myself when she used to take care of me. Her dream for me was to become a doctor which at the time I wanted to become one to make her proud but as years have passed by, I've been deterred of that dream and I'm obviously now in business. But regardless her lessons and her persistence for me to do well in school because it was the path for success has always been in my mind. My mother also instilled the same things within me, but that's because it came from her mother so that right there is an example of two generations that my grandmother has directly influenced and has just through her words put on the path of success. So, this month more than any other specifically this year I've opened my eyes and I've really recognized the importance, greatness, and the influence that women in my life have had on me and the many influences that other women have had around the world.

Technology and Communications Team
By: Matthew Bhonsly
Log #4

We began another class with a team meeting, however, this time the energy was much larger than it usually is. This was because Marketing team had announced their massive ideas for the GLOBE basketball game. The enthusiasm is wild, and we are all so excited to participate! GiveCampus is also in the works, and Marketing team is still finalizing their narrative and IT team is extremely excited to make the video. The team is already brainstorming how to go about it! Aside from teamwork time at the beginning of class, one thing that really stood out to me was the video we watched in class. I think I felt it more because the woman in that video was from India, where I am from. Something about hearing what she was saying, without needed subtitles, was touching me in the heart. I think it was the fact that the subtitles weren’t the most accurate, and the translation of what she was saying was more heartfelt and sadder. It also really affected me that I’ve been to India so many times, and never once thought that I could’ve easily walked by this lady or someone like her in a similar situation before I ever knew what GLOBE was. It was so sad to hear all of that, but I was so genuinely happy to hear that Micro Financing helped her. She was able to get her husband back on his feet, and her children, her literal future, are going in the right direction. As much as I know about GLOBE, I always knew it helped people out. But again, just being able to see someone who I can feel a cultural connection to, to hear it in my own language and understand it has truly affected the way I feel about micro finance. I feel a renewed sense of community and a renewed call to action. I feel more passionate about helping because now I have seen and felt the effect.

Finance, Budgets and Risk Assessment Team
By: Lora Nicaj
Log #5

This week we learned about Social Entrepreneurship. Social Entrepreneurship is important to me as a manager of GLOBE because we get to oversee multiple business ventures and witness the impact they have on communities. Entrepreneurship isn’t only for the good of a singular person. I can connect this to my personal life; my parents come from Montenegro, and many years ago it was far more underdeveloped than it is now. My father and his siblings (who moved to America) sent my uncle in Montenegro money to buy land for farming. With this loan, my uncle was able to grow his farming business and hire many young adults in the area to help him. As a result, this loan not only helped my uncle but created jobs in the community. When my family saw how well he did, and the impact it made, they decided to loan him more money, and my uncle opened a vineyard. This cycle continued to grow and now my uncle has a very well-known and successful Farming and Grape Raki business. In other countries like Montenegro, local governments are not so reliable in helping their citizens jump-start their small business ventures. People may have amazing business ideas but don’t have the means to allow them to flourish. With help from MFI’s or donors, they can create systemic change in communities, and inspire others to pursue their goals. The point of social entrepreneurship is to look past the good of the individual and to see the bigger picture, entrepreneurs work together with their community, MFIs, donors, and more to grow.

Enterprise Development and Program Impact Audits Team
By: John Ciccone
Log #5

The main idea of GLOBE, as social entrepreneurs, is to improve society by supporting and fostering small startup businesses, particularly for those living in poverty within developing countries, so that they can raise themselves out of poverty. It is especially difficult for startup businesses in developing countries because of a lack of support from local banks or governmental institutions. Most people must find alternative means of obtaining a loan, which is usually found in family members or close friends. However, with programs like GLOBE, we make it easily accessible to obtain these much-needed loans with minimal interest, needed only to support operating costs, along with providing education on financial safety, helping to secure their future as a local entrepreneur.

We are already halfway through our program and a lot is still needed to be done. However, we have also accomplished a great deal as a group. Our most recent committee meeting paved an excellent path for us going forward, as they all approved of our upcoming plans in the program. We have analyzed upcoming borrowers which have been approved, are set to host one of the biggest events ever for GLOBE, have created many new and engaging posts on the GLOBE social media accounts, and had this all accomplished according to the timeframes they were made and remain consistent on pursuing.

Marketing and Fundraising Team
By: Hibah Ahmad
Log #5

This week it was enlightening to learn more about social entrepreneurship. It is wild to think that all it takes is one person to spark change! The combination of innovative thoughts, passion, and a drive for business can bring an entire concept to life, this is how GLOBE was brought to life. For instance, Dr. Sama was able to push for this program and create something out of nothing but a strong passion and belief in what she was creating. Social Entrepreneurship is an effort to create systemic change that must be nurtured and maintained. Overcoming obstacles and fighting for your beliefs is essential when you’re working towards such a fruitful goal. Wanting to better the world and bring positive change is what everyone dreams of, but very few are able to achieve it.

I found it very interesting to see how our part as the students were played out as a puzzle piece. There are four pieces to the puzzle and no one piece can function without the other. This was very cool to look at in the diagram shown in the presentation since I had seen the pieces separately but never as a whole. This further shows how each group’s part is so essential to the other as well as the whole functioning of the program. Now that we’re halfway through this semester, each team’s efforts are showing clearly and we’re that much closer to hitting our goals for this semester.
 

Technology and Communications Team
By: Reece Perry
Log #5

This week has been fantastic for my team in GLOBE, we have made great progress on our objectives through the collaboration and support of all the other teams. The marketing team’s work has played a huge role in our success, focusing on some of the major events we are looking to host. Reflecting on this week, the excitement around the GLOBE Basketball Tournament has increased on our team as we have been preparing to start shifting our focus. As weeks move on, the workload and intensity continue to increase. Our team is working as hard as possible to delegate our work accordingly and make sure we stay on track.

Our team has done an incredible job so far this semester and it’s great to also reflect on the midterm exam and the knowledge we have learned in the course so far. Our recent discussion board and exam, has me thinking a lot more about the ethical dilemma of MFIs and how they can play such a massive yet detrimental role in developing countries. For those looking to get off the ground and achieve entrepreneurial success, these microloans do so much more than we probably think. In our course, learning about these malpractices can help us recognize how to support people in the right way.

As our team moves forward into the next week, we hope that we can continue making strong connections in our class and hope that the positive energy can cause a ripple effect in our community. I am super thrilled to attend the upcoming information session for GLOBE and I am curious to see how the interactions will go and what students are interested in. Speaking positively about a fantastic program, like GLOBE, can leave a lasting impact on those you interact with.

Finance, Budgets and Risk Assessment Team
By: Arhum Shahid                                                                                                                                   
Log #6

This week in GLOBE, I learned more about MFIs and the steering committee that drives our loan processes. MFI institutions across the world charge very high-interest rates and some of them take advantage of their borrowers. I’m glad that I have the chance to be in GLOBE because our program provides very low-interest rates and targets people to help, not hurt. It is very interesting to see how ethics correlates with the work we do in class, how we conduct ourselves, and how we can improve in whatever line of work we do. The Steering Committee meeting was fun and exciting and I’m glad we all got the chance to speak and present the application that we’ve been working on. It felt like our word mattered and it was important for us to have that professionalism while we attended. Hearing about the other managers, their plans for the near future, and the further development of new loan applications has ensured me to work harder and make sure we end the semester well!
 

Enterprise Development and Program Impact Audits Team
By: Aadilah Bajwa
Log #6

This week in GLOBE was highly eye-opening as I learned more about microfinance and tying it with global development and social justice. Today in class, we had a guest speaker, Ed-Klimek, who worked at a solidarity lending program in Guatemala. He worked for the program, Queenship of Mary in Plainsboro, and the local parish in Santa Rosa, Guatemala, which gives out small, low-interest loans to grow local businesses. This was such a beneficial talk because I learned how his program was able to grow businesses and build communities and strong relationships through microfinance. It was empowering to hear how Klimek's work in Guatemala gave people opportunities for jobs and places to operate their businesses. Social justice is crucial in microfinance. As a Global Development major, I thought it was fascinating how Klimek was able to incorporate microfinance with social justice and how he worked in migrant communities. I want to reach out to him because this is the type of work I want to do in the future. I am in the process of applying to CUNY to study International Migration. I chose to study Global Development and Sustainability here at St. John's because I have always had a passion for using social development to help create access to good health, quality education, and decent work for all people. I want to work in migrant communities as migration is a catalyst for social change.

Klimek sounded like he learned so much during his time working in Guatemala. When he was talking, he sounded very proud of the people he worked with in Guatemala, and I thought that it was so impressive that he built strong relationships with these people and had a passion for social change and applied his experience in architecture to create projects and development programs in microfinance/development programs. The program was so successful that it has a repayment rate of 98%. His work is empowering overall, and I am so grateful to be part of the GLOBE program, where I can connect and network with people who have worked with and have experience in microfinance and social justice. Today in class, we also learned about the importance of performance management in microfinance. I learned more about management dilemmas, management risks, and measurement problems. This has been helpful for me since I do not have a background in business since I'm not in the college of business, and I have never taken a risk management course. I am learning a lot through the GLOBE program and am excited for the upcoming weeks.

Marketing and Fundraising Team
By: Alexis Tiqua
Log #6

This log was heavily inspired by the guest speaker who attended class today, Ed Klimek. What he, his wife, and others are doing in Guatemala is nothing short of extraordinary. Ed explained a little bit about his background, specifically about how he ran a business and had a secure job as an architect. It was astonishing to me that he chose this path and this mission. You don't really see that around as much, especially where I'm from, so it was nice to hear about someone who was able to do two things that I would like to do. Although his mission is focused on helping Guatemala, my goal is to create enough money and be in a position of wealth and power to help those where I grew up in the Bronx. Now I love where I grew up and everything about it, but I'll be the first to admit that it is not a nice and safe place to live. There are a lot of things that can be fixed both socially and structurally.

I loved how Ed mentioned that the people in Guatemala have a strong sense of community. That was particularly inspiring because it is a goal of mine to instill that same sense of community in my own neighborhood, an area in which we are lacking. Given the nature of how some things are in my neighborhood, people often take a “better me than them” approach. Instead of working together, people chose to only watch out for themselves. In the future, I hope to be in a position where I can change that. I want to come back and not only use my money to make structural improvements but also be in a position where I can influence people socially. Ed mentioned that the people in Guatemala would give each other tips and help each other out, I want to bring that to where I grew up in the Bronx. I would love to be a figure like Ed who is loved whenever he goes back to Guatemala. The people love him because he's doing good for them, it is not a situation where he's like a “savior”. Instead, he is viewed as a friend by those he is helping, and in turn, they look out for each other and perhaps for him as well. So again, it was inspiring to hear his story, and as I sat there listening, I couldn't help but envision myself 15- 20 years from now and only hope I can do the same thing in my own neighborhood.

Technology and Communications Team
By: Owen Williams
Log #6

We have pretty much crossed the halfway line of the semester and are in the busiest part of the semester. I found this to be a great time to reflect on my time in GLOBE so far. We have done so much, and it feels good to take a step back and assess our work. I don’t have a ton of experience with IT work or graphic design, but my experience so far on the IT team has been super positive. I’m having a ton of fun gathering content and sharing the work of GLOBE with the online community. Our job is so important to spread the word of GLOBE and show our followers how we are helping people through microlending in impoverished countries. My time with GLOBE has shown me that I would like to partially pursue social media in the future and make sure it is incorporated into my future career. I believe I would be good at that because it allows me to showcase my creativity online and connect with people through the internet. 

It feels amazing to be a part of something bigger than myself. The work may seem overwhelming at times, but it continues to inspire me. We are running a small business and doing our part to raise money to keep the operation running. There can be some pressure felt trying to reach fundraising goals, but that is what makes the class so rewarding. The fact that we work with a cause that I legitimately enjoy makes the workload much more manageable.

Within the next week, the IT team will begin working on our Give Campus video. Marketing is finalizing its draft and will soon hand it off to us. We are very excited to get started on this project and we are aware of the weight it carries. This will be our main source of fundraising money, and we want to put ourselves in the best position to become successful.

Finance, Budgets and Risk Assessment Team
By: Lora Nicaj
Log #7

During the past week, we were able to hear from a guest speaker about his first-hand experience in developing nations. I was really touched by how passionate he and his wife were, and it made me reflect on my parent’s country Montenegro. After the fall of Tito, Montenegro really suffered a lot and even though they are doing better, the wealth gap is very large, and I wonder how MFIs would help improve the lives of the lower classes. People in Eastern Europe are often untrusting of others when it comes to money, mostly due to political instability, so I’m not sure how much success there would be. However, I do hope in the future there will be more missionaries in Eastern Europe. We also read another chapter and prepared to present our findings. The one social entrepreneur that stood out to me the most was James P. Grant. First of all, the number of children he helped save shocked me completely, but also, I looked up to him as I did more research about him because it is my dream to one day work for UNICEF. It was also inspiring to see how much good one person could do.

Enterprise Development and Program Impact Audits Team
By: Epiphany Hill
Log #7

This week in GLOBE, we were graced with a visit from Edmund Klimek, a leader in a Solidarity Lending Program in Guatemala, in association with Catholic Relief Services. Anyone in attendance could clearly see the passion that Klimek had for his work in Guatemala. He spoke about the communities that they work with and the changes that had been made from the start of the program to the present day. One story that particularly stood out to me was about a mother who opened up a small store to sell school goods and sweet treats to students, and how she was able to instill the business skills she had gathered in her daughter to continue the growth of her business. The images he shared with us, such as the borrowers holding up their checks, or an artist expanding his gallery and workspace, were just as inspiring.

It was very valuable to hear from someone directly who had played a major role in the development of a microfinance program in a country with a culture much different from their own. I’ve always wondered how that must actually feel. Going to any country outside of one’s native region can be a bit intimidating. Though their mission is to give to the communities they serve, I am sure they actually must take much more from the experience themselves. Adapting to a different way of life, learning about the lives of the locals, and connecting to those that you work with, I'm sure is an exciting and surreal experience. I wonder if there were any fears or doubts that Klimek and his colleagues carried. Did tasks ever seem overwhelming? Did they ever feel imposter syndrome?

I was delighted to hear that Klimek found that he was able to bridge a connection to the communities in Guatemala through religion. Faith and spirituality bonded them and helped all of the participants to carry out their mission. Klimek stated that what held the borrowers accountable for repayment was not the threat of default but rather the trust and friendship they had formed with the members of the program. This is certainly something other MFIs and NGOs can learn from. Making authentic, human connections alongside microfinancing can go a long way and help to make lasting change.

Marketing and Fundraising Team
By: Hibah Ahmad
Log #7

It was unfortunate that I was sick this week and missed our guest speaker, Ed Klimek. I was filled in by my team members and we are still on track for the semester. While not in class, I was able to put focus on the GiveCampus campaign. It was very enlightening to read some of our borrower profiles. A lot of the borrowers needed loans to improve their business functions by buying items such as scooters, machines, or other technological products. Some of them needed money to sustain their lives and care for their sick family members. Additionally, some of them were stating their main objective for taking the loan as a way to fund the education of their family members and children. With the steady income they earned from improving their business functions, they want to be able to pay school fees and purchase school supplies to sustain their educational needs. Oftentimes, we take education for granted while someone across the world is fighting for education and education rights.

Furthermore, looking over the loan applications was interesting since that is not something my team would typically get a chance to look at. Taking a dip into the finance team’s materials was an interesting new aspect of GLOBE for me personally, as someone on the outside from the marketing and fundraising team. Although it was just a glance to read some of the borrower’s stories, it was still interesting to see what information we collect from them and how it is all setup I noticed how one specific borrower profile even had an entire landscape and weather description of the borrower’s area. This made sense when I read that the borrower was in the farming business, so their business greatly depended on the weather conditions and climate.

Technology and Communications Team
By: Julianna Grgurovich
Log #7

This week in GLOBE we had a guest speaker, Ed Klimek, come in and talk to our class about his recent work in Guatemala and being a leader in a Solidarity Lending Program. It was amazing to hear a perspective from outside of the class that lives the reality of social entrepreneurship and recently visited Guatemala himself. Mr. Kimek shared that their mission was not to be a bank- but rather a mission of empowerment, solidarity, and community achievement. He spoke about one of his borrowers, Longina, who used her loan to build her own store in the center of the village and near a school, where she sells clothes, snacks, school supplies, etc. Longina is a great example of why women borrowers are so important- Longina serves as a fearless example of being unafraid to ask for a “larger loan than usual”, achieving her goals and repayment, and exceeding expectations. Mr. Klimek emphasized how women are such an important part of what they’re doing, and how they are ultimately key to making it work. As International Women's Month comes to a close, I personally have enjoyed researching our women borrowers each Focus Friday and offering our followers a small digestible way to learn about our lender's story and uniqueness. Finally, at the end of his presentation, we discussed how measurable the impact of the Solidarity Lending Program is. With a similar discussion in GLOBE and this being one of the central issues of microfinance, Mr. Klimek said that to a certain extent, we don't know how measurable the impact is, however, the permanence in their community and how people live is absolutely undeniable.



 

Finance, Budgets and Risk Assessment Team
By: Caroline Giangiordano
Log #8

This week I learned a lot from my group’s oral presentation. I revolved my slide around Mary Lasker and discussed how influential her work was for those who suffered from high blood pressure. She is a prime example of female empowerment, and her marketing strategies were eye-opening to learn about. When I think of marketing, I think of social media, advertisements, media, etc. The way her marketing tactics were measured was by going to lengths that would ensure folks along the way who she thought would tell her no, would tell her yes. As a business student, I find that extremely admirable because she put the work in with no help from the internet. It's something to keep in the back of my head as I journey into my career as a businesswoman. The chapter: The Role of the Social Entrepreneur, also gave me more insight into what it means to be a social entrepreneur and the battles one might face. Some of these battles include not being funded or recognized for the impact he or she is working towards. The founders must be aware of the problems and take steps to fix them if they want to see their business expand. Overall, very informative chapter and week!

Enterprise Development and Program Impact Audits Team
By: Aadilah Bajwa
Log #8

This week in GLOBE was highly empowering and motivating for me. I worked on creating my second audit report for the IT team, collaborated with the IT team about their current progress on achieving their objectives and goals by the end of the semester, read an article about the effectiveness and success of a United Nations microfinance 'plus' program that empowers female farmers in rural Ethiopia, and watched a Ted Talk in class about Jacqueline Novogratz, who tells a powerful story about her experience in Kenya where she meets a woman named Jane in a Nairobi slum. Jane was a former prostitute who dreamed of escaping poverty, becoming a doctor, and marrying a decent husband, which she accomplished through hard work and perseverance. The past few weeks at school have been challenging and stressful for me, as it is that point in the semester where I am trying to finish my work in all my classes and end the semester strong. At the beginning of the week, I was exhausted and stressed, which was affecting my performance in class. I was losing motivation, and I honestly felt extremely burnt out. However, this week in GLOBE uplifted me and helped me gain inspiration. I learned about powerful women overcoming extreme challenges and showing determination and perseverance to accomplish their goals despite constant hardship, which empowered me to keep going.

Jacqueline Novogratz's Ted Talk described how former prostitute Jane lived in the slums of Nairobi, where she dealt with unimaginable struggles; She and her community had such minimal resources, which shows how complex poverty is. Jacqueline Novogratz describes how the community had to walk in sewage just to get around. However, despite the challenges, the community continued to have pride, allowing them to accomplish their goals. I genuinely admire Novogratz's work within her organization, where she invests in companies and organizations that aim to solve poverty and other social issues sustainably to improve the lives of people living in poverty, benefiting humanity. Today, in class, Professor Sama describes how this Ted Talk inspired her to start the GLOBE program. Dr. Sama explained how Jane was such an influential person with so much determination, which I truly respect. This Ted Talk was inspiring for me as well because it has given me the motivation to succeed and overcome the challenges I'm facing right now. I want to be involved in making a difference and improving the lives of others. I truly believe everybody can succeed if they are given the opportunity. The article I read for the GLOBE discussion described how a developmental program that used microfinance to empower women in their rural Ethiopian community improved gender equality, economic empowerment, and food security among female farmers in rural Ethiopia. It showed me how women have the potential to do so much, and microfinance allows them to succeed. I am so privileged and fortunate to have the resources and support to accomplish my goals, and I want to continue giving back and providing others with opportunities to achieve their goals and flourish. I am really proud to be in the GLOBE program, where I can make a difference in the lives of others through microfinance and empower women. It is crucial to remember the people we are serving because they all have their own stories and have overcome challenges that can be unfathomable to us.

I also worked with the IT team this week and talked to them about completing their objectives. Overall, we had a very productive conversation, as everyone works extremely hard to meet their end-of-semester goals. Working with the IT team has been highly beneficial for me, as the hard work they are putting in to make GLOBE well-known on social media platforms is very admirable and empowering. I love being part of GLOBE and working with other passionate individuals to help make a difference in the world.

Marketing and Fundraising Team
By: Lauren Cerwinski  
Log #8

As it nears the end of the semester, all of the work is starting to become intertwined. It has been such a great opportunity to be able to learn more about this topic. It feels amazing to be a part of a program that does real work to benefit those in need. Having joined GLOBE has shown me that taking time to do work or even volunteer allows you to use your resources and opportunities for a good reason. Being a part of the marketing and fundraising team has been so great, everyone has such amazing and elaborate ideas that it allowed me to think more outside the box myself. While I tend to feel the pressure that it will be a disappointment not to meet the goals of my team, I know that people will be more inclined to donate once we share the real and inspirational stories of our donors. I am eager to see how our long-awaited basketball fundraiser is going to go, as well as our give campus campaign. I believe that education is so vital for everyone and should be available for all children, so I am so delighted that this semester’s give campus campaign focuses on education. With just about three weeks left, I am excited to continue this important work as well as learn the rest of the course material that will truly tie everything together.

Technology and Communications Team
By: Owen Williams
Log #8

My team and I are currently in the middle of the Give Campus project. We have our script and are piecing together our footage for the video. We are a bit behind schedule, but we should be okay. Easter break is coming at an inconvenient time and will pose some challenges for us. We recently posted a TikTok, and it went very well. We are approaching 1,000 views and 65 likes. Hopefully, each post will increase in viewership and likes in order to reach our goals. We are also progressing well on Instagram and our engagement has gotten much better recently. We are going to need the whole class to put effort in on social media to make the basketball event great.

Tonight, in class we watched a Ted talk about a woman’s stories from Kenya. She told Jane’s story and how she had high hopes and aspirations before she contracted AIDS. She had to resort to prostitution and felt ashamed by it.  Even after all these struggles she persevered and started her own business repurposing ball gowns. Obviously, her microloan helped tremendously, but it is her persistence and drive that is the most inspiring. It is mind-blowing that someone can make so much out of so little. Jane buys these used dresses for about $3 and turns it into a profit that she can live off.

The work we have done so far in GLOBE impacts so many people. Sometimes it may not seem like it, but every small thing each person does contributes to the overall effort of the program. We all have a responsibility to keep this program running. Recruiting new people for the course next semester means so much and is vital to everything that has been accomplished so far.

Finance, Budgets and Risk Assessment Team
By: Giselle Abril
Log #9

Tonight’s class felt like it flew by so quickly! The presentation by Krist was so informative, and I actually was able to learn a lot. I have never been a crypto supporter, merely because I thought of it as another excuse for greedy people to scam and make money! I’ve found it so hard to get into the crypto world because there are so many complexities to it. Tonight, I was able to understand at least a fraction of what there is out there in the crypto world. More importantly, the most significant thing that resonated with me was the slide about recognizing your financial privilege. This spoke a lot to me because while reviewing these loans, I am reminded that our borrowers are going through GLOBE for a reason and that is because of the disadvantages that exist if they were to go to a regular commercial bank.

Personally, I find it very valuable to regularly step back and recognize my privilege of not only being a citizen of this country but also where my family and I stand economically. We are not rich, but we are not poor. If anything, we have the luxury to reap the benefits of all the resources around us, including the financial services this country offers. Along with the countless welfare policies that have been put in place throughout history regarding healthcare, education, social security, gender equality, etc. The list goes on!

Despite the short length of the video presented, the impact hit very strongly. It spoke to what GLOBE is really about; a constant reminder to check our privileges, not just to be appreciative of them, but to be productive with all these resources standing in front of us. And GLOBE encourages that one of those priorities should be to serve as a helping hand. It is one of if not THE, biggest takeaways that anybody can walk away with from GLOBE.


Enterprise Development and Program Impact Audits Team
By: Jose Sosa
Log #9

This past week in GLOBE, Dr. Sama showed us a TedTalk by Jacqueline Novogratz. She is the author of the 2001 best-selling story, “The Blue Sweater.” In it, she talked about how when she was a little girl, she had a bright, blue sweater that she loved. Her mother forced her to donate it to Goodwill, which she did. Many years later, when she was staying in Kenya, she saw a young, African boy running around with her blue sweater on. She knew it was hers because she checked for her initials on the nametag inside, and they were there!

Hearing Jacqueline’s story touched a chord with me. My story is a bit similar to hers. Before every trip to Mexico, my mom would have me and my brother gather our old clothes that no longer fit. We’d pack up the clothes to donate to the children in her village when we would visit. As I got older, I returned to Mexico years later and I would see kids around the village wearing my old t-shirts and hoodies. There was one kid we knew as Meno who I’d always see with my Chicago Bears jersey on. Mind you, this kid had never seen American football in his life, but he loved that jersey more than anything. Because to him, it was the coolest piece of clothing he owned. It’s small things like this that remind me of why I joined GLOBE. It’s so that I can make an impact on the world around me. And through microfinance, I truly believe that we can help more people in poverty.

Marketing and Fundraising Team
By: My “Wendy” Nguyen
Log #9

GLOBE is a place that has given me many experiences. During class, there is always a new topic to discuss, and we enjoy every second of it! As we come to the end of this long journey together, there are things that I have come to understand are present when working in a group. Occasionally, there will be disagreements, our opinions won't always be heard, and sometimes we will simply sit there and listen to the opinions of others. Often people will think that those who chose to listen, don't do much in the group, but please listen to me. Listening is also a way to contribute to the group because when people give too many ideas, there will always be someone sitting, listening, and evaluating the ideas to find the shortcomings and promptly correcting them.

Today in class we met Mr. Krist Socoli. He talked about crypto and the connection between crypto and microfinance. I think he helped me understand a bit more about crypto. Meanwhile, he also introduced us to websites that can offer small loans, similar to the way MFIs do. It was interesting when Krist introduced the websites where we can learn about crypto. These websites are truly amazing and fit what society needs in terms of AI and lending.

At the end of every class session, there are always important announcements, that keep me up to date with GLOBE's journey. Our focus right now is to find members in the class to bake for the basketball tournament, which we are focusing on promoting right now. Although baking may be a small action, everyone's effort to contribute is essential in spreading GLOBE. That is the fastest and most effective way for GLOBE to reach out to the community.

Technology and Communications Team
By: Matthew Bhonsly
Log #9

We are inching closer and closer each day to our GiveCampus launch and our basketball game! Words cannot describe the nervousness and excitement I feel towards both events. For the Basketball game, our mock trophy came in and it looks phenomenal. I’m actually hoping we win the tournament, so we get to keep it! We still have two more graphics to continue advertising on social media and to continue the hype we have. We are working on the GiveCampus video right now as we speak, and it truly reminds me of the value and effects of GLOBE. Specifically, we are using our previous borrowers Maria and Cindy as examples in our video.

Firstly, it’s great that we have access to older borrower profiles, as we needed them. A general call to action would not have had as great of an impact as telling a short story of two people who needed help, and GLOBE answered the call. To show our audience two tangible, proven works will, in my opinion, boost our chances of getting donations, even the smallest amounts. I truly believe that if we show everyone what we’ve done, they’ll know that we can do more with their help. We want our donors to feel like they’ve been making a true difference because they have, so we are also brainstorming a way to thank all donors as well, which is something we feel would increase donors for next year as word-of-mouth spreads.

Secondly, being that we just got back from Easter, I had much to reflect on. The values of Christ are truly embodied by and carried out by GLOBE. We are enabling these people to get up and walk financially, mentally, emotionally, and sometimes even physically with borrowers who have families that are sick or disabled. All these works have been done by Christ. So, I know that GLOBE is not only a class that is full of wonderful experiences, brainstorming, teamwork, and connections, but also a class that has values that align with me personally. It’s something that I thought about this Easter season and something that makes me even more grateful for being able to take part in such an amazing, enlightening course. May we continue to embody the values of Christ, and take GLOBE even further to spread help, love, and smiles throughout the world, wherever it is needed the most.

Finance, Budgets and Risk Assessment Team
By: Caroline Giangiordano
Log #10

This week I felt that I looked at the loan application process differently. After sitting through our second steering committee meeting, I kept thinking about one question that was asked and that question was along the lines of “Will we know what type of equipment the borrower buys with the money, and will we know if it brings her success after purchasing the items she needs?” In the past, when we were handed the applications, I would just take the information we were given and completed the necessary steps to complete our recommendations. I never thought to ask further questions like the ones members of the committee posed. It makes me wish I had asked more questions about the borrowers to get a better understanding of their purpose and our purpose, as GLOBE managers, in the business they are trying to build. Throughout the semester, we as a team could have dived deeper into the lives of our borrowers and gotten to know them better. We talk about building relationships and trust with our borrowers, but I never took the next step in doing so. It is something I regret especially because there has been no trip planned this semester to meet the sisters and some of our borrowers in Vietnam or Nicaragua. The question the steering committee member asked stuck with me, and it remained something I continue to ponder.

Enterprise Development and Program Impact Audits Team
By: Aadilah Bajwa
Log #10

Being part of the GLOBE program has allowed me to make a difference in the lives of others and help eradicate poverty. Before this program, I knew very little about microfinance. I initially wanted to join GLOBE because I heard positive things from my friends who were former managers, and I thought it would be beneficial as a Global Development major, helping people in developing countries. Since I wasn't a business major, I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to understand the finance and entrepreneurship aspect. While writing this log, I looked back at my first log. Reading my first log made me realize how much I have learned through this program and how being part of GLOBE has changed me and helped me gain experience and expertise in many different areas. Through GLOBE, I built my teamwork, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills and learned much about microfinance. I have learned about the experiences of a powerful woman overcoming hardship and challenges, creating a business, and working for success. Today, in class, I received my GLOBE certificate. When receiving the certificate, Dr. Sama asked me to say the first word that came to mind when thinking of GLOBE. I was caught off guard at first, mainly because I was the first to receive it. However, the word "empowerment" came to me. I thought of this because, when I think of GLOBE, I think about our borrowers and their stories.

I think about how these women have overcome so much and had so much resilience to grow their businesses and overcome hardship. GLOBE promotes women's empowerment in microfinance, and it involves supporting and encouraging people to develop businesses and give them opportunities. Providing training and education, and resources empowers women to accomplish their goals. However, GLOBE has also been empowering for me. Hearing about women overcoming challenges and difficult circumstances has motivated me and given me perspective and outlook. While reading my first log, I was nervous about being part of the Enterprise Development team because I didn't know what I was bringing to the table. However, I became very close with my team throughout this program and learned much from them. They are all passionate individuals, and they bring different perspectives and experiences. I am pleased that I joined GLOBE. I am looking forward to tomorrow's basketball fundraising event. This will be a beneficial event, and I hope the turnout will be good. Through GLOBE, I have learned that progress comes from the work someone puts in. I've learned this from the stories of how borrowers worked hard to grow their businesses, and I have learned that my experience with putting in the effort, hard work, and participation in GLOBE events will; lead to progress.

Marketing and Fundraising Team
By: Alexis Tigua
Log #10

Today we had our last in-person class for GLOBE. It feels surreal saying that. I feel like just yesterday I arrived late to the first class, introduced myself, and met my team and the other managers. Time really does fly by, and GLOBE has taught me a lot of things; one of them being- appreciating the time and what it brings. We all know that time passes, but when you sit back and analyze it, you see it doesn’t just pass- it flies! We must cherish every second and every minute, especially when we’re doing something that we enjoy and are around good people because you never know when it’s going to end or how long you have left doing it.

GLOBE flew by and for the past, I’ll say 15 years, I’ve been going to school and dreaming about the day I’m finally done with it. When I no longer have to go and sit through lectures and all the other work that school entails.

For the first time, I have enjoyed school to the point where I am not looking forward to graduation as much. If I could stop the clock, I would. If I could do GLOBE 10 times over with the same people I would, every single time. GLOBE has enriched my life, in ways that I never fathomed. Professionally GLOBE has improved the social skills that I lacked, & while some still need refining, I would never be where I am now if it weren’t for GLOBE. While I still have ways to go with my public speaking, GLOBE has helped me improve it so much, a skill I know I will need in my career.

Beyond the professional aspects, GLOBE has enriched and blessed me by offering me an experience that feels 1:1. I have met some amazing people and I know I mentioned in the previous log, that I took too long to make friends and all that but I am so happy that I have met these people when I’ve met them, where I’ve met them, they’re fantastic. And who knows what the future holds, but here in the now, I am so grateful for them and cherish that we were able to experience all this together. It’s been the highlight of my last four years here.

None of this would’ve been possible without Dr. Sama. I am so grateful for this past semester, and I mean it when I say whenever or wherever you need me, I will be there. She has permanently enriched my life in ways that many other people might not even experience in their lifetime. I am so thankful for every moment & everything Dr. Sama has taught us, and everything she has brought into my life directly or indirectly. She is greatness personified, I will always remember her and always wish her the best. I hope years from that we are still in contact. I am grateful for everything; it has been an unforgettable experience.

Technology and Communications Team
By: Julianna Grgurovich
Log #10

This semester coming to an end is certainly bittersweet. As senior year wraps up for me, I am thankful that this was the most meaningful year for me regarding my classes and the real-world impact I was able to experience through them. This was the first semester where all my classes met once a week, and the workload was primarily done in groups outside of typical lecture time. Having this sort of freedom to be creative in my work, and gain experience and communication skills was like no other. I think it is rare for a group of people from such diverse backgrounds to unite so well as a team, but that was exactly how the IT team was! We all had different ideas and opinions that meshed so effortlessly and beautifully. I feel we each taught each other new things about content creation and advertising, but also different perspectives about the class, which is truly the core of GLOBE. Collaboration occurred not only within my team but with the other teams in the class. I was able to get a taste of the tasks different teams were working on, and even though the content of our work differed, all our objectives aligned.

Reflecting on the objectives my teams and I made only a few weeks ago, looking at all the work we put in to fulfill these goals, the obstacles we overcame, and what this class has thought me has left me in awe. I am grateful, not only, for what I learned in this class, but for how I will apply this experience in the future. This goes beyond my knowledge of microfinance, furthermore, to be thankful for everything I have in my life; the food America takes for granted, financial resources, education, and the opportunities women in other countries fight for.

Finance, Budgets and Risk Assessment Team
By: Giselle Abril 
Culminating Reflection 

As the Spring semester comes to an end, I am grateful to say that I made the best decision to apply for GLOBE. Throughout my time at St. John’s, I have not heard of GLOBE, even as an International Management major. Interestingly enough, it is a required course for my major. Something about the name of GLOBE sounded a bit intimidating to me, “budding entrepreneurs”, where here I thought I had to fully create my own business and work on writing my very own business plan. Little did I know, it had absolutely nothing to do with that, but with everything that exceeded any of my expectations and more. 

I was one of the last few to apply and interview for GLOBE, and right before my interview, I had caught my dean walking in Tobin and quickly asked her how I could prepare for the interview. “Just do some research on microfinance,” she had said. Later that night, I met with my parents who were visiting the Queens area from New Jersey, and told them all about my application process, and together we looked up what microfinance is. My father, being an insurance agent, studied business here at St. John’s, but as much as he tried to explain microfinance, I could not grasp it. All three of us were amazed while reading the GLOBE web page on the St. John’s website, as each paragraph and each sentence was perfectly describing a scenario that perfectly fit what I had been trying to explain to both of them for a few months prior. My passion for service but my pursuit of business was something they had trouble understanding, on how I could ever combine the two, where there also was a while, I had also been doubtful. 

I first thought about changing my major when I took a leave of absence back in the fall of 2020, going into my sophomore year. My business classes up until then were not very engaging, in fact, I only felt like I had to show up to class to pass it, not to learn anything from it. I did, though, understand that it was still early on in my college career so I would have to wait to really get into the nitty-gritty international management stuff, but naturally, it was still hard to focus when there wasn’t a clear vision I had pictured for my future yet. I also understood that as “uninterested” as the classes were to me, it was still valuable information for a businessperson in general to gain, and in order for me to be successful in anything I pursue, I must discipline myself regardless and appreciate the educational opportunities I have. 

During my year off, I took a lot of time and effort to really dive into my passions and what I feel personally rewarded from. Being away from the hassle and pressure of school did a number of wonders for me, I was able to recover from mentally and physically being in a very unhealthy state prior to this time period. As it did with many across the world, Covid had a significant effect on me personally as well as my family. Beginning therapy was a gateway to not only better understanding myself in the sense of my own health, but my personal strengths and passions. I recognized that my appreciation of pursuing a career in internationalization and globalization was not because of anything else but my love for people. As I reflected, I considered going into diplomacy, along with sociology and law, even. But it was not until I was introduced to the field of social work that I realized my skills could fit perfectly and there was a direct impact/connection to people. With no hesitation, I talked to my dean immediately to enroll me in social work classes as a minor to complement my international management major for the semester I was coming back. Up until my introduction to GLOBE, I have heavily enjoyed my time pursuing both but was coming up to a point in time where I now not only need to navigate my educational journey but begin navigating in careers. It is safe to say that GLOBE introduced me to a field that I had been looking for from the beginning of my collegiate career, and through all of the bumps in the road!

I left dinner with my parents that night not only excited but extremely encouraged since it had been a while since I felt that way. As mentioned before, as much as it was difficult to explain how I want to combine the two professions, and although my parents couldn’t envision it themselves at first, they were still supportive and even more delighted knowing how excited I was to begin GLOBE.

My time in GLOBE has been incomparable to any class I have taken. By far, I have learned so much more in GLOBE than in most classes combined. I think it’s important to note that I learned from every aspect of GLOBE, from the professor, from the lectures, from the assignments, from my peers, from team objectives, and our borrowers. As a collective, I feel GLOBE was a perfect experience, and if anything acted as training for my next career move. Even as much as I had wished to be a part of the fundraising team, I believe it was destined for me to be placed in the finance team, which I originally thought was too much out of my comfort zone to do so, especially becoming team liaison. Luckily, I was placed on the finance team and even took it upon myself to volunteer to be team liaison, knowing that although it would be challenging, nothing could amount to my enthusiasm for being in the class already. The team element of the course was something I specifically appreciated, as it taught me a lot more about leadership and team dynamics, which at the end of the day I value any learning experience regarding human interactions, especially how to manage a team. 

Regarding our borrowers and our work on loan recommendations, I found it an incredible honor to even work with such hardworking and inspiring human beings from around the world. To be able to have a positive effect on people’s lives is truly honoring and something I do not want to stop doing. All of the borrowers that we have worked with throughout the semester are people whom I hold in such high regard. I am also very proud of all the work my team was able to accomplish this semester, and perseverance through any obstacle that arose while doing so. The reward of having each recommendation approved felt phenomenal, and even more so knowing it was one step closer to helping someone’s journey of improving them and their family’s welfare.
As of today, all of GLOBE’s success is completely attributed to Dr. Sama’s incredible diligence and devotion to fulfilling GLOBE’s mission. It is safe to say she has built an incredible program and is leaving behind a great foundation for more success, as GLOBE has a prosperous future! I am forever grateful for my time in GLOBE, my contribution to the program is only a fraction of its immense contribution to my life! Thank you to GLOBE and a big thank you to Dr. Sama.

By: Arhum Shahid 
Culminating Reflection 

When I first joined GLOBE I was excited but I had many unanswered questions. I wondered whether or not microfinance could ever be ethical. I wondered if the program would actually help me create an actual impact overseas and change people’s lives. Now, as we conclude this semester, I am simply grateful for the opportunity to be a member of GLOBE. Not only did we, our team, realize what GLOBE meant to these borrowers, we simply understood the concept of ethical microfinance. Thank you Dr. Sama for helping us see how lives can be influenced and helped in order for these good individuals to achieve their goals. We’ve seen banks of the world charge absurd rates to take advantage of borrowers, but GLOBE and the Daughters of Charity have sought to make a difference and a positive influence. I believe the teamwork involved, work outside of class and the overall commitment to excellence helped us succeed in these last few months. We learned from our mistakes and failures and corrected lingering errors. Within the process of correcting these mistakes, we grew as learners in college and real life. The tournament we were able to pull off was a success and a blast, and I’m glad we could do so in Dr. Sama’s farewell. Thank you to St. John’s, Dr. Sama, the Daughters, and my classmates for making this a great experience. We worked together and we made it happen, regardless of the highs and lows. Now as we all move on to the next chapter of our lives, we can carry this important and memorable experience onward. Go Johnnies!


Technology and Communications Team
By Matthew Bhonsly: 
Culminating Reflection 

Sitting here at the end of the semester really makes me think back on the months that have gone by. All the hard work, effort, and results that we have seen from most of the class are culminating in the final presentation on the ninth. As excited as I am to graduate and give that last presentation, there is sadness within me that I cannot ignore. To say the GLOBE program has changed my life and mentality within a few short months is an understatement. GLOBE has connected me with like-minded individuals who care about this world as much as I do. To be able to meet these amazing people and collaborate with them on projects and ideas was not only an honor, but a personal joy of mine. Most of the people I worked with in GLOBE were insanely driven by their love and commitment to the program, and it showed through all the ideas we had together. The marketing team was a blast to work with, and our brainstorming sessions were always full of jokes and productivity at the same time, somehow. 

To begin with, our class lectures were always very informative. I truly believe they helped us to care more for the events and program as well. They were always extremely helpful in reminding me what I am working for. Learning about the ins and outs of microfinance really broadened my knowledge on the subject and helped me to personally see its appeal of it around the world. Although, a lecture is still a lecture, and I would often find myself sitting there itching to get started on the more hands-on work. 

Events planning was a massive part of the marketing team and IT team’s workload. To start, the mixer was a priority, and we really hoped to get a lot of people out there. I was ready to see people come to sign-up for GLOBE and was hoping to see sophomores and juniors there ready to apply. Unfortunately, it was a bit quiet at the event. However, we made the best of it. That’s one thing that I learned from a lot of the work I did in this program: making the best of what you have. It’s a lesson I feel like a lot of our borrowers also deal with in their lives every day.

GiveCampus was out next priority, and the Marketing team gave us an amazing narrative. It was extremely difficult to cut down such amazing content into a one-minute script. We knew this video had to be engaging, so we chose to highlight the way GLOBE makes a tangible difference. I truly believe this was the message that makes people want to donate. Maria and Cindy were also great borrowers to highlight, and Lina provided us with great pictures! We wanted to convey as much emotion as we could to people who viewed the video, so that they truly understand that we aren’t a heartless non-profit. We genuinely strive to connect with our borrowers and change their lives for the better. I pray that we got that message across!

The basketball game was also an amazing way to end the year! Marketing and IT really knocked it out of the park for this one in my opinion. And of course, we had to give a little surprise tribute to Dr. Sama before she leaves! The game itself was absolutely a blast, and everyone there contributed so much effort! Our players had an amazing time as well, and even a competition with a cash prize was won! It makes me think of all the hard work that went into planning, all the obstacles, and all the days we counted down. What started as an idea In the classroom blossomed into a beautiful event that helped us to promote GiveCampus as well! 

Lastly, I wanted to touch upon our guest speakers. It was an honor to have them in the classroom and they genuinely increased my understanding of microfinance. The one that really intrigued me was the latest one, with crypto and microfinance. It truly opened my eyes to a new world and a new way that microfinance could potentially go to be more inclusive of those in more oppressive or closed-off governments. It really shows that there will be no end to Microfinance as it will just find ways to become integrated into current technologies, and I think that is reassuring, as Microfinance is needed to lift people out of poverty. 

Overall, GLOBE is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I won’t ever have the same teammates, the same events, or the same pride I had been in the program. Maybe that’s a good thing, maybe that’s what made it so special to me. To know that I worked to make a difference, and still had fun doing it. That really resonates in my soul. I can only hope that I carry on those values that GLOBE taught me through my actions, and to carry on the legacy of helping those around me as much as I can. I believe one person can change the world, so I can’t imagine what a program like GLOBE can do in its very bright future. 

By: Reece Perry
Culminating Reflection 

This semester, I have been able to take a lot of our GLOBE classes. Starting from day one, I have been very excited about getting involved with the program and learning about the work that we do. Working with the Social Media/IT team has been an incredible experience. Our team collectively has worked very well this semester, and it has shown in all of the work we’ve done. Our team has enthusiastically worked on several different projects and objectives that have led to an amazing semester. 

At the start of the course, it was difficult to adjust to the style of the class. Setting team objectives was not bad at all but finalizing them and then measuring them effectively was not easy. Especially working with the Audit team, measuring our goals helped keep us on track. It seemed like we were always doing work, checking social media, and looking at the types of engagement we were receiving. At times, the lack of enthusiasm amongst the class made it difficult to accomplish our goals. No matter what the other teams were doing, we wanted to set an example and come into every single class ready to participate and partake in videos, content, and anything else GLOBE related. The collaboration of both the Marketing and IT teams really formed a strong relationship that led to various different successes in the class. I remember the first time we spoke with Marketing, versus our final events together. We worked incredibly hard throughout the semester trying to build these relationships in order to benefit the program. 

The basketball event was a testament to this. After struggling to really get sign-ups for the event, the final week included a huge push. Alexis Tigua and Alexis Quan worked incredibly hard along with the Marketing team to just make the event enjoyable for all of us to come to. This event was an example of the determination and hard work we exemplified. We were always trying to remain optimistic and push for positive energy to flow into our events. From Matt and Alexis’s speeches to the class to the commentating at the game, we kept up and I am incredibly happy with our work. This reflection also leads to more optimism, and I am thrilled to see what the future GLOBE courses are able to do in event planning. I am excited to work with the future teams and urge them to plan heavily and actively throughout the early stages of the class. Through our experience, we can really help perfect this event and make it in the most ideal way possible. 

The class lectures and readings we did were always insightful and helped remind us of the mission that we are constantly working on. The Finance team did an incredible job working on the loan applications and did their best to be engaged. Despite the low level of participation, we still pushed to incorporate everyone and create an inclusive environment in our class. I am a bit sad that my time in this course is coming to an end, I really enjoyed working with my team and attending the events we had executed. Despite the impacts we had made, I really want to stay a part of the community and continuing help in any way possible. Through future GiveCampus initiatives or future events, giving back to the future managers and helping them have a smooth transition and journey in the class can help better the program. I really enjoyed working with everyone and the Final Presentation will be very bittersweet.