Global Peace Train a (http://www.globalpeacetrain.com), a local 501(c)(3) microloan provider based in Denver, Colorado, has been hand selected as one of four local non profits that will present at the Angel Capital Summit. The main focus of GPT’s presentation is to seek small loans for business ventures to assist impoverished women in the slums in Kenya who want to lift their families out of poverty.
More information about Global Peace Train can be found at http://www.globalpeacetrain.com.
Denver, Co, December 1, 2010— Global Peace Train will present at the Angel Capital Summit, an event tailored for entrepreneurs of start up companies seeking angle investments. This years topic focuses on economic development. In an effort to connect philanthropic minded angel investors with projects they can become involved in, the leadership of the Angel Capital Summit invited four non profits to present at the event. It will take place at Daniels College of Business in Denveron December 6th and 7th, 2010 and include classes and presentations from entrepreneurs of new start ups and the four selected non profits.
“While on a journey with Global Peace Train, I found myself connecting with a group of young women who have grown up in the extreme poverty of the Kuwinda slum,” says Aja Duniven, Global Peace Train’s Executive Director. “When I asked these women what would make their lives better, I was surprised they did not ask for ‘charity’… they want support in finding capital to start their own businesses, which would help alleviate poverty in their community. It was clear then they were in need of a microfinance program.” From that initial inspiration Global Peace Train partnered with Women’s Global Empowerment Fund. They are also a Denver based non profit focused on delivering micro loans and education to women in Uganda, to create the “Making Miracles with Microloans” program.
- The program offers small loans to women in Kenya to start small businesses lifting themselves and their families out of poverty
- Loans as small as $100 are enough to get the women started
- As the women repay their loans, the money is sent back into the community to allow other women to repeat the process
Miracles with Microloans is designed to facilitate the empowerment of underserved women, using micro financing as a vehicle to assist them in developing sustainable community enterprises. The project’s main goal is to empower the women and develop a sustainable program that can be handed over to locals when it is fully operational. This microfinance program is easily replicated and readily teachable. This enables the women a way to educate and pass on the model within their communities, so the population can become financially viable and self-reliant. Therefore, this program not only strengthens the local economy but also empowers the community by providing them with confidence, self-esteem, and an opportunity to take leadership roles. The local leadership that emerges from the program will be the key to continuous development and greater community transformation.
Karen Sugar, Executive director of Women’s Global Empowerment Fund has partnered with Global Peace Train to deliver the microfinance program to the women in the slums of Kenya. When she came across Global Peace Train’s project with microfinance loans, Karen offered her support as a consultant on the project. She is working along side Duniven and the Kenyan team members to custom fit a program specific to the women in the Kuwinda slum. Karen’s program in neighboring Uganda has distributed over 2000 loans with a 0% defult rate and drastically shifted the lives of the community.
Global Peace Train provides a refreshing way to contribute to the greater good, because the emphasis is not on suffering, but inspiring our communities through humor and fun, and at the same time participating in something that empowers people in extreme poverty.
“I think everyone has the desire to do something good for others, but we don’t always know how to go about it,” says Duniven. “This is an opportunity for people to get involved by contributing their talents to a good cause. Simply attending the event or making small donations online is another way to help these women in Kenya. We’re hoping programs like this will start to catch on, and Global Peace Train can empower many.”
If you can’t make the event, jump aboard the Global Peace Train for the journey of a lifetime with a monthly donation. For more information or to make a donation call 303.818.8209 or visit www.globalpeacetrain.com
All tickets and donations are tax deductible.
Contact Info:
Aja Duniven
Engineer of Serendipity
Global Peace Train
Phone: 303.818.8209
Email: aja@globalpeacetrain.com.com