Description

Your participation as a Microfinance Intern will help local community business owners get the support they need to continue successfully. Examples of how you can support Micro-Enterprise in Bolivia:

* Support the allocation of loan funds and help organize financial records for women micro-entrepreneurs. Provide credit counseling and strategic enterprise solutions for these women. Support international fundraising efforts to grow micro-credit and business development programs. Evaluate newly implemented capacity building programs to assess contribution to women's overall empowerment.

* Assist in the dispersment of loans to new communities building water systems. Design and support workshops to train community representatives in the effective use of these loans. Help to find strategic ways to lower interest rates to 4% - 6% annually.

* Support negotiations on behalf of farmers for the prices of animal feed, milk, oats, alfalfa, soy, corn, and medicinal plants.

* Research reasons why women micro-entrepreneurs fail to repay loans on time and/or drop out of an organizations lending program before completion. Conduct impact assessments, that look at the levels of improvement, lack of change, or digression in the micro-enterprises of their clients.

* Increase export markets and general sales for a wide variety of locally produced goods. Build websites and design marketing materials for these small producers.

* Continue an FSD project that develops video and printed materials for the training of marginalized women so that they may successfully start and manage small businesses.

For more opportunities in micro-enterprise in Bolivia, visit our website or contact us directly.

About FSD

The Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1995 to support underserved, international communities in a collaborative and sustainable manner. Our model incorporates three overlapping programs:

1. Sustainable Development Training Programs for Interns and Volunteers
FSD provides comprehensive training and immersion programs for interns and volunteers seeking hands-on experience in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Program participants come from countless professions and more than 300 universities worldwide to collaborate with our partner organizations on community-driven projects that reflect sustainable practices.

2. Grantmaking to Projects and Initiatives Led By Our Partner Organizations
Donations and grants given to FSD are used to support projects and initiatives implemented by our partner organizations, site teams, interns, and volunteers.

3. Sustainable Development of Community-Based Organizations
Our professional field staff, consultants, and program participants provide on-site technical training and capacity building to more than 200 community-based organizations.

Highlights

Development Issues Addressed by FSD in Bolivia
The recent decline of the Bolivian economy began in the late 1990s when prices of Bolivian exports dropped due to reduced international demand. In 1998, strong climatic changes, such as droughts and floods in different regions, destroyed farmers assets and crops, forcing them to sell their products at very low prices, sometimes at no profit or loss. Due to the drastic loss in income of so many Bolivians, several microfinance institutions closed branches in the Cochabamba area, and new guidelines have made it impossible for many to obtain financial services.

Currently, the richest 10 percent of the Bolivian population earn 25 times as much as the poorest 40 percent. Without education or access to financial services, the disparity between the rich and poor will not be easily changed. While regulated institutions have difficulty offering financial services due to the inherent high costs involved, NGOs have the capacity to present microfinance options to struggling entrepreneurs and to re-stimulate the Bolivian economy. Microfinance services offered by non-profit organizations have shown promise in helping the poor in Cochabamba.

By partnering with several, local microfinance and business development organizations in the Cochabamba area, FSD is able to support increased training and microfinance services available in the region empowering socioeconomically excluded families and contributing to a powerful grassroots movement. Whether you decide to work with lending cooperatives for women and farmers or increase export markets for artisans, your experience with FSD will bring you to the frontline of micro business development.

Minimum Education

High School

Intern Types

Languages

• English
• Spanish

Cost in US$:

Depends on Program Selected; See FSD Website

Cost Includes:

• Emergency evacuation services
• Excursions
• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Living stipend
• Medical insurance
• Pre-departure orientation/Training
• Registration fees
• Travel while in host country
• Written materials abroad
• Written materials pre-departure

Program Fees Include:

Your contribution fee covers all program costs (excluding airfare) and is 100% tax deductible for U.S. residents. Included in the fee is: a one-week orientation; family homestay will all meals provided; language lessons (not available in Latin America); development trainings and workshops; group sessions; midterm retreat (9+ weeks only); final debriefing session; on-going in-country support from FSD site team and U.S. staff; USD 200 mini-grant; eligibility for additional project funding up to USD 500, medical evacuation and limited health insurance; and pick-up from the airport.

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

Typical Volunteer

FSD supports participants who boldly wish to initiate the change they believe is necessary in the developing world. Interns are passionate about sharing their practical knowledge, heart-felt enthusiasm, and economic resources with communities abroad that suffer unnecessary hardship. They wish to gain hands-on, grassroots development experience because they believe change is most powerfully cultivated on a community level. The aim is to experientially learn how their work can empower the community toward applying sustainable development solutions, rather than increasing reliance on foreign aid. Participants choose FSD because the program structure enables them to design and implement their own sustainable projects in collaboration with their host organization and the FSD Site Team. They are able to test their ideas and theories in the most direct way possible, giving them the experience and knowledge they seek. The flexibility of the host organizations allows for participants at all stages and levels of experience in international development to participate, thus opening the programs to a diverse group of capable applicants.

Age Range

18-75

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Home-stays

Participants Travel

Independently

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups of 3-10

Application Process Involves

• Letters of Reference
• Phone/Video Interview
• Resume
• Written Application

Typically The Application Process Time is

1 months

Post Services Include

• Alumni Network

Foundation for Sustainable Development's Mission Statement

Founded in 1995, the Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD) supports the efforts of more than 300 grassroots, community-based partner organizations throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America. FSD's programs provide multi-faceted support that relies on active community participation to mobilize lasting solutions. FSD programs include:

• Capacity Building: Our professional field staff provides on-site training and networking opportunities to more than 300 community-based organizations worldwide.
  
  
• Training Programs Abroad: FSD provides comprehensive training and immersion programs for interns and volunteers who seek hands-on development experience.
  
  
• Grantmaking: Donations and grants given to FSD are used to support sustainable projects led by our partner organizations.
  
  
• Engaged Philanthropy: FSD Giving Circles organize groups of donors who pool their time, talent, and resources to make international grants to our partner organizations.

• Year Founded

  1995