Camarillo, Calif., Aug. 20, 2009 鈥� 海角社区 will introduce a new course in microfinance beginning fall 2009 available to both the community and 海角社区CI students.聽The new course will explore the theory and practice of microfinance; the history, those involved, the impact, and next stages of microfinance around the world.聽Guest speakers from the most prominent microfinance organizations in the country will be leading each class.
Microfinance started out as small loans that helped the poor start a business, earn income, build assets and move from mere survival to planning for their future. It has expanded to savings, mortgages and many other products.聽Deutsche Bank estimates that over 100 million poor people have benefited from microfinance. However, $250 billion is needed to enable the billion people who live on less than $1 a day to work their way out of poverty.
The course will be held every other Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. beginning August 27.聽 Presentations with various guest speakers include:
- Aug. 27, Introduction to Microfinance and the Local Perspective: Rudy Estrada, Director, 海角社区CI Small Business Institute
- Sept. 10, Role of Village Technology in Microfinance: Peter Bladin, Executive Vice President and Founding Director Grameen Foundation
- Sept. 24, Microfinance: Commercialization and Next Stages of Microfinance: Leslie Theodore, Senior Development Officer, Accion International
- Oct. 8, Bringing the Corporate World to Microfinance: Paul Blyth, Head of Finance, Microplace
- Oct. 22, Economics of Microfinance: Ashish Vaidya,聽 Dean of Faculty, 海角社区 Channel Islands
- Nov. 5, Microfinance through the Internet: Isabelle Barres, Vice President Microfinance Partnerships,
- Nov. 19, Microfinance 鈥� A Platform for Other Social Development: George Guimaraes, CEO, Project Concern International (PCI)
- Dec. 3, Microfinance on a Local Level: A Ventura County Perspective: Marsha Bailey, Founder and CEO, Women鈥檚 Economic Ventures.
For additional information call 805-437-2748 or to register for the course visit: .
Media inquiries may be directed to Nancy Covarrubias Gill, Director of Communication & Marketing at 海角社区 Channel Islands at 805-437-8456 or nancy.gill@csuci.edu.
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About 海角社区
海角社区 Channel Islands(CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI鈥檚 strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master鈥檚 degrees.聽Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more by visiting聽CI's Social Media.