Blog 3

Since I was in the seventh grade I have been going on various mission trips with the churches I have attended. Service is a big part of my life and I try to do as much as I can to help the people around me. Growing up in a Baptist church, service was emphasized greatly as a part of the teachings of what Jesus did and what how God wants us to help others as well. I know this is why I feel that service is very important and why I try to do so much of it. I have been fortunate to have a family that loves me and have had the essentials of life provided for me, so in return I want to help those that may not have these things. Whether it is putting a roof or siding on a house to keep adequate shelter over a family, teaching little kids about Jesus through Bible school, providing medical care, meals, clothes, or furniture to a family that just lost their home, or just showing love by playing with impoverished children, I feel this is my way of giving back to the world and I am blessed to be able to do all of this. My pastor has always encouraged my church family to do more service. Much of which has been in our own small community and within our church family. It could be providing meals for families with loved ones in the hospital or recovering from surgery, or gathering food items to make Thanksgiving meal baskets for families in need. The Belize micro-lending project fits into a new world of service for me. I think its is a great way to serve the people of Belize because this is something that keeps on giving and helping them. A new truck allows a women to get a product to and from the right place more quickly, increasing her business, in turn providing better for her family which could lead to many different things, such as better health and education. International service is also something that interest me very much. After going to Guatemala last year and now Belize, I have seen impoverished countries and want to do as much as I can to help and may someday put my nursing skills to work in countries such as these.

Blog 2

I really enjoyed reading about Yunus’ ideas in The Banker to the Poor. I am really amazed how such a simple idea can change the lives of many. I liked that when coming up with the process upon which to run the Garmeen Bank, that he wasn’t afraid of failing and that he didn’t give up until he found a solution to helping the poor have better lives. I thought that only giving loans to women was a bold step for him to take, but one that was wise, and in doing so this helped the entire family, which might not happen if the loan was given to the male of the household. I was surprised at first, not knowing much about economics, when he mentioned that the interest rate was 20%, but further explained I realized that this wasn't as bad and i had thought and that this actually was necessary to keep giving out more loans. In Creating a World Without Poverty Yunus talked about all the other different Garmeen companies that have been started with the same philosophy in mind. Providing healthcare to the poor at very minimal price is an outstanding idea. The way he was adapting the clinics to what the culture needed, like more women healthcare providers to give the women clients more peace of mind, is really helping the root of the problem for most of the poor.

I think the main idea that Yunus wants to promote is philanthropy not necessarily service. His idea is promoting the poor to be self-reliant and not to rely on others to do the work for them. With all the different Garmeen companies, i feel that Yunus is promoting the welfare of the poor and getting others involved through donations that are changing the world for the poor. I think this method has worked better in helping the poor move out of the category of “poor,” than just having groups come in to do service for the poor. This way seems to last longer and be more long lasting.