Thanks to your support and a very successful Spring fundraiser for our microfinance project in Peru, the UUCS Microfinance Committee just sent $3,939 to the Chijnaya Foundation! The funding will be used to construct alpaca sheds which will boost the survival rate of the calves and improve the overall quality of the herds. Larger alpaca herds and better quality wool will increase incomes on a sustainable basis for the poor alpaca farmers living on the high altiplano near Lake Titicaca in southern Peru.

We are excited to announce our next project for the 2016-17 church year! We will partner with the NEO Fund . They have dedicated their aid for the poorest of the poor – those individuals living near the dumps in Nicaragua, Haiti, and India. The mission of the NEO Fund is to serve the poor through sustainable community development via micro-lending and child-aid programs by working through established organizations in some of the most impoverished communities of the developing world. During our first year, our funding will focus on Nicaragua.

We are also supporting a small pilot microfinance project with the IMANI Project that will help Kenyan women farm and raise crops to support their families.

We hope you will attend the October 9th UUCS service to learn more about the success of our efforts and our new partners!

Our next UUCS Microfinance Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 17, 2016, 6:00 p.m. at the home of Ann Hanus. Call (503) 871-9764 or email Ann.hanus@gmail.com for directions.