 Maria
Maria lives in rural Peru. She received a $60 microloan four years ago to start a bakery in her home, and paid it back in full. She wants to expand, hire others, and raise funds to start a health clinic in town, but she needs business advice, a bigger loan, coaching on hiring and managing others, and the ability to use her phone beyond her geographic region. |
 Carlos
Carlos runs a microfinance institution in Cusco, Peru, the closest city near Maria. He provided the loan to her initially, along with a cell phone she shares with other women in her community. He wants to start a village savings & loan to help Maria and dozens like her, but he needs coaching on leadership and business practices, as well as access to additional capital. With the coaching he gets through MifiMentor, Carlos can also help Maria and her community begin a campaign to build the health clinic they so badly need. |
 Anita
Anita is a corporate investor in the US. She advises telecom companies on emerging markets. She can get cell phones to poor villages, but villagers have difficulty using them for more than just the basics. Last year, she met Carlos while on a business trip to Cusco. She noticed his business acumen and determination to help women like Maria. But she was struck with the lack of resources she took for granted in the US: role models, business associations, and continuing education. Through MifiMentor, she can talk with Carlos weekly, and has a social network with centralized resources to help him with real-time problem solving. |