Support micro entrepreneurs in developing countries A 20 000 km cycling trip to support 300 micro entrepreneurs
Our project of Micro-credit comes from a paradox: On one sides the role essential, necessary and highly efficient of microfinance in the fight against poverty, on the other side the inadequacy and the lack of resources deployed to enable micro-finance to fight properly against poverty.
Thus was born the "The bicycle trip around the world for micro entrepreneurs". It is a very innovative project that we want to reach both humanitarian and economic goals.
The main idea is to redistribute our capital to entrepreneurs in developing countries following the logic of 1 € per kilometre travelled in the form of zero interest loan. Our goal is to lend 20 000€ and therefore create over 300 companies in areas hardly hit by poverty such as Calcutta, Hanoi, La Paz, Malaysia ... Our initial capital will enable us to create almost one company everyday ! Knowing that a loan enable in average 5 people to improve significantly their life standard, it means that over 1500 people will benefit from our help.
In order to improve the efficiency of our work, we are currently working with associations based on the concerned country; they will be our intermediaries with the micro entrepreneurs.
During our trip around the world we will meet the different micro entrepreneurs that we support in order to see from our eyes the effectiveness of our action. We will then write detailed report for each micro company. In the long term, the reimbursement of these micro loans will generate a micro ethical fund. Our action will have an impact on the long term.
Launch of an ethics micro-fund A long-term sustainable project
We are highly determined to create a long-term sustainable economic project. We believe that this adventure will not finish by the end of the 4th July 2010 when Maxime and Thomas will come back. This trip around the world is the official start for an adventure having both human and economic goals.
We decided to redistribute the money that we collected in the form of zero interest loans instead of a simple giving it. We are going to lend almost 20 000 € to four different micro-finance associations who actually need this money in order to expend by subsidize small different micro-projects for micro-companies. The payback a year after, will sustain a micro-ethics capital that will enable us to re-invest in new micro-projects.
By taking part in our project, you will be part of a capital that will still exist in the following years, generating a positive impact in the poorest area of the globe.
We really want to make out of this capital a sustainable basis. Therefore we work really hard in the classification of the associations that we actually support in order to reduce the risk for non reimbursement.
Our main goal is to create a sustainable project and we have high expectation concerning the future of this first trip around the world. We expect people to keep doing it, keep taking part, keep being involve and keep giving us both personal and financial support when possible.
Riding a bike around the world An adventure both human and physical
- We want to meet and discover:
Meeting...
Our project is initially based on men and women able to tackle and interact with each other in order to grow up together. During our trip, our wish is to meet these people having ambition, envy, needs and project for the future. We want to experience different atmosphere and culture and set up a both way beneficial human contact. This is also the reason why we choose the bicycle as a means of transport: we will be closer from the reality.
Travelling gives us a chance to experience an extraordinary human and multi-cultural adventure.
Discovering
We are going to discover new environment every single time. Different nature, different culture and civilization are going to be our “daily meal”. We want to see and to understand what the world diversity is about, we want to speak and meet the people leaving at every side of the world.
Additionally, the main goal of our trip is to see the evolution of our project. We want to see weather or not our action of collaboration meets its objectives. The realisation of our objectives on-site is essential for us. It gives our entire project to ensure consistency and continuity.
Also, discover the reality of micro-credit on-site will combine the experience of the “EDHEC Microfinance Tour” over the years to better align our micro-investment and to better understand the way the needs changes and how we can respond to them.
- We are simply looking for adventure:
We are both still students and we want to go on an adventure keeping in mind the establishment of a serious project. Therefore, we are going to use all our academic and professional experiences in order to support our project.
The opportunity to realize this dream is unique: Leave everything and go cycling around the world for a year is a very important decision to take. However we perceive this year as a time to step back and build up our own idea about the world around us.
It is obvious for us to combine our love of adventure and this professional experience.
Joyeux anniversaire-Compleanos feliz MAx 23 ans aujourd'hui!! ouahh
Ils Manœuvrent leurs vélos...
...Ils Manœuvrent leurs vélos
........A 4800 m d’altitude,
......eXultant de joie de vivre ces moments si magiques par moins
......dIx degrés
..ThoM s’apprête à fêter les 23 ans de max quelque part
En plEin milieu de la cordillère des Andes…
Que rêver de mieux pour un aventurier…
Encourageons les dans ces moments intenses… et en ce jour si particulier !
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