RIP: Microfinance and Me

It's official.

I've made the decision to step away from Microfinance and focus on something different.

My goal -- since day 1 -- was to find some way to "give back." My journey into the world of Microfinance has been interesting, educational, adventurous and . . . frustrating.

The question that I found myself asking over and over: "How can I make a meaningful difference in Microcredit?" I couldn't come up with anything tangible or substantive.

I have faced two major obstacles:
#1) My spanish has not been good enough.
#2) The institutions I have spent time with have not been very open with me.

Moreover, and perhaps more importantly, I was not thrilled about the impact Microfinance was making.

I still believe Microfinance institutions have a role to play in development. However, I am not going to be involved -- at least not directly.

So now what? Well, I have come up with something . . . but I'm not ready to tell you just yet.