Today eBay launched a new website to enable ordinary people to buy investments aimed at improving conditions in the world’s poorest countries. MicroPlace (currently only open to US residents) aims to enable the poor to pull themselves out of poverty. It involves making small loans (less than $200) to the those in developing countries to establish or expand small businesses that generate additional income for their family.
The MicroPlace website claims to offer individuals the ability to invest in poorer countries while making a positive social impact on the world. There’s plenty of information on the site, including a history of microfinance tracing it back to Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus and his work with the “Village” Bank. Yunus was inspired by seeing the difference very small loans could make to enable poor people to start businesses and become self sufficient.
eBay are running the MicroPlace website with the aim of breaking even. If in the future profits arise from MicroPlace they intend to reinvest any profits back in further social initiatives.
One Response
This is interesting, I wonder how it would be financially secured though…
How would you stand if someone refused to pay up so to speak?
Its a long flight from here to India for example…