Approach

Lumana sees microcredit as an organizing tool for more efficient global development.

To start, we provide small loans in order to create a baseline of financial security for our clients. Through the repayment of their loans and participation in our business education classes strong cooperatives of rural villagers are created in the communities where we operate.

Based on the personal relationships and trust we have built with our clients and local leaders, Lumana is well positioned to hear the needs of community members and to act on them. By using the data we collect on our areas we are then able use it to attract other development agencies and help implement their projects that would be beneficial to our villages.

We also focus on education, requiring that each of our loan recipients complete a 10-day business training covering basics like how to save, calculating income and expenses, and creating a business plan.

Through our survey process, we have identified health, agriculture, infrastructure, energy, and education as five core areas of need for communities we serve. By opening up our infrastructure and tools for evaluation to partners working in these fields, we can improve development efforts by making them more relevant and transparent to the villages they serve.