MEDA's reputation as a leading-edge organization is known far and wide,
reports Jared Penner, MEDA microfinance coordinator. Jared recently
attended MDI, the Microfinance Development Institute, at Southern New
Hampshire University. As part of a three-week program on microfinance
development strategies promoting youth entrepreneurship, he was in a
class with 30 others from microfinance institutions and NGOs around the
world.
"Throughout my time with MEDA, most of the people I have encountered at
various seminars and conferences have had a tremendous opinion of our
organization," he says. "There is a lot of respect for us as a
faith-based organization that does high-quality economic development
work. We certainly have a reputation for being leading edge in
microfinance and microenterprise development."
A Winnipeg, Manitoba native, Jared began his career with MEDA in
September 2005 as an intern in Mozambique. After six months, he was
named program coordinator to pilot a new MEDA project on HIV/AIDS and
microfinance in the country. Jared joined MEDA's head office in Waterloo
in March 2007, where he currently works as MEDA's Microfinance
Coordinator.
Jared is pictured (back row with beard) with the rest of the
participants from MEDA's Youth and Microfinance Workshop held in Maputo,
Mozambique in August 2006.
