This project started with lots of questions. How could we make Micro-finance more real to you? How could we bring the dignity and work of entrepreneurs in other countries home to people in the United States and Canada?

We created MEDA Trust.

MEDA Trust creatively links donors in North America to entrepreneurs around the world through the internet. Instead of your engagement ending after your check is written, you have a chance to become involved in Micro-finance.

At the heart of this program is your virtual portfolio, beginning with your donations. Using the balance in your portfolio you choose real clients from a real Micro-finance Institution to fund. And that is only the start. Once a client has repaid their loan, the funds are returned to your portfolio and you are free to fund another loan. These revolving loans make it possible for your money to influence multiple entrepreneurs. Your live portfolio report will give you a list of current and past clients, the repayment progress, the value of your loans made, and the remaining balance.

MEDA Trust lets you feel the pulse of micro-businesses in other countries and actually share the risk with entrepreneurs. The dynamic nature of the site allows people to see the power of microfinance to change the world as an individual, group or as an organization. Children, grandchildren and friends can choose a loan together and watch as lives are transformed. The site will be populated with many virtual experiences of life in a low income country - stories, interviews and short video clips of the every day life of an entrepreneur.

Testing Stage

By far the greatest area of focus has been the complex programming. The challenge was to bring the electronic data from Nicaragua and synchronize it with servers in North America so that all portfolios are updated regularly. Adding chat facilities for group portfolio members, live portfolio reports, links to stories and video clips, all added to the complexity and innovation.

Presently, all linkages are functioning well and the website is fully developed with regards to design and copy. Wendy Koch is currently in Nicaragua and gathering stories, pictures, and video clips. The last few remaining pages are being finalized. The beta site is up and within days we will be ready to start final testing.

Now we need you! We are giving you the first opportunity to fully test and "stress" the site. We need to see if the site works under higher traffic volume. If you want to be one of the first on the MEDA Trust - a tester for innovation - please sign up on the following form.

Launch Date

We're excited about keeping you up to date on the MEDA Trust website - especially through these final steps. The initial reviews are extremely positive including one 16 year old tester who said, "It's like a SIMS Microfinance...only real."

This is our hope - that the website will make microfinance exciting and real for the next generation.