Vital connections
You never know when a casual contact can turn into something big for MEDA. Back in
the 1970s the late Jim Penner, owner of grocery stores in Manitoba, went to India to help
MEDA explore program possibilities. He decided to visit the MCC office where he met
country directors Neil and Herta Janzen, who until then had not known about MEDA.
A few years later Neil and Herta were in London, Ont., where Neil was completing an
MBA at the University of Western Ontario. Their longtime Manitoba friends, Don and
Eileen Kroeker, dropped by on their way to the MEDA convention in Cambridge, Ont.,
and invited them to come along. It turned out to be a great contact. After graduation Neil
joined the staff of MEDA, serving as president for many years and later directing our
microfinance work in eastern Africa.
The lesson? Don't hesitate to promote MEDA. It might lead to something big.
