The following page was sent to Friends of Lesotho by Helene Dudley. Friends of Lesotho does not have any personal involvement in this program and this page is posted as a courtesy to NPCA. Information about the program can be directly accessed through the National Peace Corps Association's web site, see listings under the "What We Do" heading.

Dear Africa RPCVs and friends, How fast would you jump at the opportunity to assist five to ten families in Africa to break the cycle of poverty while you earn interest on the money you have invested in helping them? You can make a dramatic difference by simply investing in the National Peace Corps Association's Microenterprise Program (MEP). With a minimum investment of $1,000, you will provide a guarantee for Micro-credit loans in Africa and in developing nations around the world through one or more of MEP’s designated institutions: Catholic Relief Services (CRS), FINCA (Foundation for International Community Assistance) and Freedom from Hunger (FFH). Investment notes in the MEP are issued and managed by the Calvert Social Investment Foundation, one of the premier socially responsible investment organizations in the U.S. Nearly one million families throughout the developing world are served by CRS, FINCA and FFH. Through small loans that average under $200, people who have had little or no access to credit are demonstrating their desire to work their way out of poverty. Perhaps most impressive is the fact that these loans, usually issued as a three-month note, are quickly repaid resulting in your investment being leveraged into helping numerous families over the course of one year. CRS has been working in Africa since 1946 and now has a variety of programs in 37 countries. FINCA has micro-credit programs in Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, South Africa and Democratic Republic of Congo. Freedom From Hunger has micro-credit programs in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Madagascar, Mali, Togo and Uganda. Throughout the developing world, microenterprise programs employ from 30 to 80 percent of the working population. These small loans can and do make the difference between being mired in absolute poverty and having the chance to build a thriving little business generating enough income for struggling parents to feed their family, send their children to school and to afford decent housing. Investing in the NPCA’s MEP is akin to the first goal of Peace Corps: it allows you to provide resources that will make a difference in the lives of many people. If you need additional information about how you, your family, friends and neighbors can invest in the MEP, please contact me. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely, Helene Ballmann Dudley helenedudley@yahoo.com Chair, NPCA Microenterprise Program Colombia 68-70 and Albania/Slovakia 97-99   Invest Now... Helpful Links: NPCA Microenterprise Program Calvert Social Investment Foundation Catholic Relief Services Foundation for International Community Assistance Freedom from Hunger What is the NPCA Microenterprise Program? The NPCA Microenterprise Program (MEP) is administered by the Calvert Foundation. MEP Investors choose interest returns of 1% or 2% for 1 and 3-year notes, and up to 3% on 5, 7, and 10-year notes, depending only on the discount rate that they wish to provide to a microfinance institution. learn more... email designed by: www.developmentseed.org unsubscribe | www.rpcv.org/mep | Learn More! The National Peace Corps Association • 1900 L Street N.W., Suite 205 • Washington, DC 20036 • tel: 202.293.7728