At Gnu we keep it simple.  Simple programs, direct leadership, effective and efficient use of scarce resources. In fact, one of the hallmarks of our success has been building upon solid ‘tried and true’ methods.

We launched Gnu Foundation in the belief that by connecting the very poor and vulnerable with working capital (primarily through our micro-credit programs) they would prosper and be able to break the chains of poverty.

This idea of using micro-credit is not a new or radical idea, as it has been around for more than 30 years having reached and elevated the hopes and livelihood of more than 100 million people (with more than 2.5 billion people living on less than $2/day there is still a tremendous amount of work to do).

Our approach is different however in that we endeavor to serve the poorest of poor and most vulnerable through their association with existing local community leaders and groups such as a local school, hospital, or orphanage run by persons of high integrity – our local Gnu Field Partners.

In essence we  “wrap” the local field partner with a locally administered program (such as the micro-credit program) where it is as simple as — “if you are a caregiver (usually a grandmother or auntie) to an orphan sent to the school – then you are eligible for a micro loan”.  All Gnu programs are  always locally controlled and administered.

Over the last several years we have seen family after family, grandmothers, young orphans, and vulnerable young women and men get new starts in life through responsible and effective business initiatives, working hard in school and job training programs that were previously unavailable and taking initiative in starting or expanding businesses to be successful.

Gnu Foundation’s belief in ‘Kenyan helping Kenyan’ or ‘Haitian helping Hatian’ etc. is borne out through this locally administered and run model.  

As we have successfully ‘proved’ the model over the last several years, we are now enthusiastically expanding it to additional Gnu Field Partners around the globe.

KIVA

We have historically worked with Kiva.org’s leadership team in Kenya for many years as a designated “Trustee” by Kiva.org as part of their Kiva Zip program. Kiva, a US-based 501(c)3 non-governmental organization, partners with microfinance institutions (e.g. Faulu Kenya, Kadet, KREP, SMEP etc.) around the world to provide loans to the working poor. Kiva’s web-based lending community has made more than  $1.2 billion in loans in for entrepreneurs in over 82 countries.

Within the Kiva Zip program in Kenya, Gnu Foundation nominated local entrepreneurs to participate in the microloan program – Gnu Foundation acted as a ‘guarantor’ to the individuals selected, and Kiva provided the loan funding and administration with no interest or fee to the borrowers. This program enabled Gnu to leverage funds we provided our local Gnu Partners by ‘graduating’ our successful borrowers to Kiva where they can receive larger loans and longer term funding, thereby releasing funds to help more vulnerable and risky participants to enter our program. This partnership provided a meaningful transition to broader/deeper financial resources for many families that would not have had access to such resources without our initial support.

We actively piloted the Kiva program with our Gnu Partner Furaha Community Foundation, successfully sponsoring more than 150 microloans through this program.

Like Gnu Foundation, Kiva Zip’s mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty. Additional information on the global Kiva.zip trustee program can be found at Kiva.org/zip.

WHEN I GROW UP (WIGU)

Gnu Foundation actively partners with WIGU in Kenya, Haiti and Guatemala.  WIGU dedicates itself to eradicate 'extreme poverty' - helping the 1.6 billion people living on less than $1.25 per day.  In the words of Gilbert Foster, WIGU's Executive Director - "we are ambassadors for the poor -- we've been to where extreme poverty grips people -- $1.25 a day doesn't buy much living -- we've seen it, we've walked it, smelled it, tasted it, and this not living, it’s dying, … slowly dying.  We invite you to join the movement to be a life giver!"

At Gnu, we've joined hand in hand with WIGU in this global life giving movement by 'wrapping' their local support initiatives with our micro loan programs.  In 5 short years we have funded over 1,000 business micro loans for WIGU supported local partners.  We view it as 'venture capital for the poor'.

You can view some excellent WIGU produced  videos here - all of the individuals and children and programs shown in the videos are the local beneficiaries of our joint program efforts in the field.  Where WIGU is serving -- Gnu Foundation is working alongside them to financially empower families to leave extreme poverty behind.