Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Some cheering news

Since 2006-2007, I have been sending little money, about five to eight thousand Australian dollars an year to various developmental organizations in the areas of coastal Andhra where I grew up. The amounts are very small (since I am at the border level and my superannuation is supplemented by the government). Lot of the money goes to micro loans. I do not know how well it is working since I stopped asking for accounts; I felt that was a burden for people with limited time and is making clerks out of them. But on my visits, I meet some beneficiaries and they seem to be working to some extent. On the last trip, some wanted loans for farming. apparently, one needs about 12-15 thousand rupees an acre and three farm labourers wanted to farm about an acre each. I sent about fifty thousand rupees last month. When I phoned to find our whether the money was distributed, I found that the three wanted to share it other farm labourers and altogether eight shared it. That means that we have to raise some more money before the end of the year which should be possible since some money from the micro loans will be coming back.  But it is cheering that they decided to share with others, It is not clear to me whether the money should be gifted or should be given as loans. There is a related video

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