snapshot

a glimpse into the daily work of

global business assist
around the world

March 09

An Economic Stimulus Plan

gba

for the Developing World

W e live in difficult times. Every day we are reminded of the world economic downturn through
watching and perhaps experiencing first-hand the increase in unemployment and the decreased
value of our stock portfolios.As gas
HELPING THE WORLD'S POOR... HELP THEMSELVES

prices fall along with the decline of almost

everything else in our economy, anxiety levels
are reaching an all time high.
All of us are either suffering or aware of
someone in financial distress right now. And
while I don’t want to minimize the difficulty of
the situation either you or others in our nation
are experiencing, I do believe some global
perspective is in order.
According to a 2008 World Bank study, almost
half of the world’s population, more than three
billion people, live on less than $2.50 a day. To
contrast this, if you live on an annual salary of
just $35,000, something most of us would find
very difficult to do, you would be considered to A young Sudanese woman waters her crops
be in the top 95% of the richest people on our in Northern Bahr el Ghazal
planet.
Yes, we live in challenging times, but even in the midst of our personal economic struggles, we can still
throw out a lifeline to the world’s less fortunate.
In Bahr el Ghazal, Sudan, most of the inhabitants live below the $2.50 per day poverty line.This is one of
the poorest regions of Africa. Beginning this fall, GBA is targeting Bahr el Ghazal’s poor with one of the
first micro-credit institutions of its kind in the area.
We call our global stimulus plan Micro-Power: small business loans, along with fundamental business
training for the poorest of the poor. In its simplest form, we are investing, sometimes no more than one
hundred dollars, into every man and woman’s capacity to help themselves when given an opportunity.
 snapshot global business assist

M icro - power f or S u dan

an d b e yo n d. . .

You can be an economic stimulus

package for the world’s poor!
S
udan is simply the next
step in GBA’s Micro-Power
stimulus package.Already
hundreds of women in Ghana
have seen their lives and families
transformed because of the simple
faith GBA and its partnering agency
had that these women would repay
a $100 loan.
One hundred dollars. That’s it. In
the middle of our economic angst,
it’s almost unimaginable that such
a small amount can have such a
significant impact.
On January 24th a leading news
agency published an article which
stated that 100,000 U.S. non-profit
organizations are expected to close
their doors in 2009 due to the A micro-client in Ghana displays her fruits
current financial crisis. And GBA, and vegetables in the local market
like so many other non-profits, is
hurting financially.
However, we believe too strongly in our calling to help “the least of these”, to give up. And we
know that those of you who share our passion for the world’s poor will help us stay the course,
even as we walk through these times of financial uncertainty.
Whatever you can do, whatever you can financially give will be a blessing. Remember, as little as one
hundred dollars changes someone’s world...forever!

Thank you for your faithfulness in standing by GBA in

these unprecedented economic times. As we weather
this storm together, I thank you that your compassion
for those less fortunate continues to be so obvious
through your generous involvement in GBA’s
“stimulus plan” for the developing world.

Sincerely -

Douglas Mann,
President

helping the world's poor... help themselves

w w w. g b a . o r g • i n fo @ g b a . o r g
6 0 W. Te rr a C o t t a Ave . , S u i t e 1 9 7 • C r y s t a l L a ke , I L 6 0 0 1 4