Over the past 30 years poverty has been on the rise in Kenya. More than half of the people who live in the country are poor, with over 7 million living in extreme poverty. The average person in Kenya earns only about $360 a year. Droughts and erratic rains, reduced agricultural output, low wages, high unemployment, high population growth, low investor confidence, meager donor support, and political infighting has led the country to formidable economic problems.

For the summer of 2007 Empowering Nations will send a volunteer team to work with partner organization Yehu Microfinance in the rural coastal region of Kenya. Yehu combats poverty by empowering the very poor of rural Kenya to help themselves through the use of micro-loans, which can be used to start or expand a small business. Currently Yehu is serving 7,000 people in 100 villages. The organization operates in conjunction with Choice Humanitarian and was created based on the principles and procedures of the world-renowned Grameen Bank. To learn more about Yehu Bank, please visit www.yehu.org.

We are currently looking for two volunteers to serve throughout the months of May and June. Volunteers will work in the area of microfinance and require a solid background in business. These positions are highly competitive, so we encourage you to apply early.