Welcome to Lend to End [poverty] 2010!

What is Lend to End [poverty]?

This is a fun and fabulous fundraising event for The Townships Project.   Held annually in Toronto on the second Thursday in May, the event is an “after work“ party running from 5:30 – 9:30 p.m. Delicious food, upbeat entertainment and a visually stunning silent auction create an energetic and positive atmosphere that can be felt throughout the crowd. There is also an exceptional educational area, VIP lounge and gift bags. In the first year this event raised $40,000 and in the second year it raised $75,000.

The Townships Project is a registered charity which supports microfinance institutions (MFIs) in South Africa. These MFIs make repayable, interest-bearing loans to entrepreneurs, primarily women, to start or expand small businesses, to become self-sustaining and to break the cycle of poverty. As of November 2009, The Townships Project has changed the lives of more than 30,000 people with an investment of about $50 per person. Charitable registration No. 86418 8420 RR0001

For more information on The Townships Project please click here.

Lend to End [poverty] Presentation

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Success Starts Small

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A Special Note from The Townships Project Founder Martha Deacon

Hello to all of you!

I just returned from South Africa after a fantastic three weeks investigating how our work is going down there. And the answer is: excellently well!

We continue to support Yvonne Radinku and her Grameen-style lending organization, Tetla Financial Solutions, operating in the township areas surrounding Cape Town. Tetla is making steady progress towards self-sustaining status of their first two branches, which is expected by December 2010. We are also starting to support Phakamani, a Grameen-style lender based in White River/Nelspruit area just west of the south end of Kruger National Park. In addition, we are building an amazing coalition of universities, NGOs, corporations and private entrepreneurs who are supporting a new development initiative called Asset Based Community Development (ABCD). ABCD is making microlending far more effective by starting work in a community with the question "What do we have?", instead of "What do we need?" This changes the dynamics from victim to actor, and sets the community on the path to developing its own economic plan, and to enlisting local corporations to support it. Then microlending comes into the mix to support the businesses that emerge from that plan, and microfranchising helps ensure in the future that the emerging businesses are run as effectively and efficiently as possible. Communities are being changed right now with this approach!

Thanks to all of you for your help and your interest in The Townships Project. Please help us by buying tickets to Lend to End [poverty] and let’s make this the best event yet! Looking forward to seeing you at Alice Fazooli's on Thursday, May 13th!

With sincere thanks and appreciation for all you do,

Martha Deacon

Features:

Music by:

(Featuring Soul Singer Betty Richardson)

• Signed Raptor's Jersey

• 1 week condo in the Bahamas

Click here for a full list of items