Kids Care Clubs Microfinance for Kids and Feed the Hungry

Kids Care Clubs created Microfinance for Kids because we were inspired by the children’s book, One Hen -- How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference, written by Katie Smith Milway, illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes and based on the story of Kwabena Darko of Ghana, The book and the website www.onehen.org offers kids (and adults) an exciting, fun and interactive opportunity to learn how a small loan can make a big difference. 

JOIN THE ONE HEN CHALLENGE 

Join the One Hen Challenge!

Register A Team

Play Games-Invest Beads

Help Entrepreneurs in Africa 

Copy of One Hen Book

If your club plans to do a microfinance project, email rheffernan@generationOn.org to order the book at half price.

What is Microfinance?

Microfinance is the practice of providing small loans to people living in poverty who are unable to access bank credit.  Microfinance helps families build and grow businesses, feed their families and pay school fees for their children.

This project was featured for Kids Care Week 2009 with the additional goal of feeding the hungry, locally, nationally or globally.

Microfinance for Kids and Feed the Hungry Goals:

• To educate kids about microfinance and world hunger
• To implement a service project to feed the hungry, locally, nationally, or globally 
• To explore finance and philanthropy on a kid-friendly level

Since 1990, Kids Care Clubs have been developing compassion and the spirit of volunteering and philanthropy in elementary and middle school age children.  In addition to thousands of hands-on projects, the clubs have raised from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars over the years through fun fundraisers such as Pennies for Puppies, Valentine Lolli-Pops,  Caring Coin Collections,  Wear Flip Flops (or Jeans) to School Day and Kids Care Clubs Read-A-Thons. Some examples of club projects using a small idea and making a big difference in their communities and the world are:   

• The Kids Care Clubs Challenge, a one-day event of competitive team games - One club raised $5,000 for a family whose father was suffering from a brain tumor.  
• Read for Refugees in Afghanistan - Through read-a-thons, clubs across America raised $18,000 (one club alone raised $8,000) to send blankets to refugee children   
• The Tsunami in Southeast Asia - One club raised  $4,700 by turning milk containers into houses and collecting for Habitat for Humanity
• Halloween Party with a Purpose -  (complete with hands-on service projects)  - One club raised $11,000 in 3 hours for a family whose dad had been paralyzed
• Feeding Starving Children - Through donations and sales of T-shirts, $9,000 was raised to feed children in Haiti.

Whether it is middle schoolers raising $8,000 for refugees or kindergartners collecting 19,447 pennies for their Pennies for Popsicles project (to have summer popsicle parties for kids at a homeless shelter),  clubs have been imaginative  and successful in creating and implementing philanthropic projects.