The Beginning

Dear Friends:

In October, I am planning to begin a 10-month intern placement in Liberia through Partners Worldwide, working on capacity-building and monitoring systems with a local NGO called LEAD (Liberia Entrepreneurial and Asset Development). I am working to raise my own support for the year and greatly appreciate your support! To contribute online, please visit the link at left or send a donation (earmarked Karen Bulthuis) to:

Partners Worldwide | 2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE | Grand Rapids, MI 49560

More information about Partners: Partners Worldwide is a (501C 3 non profit) faith-based international partnership of business and professional people who want to follow Jesus Christ in eliminating poverty and transforming lives. Our approach is to grow businesses and create jobs in areas of need, through developing business partnerships, offering business mentoring and training, increasing access to capital, and advocacy. Partners Worldwide has received a prestigious 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America's largest independent evaluator of charities, for the last five years.

More information about LEAD: LEAD is a Liberian-owned NGO based in Monrovia, Liberia. As of July 2008, in 2.5 years of operation, LEAD has disbursed 407 loans totaling $137,000USD in three different countries, and is currently experiencing a repayment rate of approximately 90%. LEAD is in process of teaching its 11th and 12th business NEI class, impacting a total of 420 businesses. Current records show that over 1500 jobs have been stabilized and close to 70 jobs have been created through the NEI program. LEAD has also taught the micro-business training to over 180 businesses in four different counties.