How repaying loans with social service transforms communities | Angie Murimirwa

譯者: Jingying Liao 審譯者: Helen Chang

Most of you will know

在座大部分人知道

about the challenges faced by my beloved continent, Africa.

我鍾愛的非洲大陸所面臨的挑戰。

Too many people are poor.

太多窮人。

Millions of girls don't have access to school.

數百萬名女孩沒有上學的機會。

And there aren't enough jobs for the rapidly growing population.

沒有足夠的工作機會 給快速成長的人口。

Every day,

每天有

33,000 new young people join the search for employment.

三萬三千名年輕人 加入找工作的行列。

That's 12 million for three million formal jobs.

總共有一千兩百萬人要爭取 三百萬個正式工作。

In sub-Saharan Africa,

在撒哈拉以南非洲， 只有不到四分之一的年輕人

less than one in four young people are likely to get waged or salaried work.

有機會找到支薪的工作。

The chances of making a secure living

鄉村的貧窮年輕女孩

are even slimmer for poor and rural young women.

能安穩生活的機會更低。

They cannot afford an education.

她們負擔不起教育。

And they do not have the same access to wages, loans or land

她們在取得薪水、貸款、

土地的機會上不如男性。

as men.

This leaves entire communities trapped

這便讓整個社區被困在

in a vicious cycle of poverty, inequality and hopelessness.

貧窮、不平等、 無望的惡性循環當中。

But I'm not here to narrate the doom and gloom,

但我不是來這裡講述黯淡的前景，

because we also know that a youthful population

因為我們也知道

年輕的人口提供

presents an opportunity to kick-start economic growth

經濟成長和解決全球挑戰的機會。

and solve global challenges.

And in fact,

事實上，

there is a growing movement in Africa, of educated young women,

在非洲，受過教育的年輕女性 正在進行一個越來越壯大的運動。

who are stepping up and using the power of their network

她們挺身而出，使用其人脈的力量

and a tool we call social interest

以及一種被稱為「社會利息」的工具

to uplift communities.

來提升社區。

I'm one of the leaders of the organization behind this movement.

我是發起這項運動的 組織領導人之一。

An organization that also supported me through school.

我能完成學業 也是靠這個組織的資助。

And I have seen social interest multiply the impact of our work.

我見證了社會利息 使我們的努力造成的影響倍增。

Social interest is a way to pay back interest on a loan

社會利息是用服務而非金錢

來償還貸款利息的方式。

through service, rather than dollars.

Sharing time and knowledge through mentoring,

分享時間與知識，

經由指導、學術支助、

academic support,

business training to others in need.

提供需要的人企業訓練。

This means the impact of a loan is felt not by one, but by many.

這就表示貸款影響的

不是一個人，而是許多人。

Through this system,

透過這個系統，我們得以協助 更多女孩去學校讀書，

we've been able to help and send more and more girls to school,

support them while they are there,

在她們就學期間資助她們，

help them start businesses

協助她們創業，

and ultimately, lead in their communities --

最終，讓她們領導她們的社區——

all while providing funding for the next generation.

同時還能提供資金給下一個世代。

Social interest can be used

任何運動都可以用社會利息

to supercharge any movement where the benefits can be paid forward.

來當作額外的動力，將利益往前傳。

Let me give you an example.

我舉個例來說明。

This is Stumai from rural Tanzania.

這位是來自坦尚尼亞 鄉村的史圖瑪艾。

She tragically lost her father when she was just three years old.

很不幸，她在三歲時 失去了她的父親。

Leaving a disabled mother to single-handedly raise her

剩下殘障的母親獨力

and her five siblings.

扶養她及她的五位兄弟姐妹。

Once Stumai completed primary school,

史圖瑪艾剛完讀完小學，

she was about to drop out of school

她即將休學，

and become one of the 92 percent of girls in sub-Saharan Africa

成為非洲撒哈拉以南

那 92% 沒有讀完高中的女孩之一。

that never finish high school.

Instead, she got lucky.

不過，她運氣很好。

She got support from a nonprofit that paid her fees

有一間非營利機構 願意替她支付費用，

and kept her in school.

讓她繼續讀書。

But upon graduating high school,

但高中畢業時，

she faced a daunting challenge of what's next.

她面臨了令人卻步的挑戰： 接下來要做什麼。

She knew she had to start her own business to survive.

她知道她必須要 自己創業才能存活。

And to help her mother,

也才能幫助她母親，

who had tried so hard to keep her in school

她母親非常拼命讓她繼續讀書，

by selling her only assets,

賣掉了她唯一的資產：

a stack of corrugated iron sheets she had been saving

她一直保留的一疊瓦楞鐵皮，

in the hope of building a better home for her children.

本來是希望能用來為孩子 建造一個更好的家。

Stumai also knew she wouldn’t get a loan from a traditional bank,

史圖瑪艾知道 她無法向傳統銀行貸款。

which generally considers young, rural women like her,

因為傳統銀行通常認為 不可以提供服務給

without land or assets, unbankable.

她這種沒有土地 或資產的年輕鄉村女孩。

Through a special group of lending partners,

透過一個特殊的貸款夥伴團體，

she secured 350 dollars to start a food shop,

她取得了三百五十美金 來開一家食物商店，

selling vegetables, oil, rice, tomatoes, onions and beans.

銷售蔬菜、油、稻米、 蕃茄、洋蔥、豆類。

Fellow network members helped to train her on basic business skills,

網路的成員夥伴協助 訓練她的基本商業技能，

like creating a business plan,

比如如何做商業計畫、

working out profits, marketing,

計算利潤、行銷、

keeping business records

做業務記錄，

and the value of savings.

以及了解存錢的價值。

And the business took off.

她的事業起飛了。

She repaid the original loan within eight months,

她在八個月內 就償還了原本的貸款，

and then borrowed 2,000 dollars

接著借了兩千美金，

to start a motorcycle taxi and courier business.

開了一間摩托計程車及快遞的公司。

Stumai now owns two motorcycles

現在史圖瑪艾擁有兩台摩托車，

and employs two people.

並僱用了兩個員工。

And she has been able to purchase land and build a house,

她已經買了土地、造了間房子，

and the business continues to grow

她的事業持續成長，

from strength to strength.

越來越好。

Stumai repaid her interest in social interest.

史圖瑪艾用社會利息 來支付她的利息，

She paid social interest

她支付社會利息的方式

by providing mentoring to girls in a local high school.

是去指導一所當地高中的女孩。

She volunteered weekly as a learner guide,

她每週去當志工，做學習指導，

delivering a life skills and well-being curriculum

講授關於生活技能 及安康的課程，

that helps children gain the confidence to ask questions,

協助孩子們有自信提問、

care for and support each other,

彼此照顧和支持、

learn about health and nutrition,

學習健康和營養知識、

set goals and learn how to achieve them.

學習設定目標及如何達成目標。

Stumai says her greatest reward is witnessing the girls she mentors

史圖瑪艾說，她得到最大的獎勵

就是看到她指導的女孩

start to believe in themselves and succeeding.

開始自信並成功。

These days, Stumai also trains other learner guides.

現在，史圖瑪艾 也訓練其他學習指導者，

That's multiplying the number of girls making it through school

加倍讓更多女孩能完成學業，

and into secure livelihoods like she did.

像她一樣有穩定的生計。

Through her business profits, she has been able to support her siblings,

透過事業的利潤， 她能夠支助她的兄弟姐妹、

three nieces and nephews and other children in her community

三個姪女及姪子 和她社區中的其他孩子上學。

to go to school.

She also regularly supports other network members.

她也經常支助網路的其他成員。

For example,

比如，

a young woman studying for a diploma in community development.

有一名年輕女子在攻讀 社區發展的學位。

In the past two years,

過去兩年間，

Stumai helped her with money for bus fare,

史圖瑪艾提供她金援，

讓她坐巴士，買衛生棉、肥皂，

for sanitary pads, for soap

and encouraged her to keep going.

並鼓勵她繼續走下去。

Stumai spends 370 dollars a year supporting the education of others.

史圖瑪艾每年花費三百七十美元

來支助其他人的教育。

That's 17 percent of her gross earnings from her motorcycle business.

等同於她的摩托車事業 總收入的 17%。

This is the power of social interest.

這就是社會利息的力量。

Stumai's example shows that if you help one girl,

史圖瑪艾的例子證明了

如果協助一個女孩，

not only to go to school,

不僅協助她上學，

but graduate and start a business,

還包括協助她畢業和創業，

she can in turn make a giant difference

那麼她反過來就能為他人的生活

in the lives of others and her community.

以及她的社區造成很大的不同。

Had Stumai paid back interest on her loan in dollars,

如果史圖瑪艾用金錢 來償還她貸款的利息，

her success might have been felt by her and her immediate family,

能感受到她成功的人， 可能僅限於她的直系家人；

but because she paid interest as social interest,

但因為她用社會利息來償還，

the impact was felt by her mentees,

能感受到這影響的 就包括她指導的人、

her nieces, nephews, her employees

她的姪女、姪子、員工，

and so many others around her.

以及她身邊的許多人。

Stumai is just one example of many.

史圖瑪艾只是許多例子中的一個。

Today, we have 7,000 learner guides like Stumai,

現今，我們有七千個像 史圖瑪艾這樣的學習指導者，

working across Malawi,

在馬拉威、坦尚尼亞、迦納、

Tanzania, Ghana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

贊比亞、辛巴威等地工作。

And collectively,

整體來說，

they've helped children do better in school.

她們協助孩子在學校 有更好的表現。

The girls we work with are nearly three times less likely

我們協助的女孩比一般的女孩

休學的機率少了三分之一。

to drop out of school,

because learner guides make home visits when girls fail to attend school

因為若女孩沒有去學校， 學習指導者就會家訪，

to help them back on track.

協助她們重上軌道。

They also work with communities and district governments

她們也和社區及區政府合作，

to address the challenges children face,

處理孩子要面對的挑戰，

including preventing or annulling child marriages,

包括預防或廢除童婚、

connecting children facing hunger or hardship at home

結合當地的支援 協助挨餓或生活困苦的孩子，

with local support,

or running study groups

或者經營讀書小組，

so that children who might be lagging behind in their studies

讓學業落後的孩子

能得到支援並迎頭趕上。

can get supporters and catch up.

They act as trusted sisters, friends and guardians.

她們扮演可以信賴的 大姐姐、朋友，和保護者。

So far, nearly 6,300 network members

目前這個網路有近六千三百位成員，

have borrowed close to three million dollars,

借出了接近三百萬美金。

with a repayment rate of those loans at consistently above 95 percent.

那些貸款的償還率

始終高於 95%。

And our 140,000 members,

我們的十四萬名成員

they have invested their own resources

投入自己的資源

to support and send

來支助超過九十三萬七千名孩童

over 937,000 children to primary and secondary school.

去讀小學和中學。

Every young woman we work with

我們支助過的每一位年輕女性

supports, on average, another three children

平均會再支助另外三個

outside of her immediate family

她們直屬家人以外的孩子，

to go to school.

幫助她們上學。

All without additional money from us.

都不需要我們提供額外的資金。

We are building a powerful force.

我們在建立一股很強大的力量。

Gaining ever greater momentum

得到前所未有的推動力，

as we open the door for more and more girls

我們打開大門，

讓更多女孩能去上學、成功、領導，

to go to school,

succeed, lead and in turn, support thousands more.

換她們來支助更多更多的人。

This system,

這系統支援曾被排除在外的人，

supporting those once excluded to transform their lives

改變她們的生活，

and then step up for others,

讓她們接著為他人站出來，

can work for more than girls' education.

這個系統也能用在 女子教育以外的地方。

Of course, you need to get your money back if you lend it.

當然你要把借出的錢賺回來。

But instead of demanding interest in dollars,

但你可以不用錢來還利息，

can you consider using social interest instead?

改用社會利息來取代。

For example,

比如，

could young people

年輕人是否能在職業訓練學校

pass on the skills they learned in training colleges?

傳授他們學到的技能？

Like Michelle,

比如蜜雪兒，

who teaches brickmaking in rural Zimbabwe.

在辛巴威的鄉村地區教製磚。

Or Louisa,

或路易莎，在馬拉威

who is training others on climate-smart agriculture

訓練其他人根據氣候來務農。

in Malawi.

Or Fatima in Ghana,

或者迦納的法提瑪，

who is training women to help deliver babies

訓練女性協助接生，

where expectant mothers

幫助可能無法及時 趕到當地醫院的懷孕母親。

might not be able to make it to the local hospital on time.

When I was growing up,

在我成長過程中，

an elder in my village in rural Zimbabwe

我住的村落在辛巴威的鄉村地區，

once described the challenges I faced in going to school.

村中一名長者曾經描述 我去上學所要面對的挑戰。

She said,

她說：

"Those who harvest many pumpkins

「收穫很多南瓜的那些人

often do not have the clay pots to cook them in."

通常沒有陶土鍋來煮南瓜。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

What she meant was that,

她的意思是

although I got the best possible results in my exams

雖然我在小學的畢業考

得到最好的成績，

when I finished elementary school,

my talent was of no value

若我的家人無法負擔 讓我繼續接受教育，

if my family could not afford to pay for me to continue my education.

我的天賦就埋沒了。

Well, with this system,

有了這個系統，

we are not just providing pots,

我們不僅是提供陶土鍋，

or making a single meal out of the pumpkins.

或者用南瓜單單煮一餐。

After all,

畢竟，

there are hundreds of seeds in a single pumpkin.

在一個南瓜中就有數百顆種子。

We are saving the seeds,

我們把種子保存下來，

planting them

種植到土裡，

and nurturing every one of them.

供給每一顆種子養份。

And the result?

結果呢？

A virtuous cycle of prosperity,

繁榮、平等，

與希望的良性循環，

equality and hope,

led by young women.

由年輕女性主導。

Because together,

因為，同心協力，

we are shaking up the world.

我們在改造世界。

Pamoja tunaweza --

Pamoja tunaweza ——

that's Swahili for my network motto: "Together we can!"

這是斯華西里語，我們組織的格言： 「大家同心，其利斷金！」

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）