Today I finished administering my survey. I have a nice round 150 interviews under my belt. Now begins the analysis. I´ll be using statistics software to see if there might be correlations between any of the economic and social indicators and the women´s likelihood to start a business or take a loan. 150 is a pretty small number for this kind of work, but I´ll also be doing some more qualitative analysis. My presentation to the leaders in the church and of Esperanza is next Friday the 25th. I hope I can say something relatively useful, otherwise I´ll have to settle for amusing and I know they won´t get my stand-up act.

Someone (I don´t think I know them) commented on my post below about the likelihood that a for-profit MFI would be more efficient and effective at delivering financial services than a non-profit like Esperanza. This is an interesting question, hotly debated among development workers. I´ll have to wait until I have a better connection and some AC before I give my full opinion, but here´s a question to think about: wouldn´t the profit motive be the ideal way to ensure that everyone is able to recieve financial services? Without profits, will capital actually be mobilized in the amounts needed for real development to happen? On the other hand, wouldn´t a for-profit institution tend to serve only the less poor?

I have some sem- informed opinions, but we´ll talk later. I have other things to do at the moment.