Women’s Microfinance Initiative

WMI’s mission is to establish village-level loan hubs, administered by local women, to provide capital, training and support to rural women in the lowest income brackets in East Africa so that they can engage in income producing activities.

The “Meet the Borrower” series gives the women in Africa a chance to show off their success and thank the supporters in the U.S.  Through this video campaign, donors can see how their generosity makes a huge impact in a very personal way.

Meet Robinah:

Meet Sarah:

Meet Allen:

This gorgeous footage was shot in Uganda by Perry Shimon of Green Light Productions. JKL Media made them 508 compliant and managed postings to the WMI website.

Our original footage is rather primitive.  With funding going directly to the borrowers there was no budget for filming.  Still the message had to get out.  WMI founders and volunteers brought back their amateur video and asked JKL Media to make a documentary explaining their loan program to entice other donors to contribute.  Editing and narration are by Leanne Long.  Script was co-written with WMI founder Robyn Nietert.  After its posting, donations poured in and the program was expanded beyond the village of Buyobo and eventually even beyond Uganda.

How it Works: The WMI Loan Program Overview

This project was a bonding experience between WMI and JKLMedia.  After their first trip to Africa,  Women’s Microfinance Initiative founder Robyn Nietert wanted a short piece that would help promote her cause.  With no budget, a few stills, and some home movies we wrote a script and pieced it together.  The result is the most watched video on the site. The secret?  The story.  It is an incredible story, and it is all true.

How it Began: An Idea Becomes a Reality