How One Small Loan Made a Big DifferenceIllustrated by: Eugenie Fernandes
2008
Kid's Can Press
$18.95
Rating: 4.5
32 pages
Endpapers: Bright yellow
This story is based on a true story from Ghana, West Africa. When Kojo's mother is given a community loan, she buys a cart to transport firewood for sale in the market. She has enough left over to lend Kojo enough to buy one egg-laying hen. He begins to sell his eggs, earning enough for more and more hens, until he has 25, and he can affort the cost of school. He goes to college in Israel, learning more about business and marketing, and upon returning to Ghana is able to receive a small loan from a Ghanan bank. His business...and his life....thrive from there. As a grandfather he employs hundreds on his huge egg farm, and begins a business to give small loans to people with nothing who'd like to start a small business themselves. He's had a 97% repayment rate!
The book ends with information about current agencies that lend small amounts to help people get on their feet. It also shows how a small donation to an agency like Heifer Project can go a long, long way, as well as how it all works.
Vibrant, brightly colored illustrations with lots of yellow and yellow-gold--no white--with all the text on a yellow-gold background. Very attractive.
Exceedingly interesting.
Take a look at One Hen's webpage - which includes pages for teachers and librarians, accompanied by great African music. A+
Listen to NPR's "All Things Considered" March 6, 2008 -a great review, as well as an interview with the original Kojo, Kwabena Darko. EXCELLENT.
1 comment:
Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!
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