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Bridge-Gap
projects are designed in response to the need to solve particular
community problems. We define our projects in several ways
depending on what it will achieve- Poverty alleviation, Micro-credit,
Self-reliance and Empowerment, Sustainability, Information
provision/education and general community development.
PROJECT EXAMPLES
The following sample
projects exist to help people in Africa to improve their lives,
make their voices heard and create a fairer society.
-
Microfinance-
Micro-enterprise revolving fund, micro-lending, and micro-credit
initiatives
-
Micro-Cyber-cafe/
Internet Rural Access Initiative, ICT/Tele-center, Telecom
Self-employment initiatives
-
Rural
Water Supply and Sanitation Scheme
-
Rural
Market, Rural Transport Network- Roads and Bridges
-
Rural
Community Health centers
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Rural Electrification and Solar Energy Scheme
-
Education- (University and College Scholarship Scheme)
TYPICAL
PROJECT
MICROFINANCE
INITIATIVES - (MICRO-ENTERPRISES, MICRO-LENDING, MICRO-VENTURES
AND MICRO-CREDIT)
Microfinance – the
practice of bringing financial services to the poorest – evolved
as a sector to meet the needs of the poor, especially women.
A modest loan buys a box of merchandise, or a few tools, or
helps build a vending kiosk. Microfinance also provides options
for clients that encourage them to save and create buffers
for family emergencies, send a child to school or re-invest
in their businesses.
Most poor people survive through using their skills to operate
very small businesses. Many are women and for the poor, self-employment
is the mainstay of their economic life. They harvest maize,
rice or bean, bring fruit to market, craft, pottery and perform
thousands of other tasks to support their families. Most operate
without financial resources and therefore cannot expand their
businesses beyond a minimum level of subsistence.
A major challenge for Bridge-Gap therefore, has been
to meet these social/economic issues with concrete micro-finance
products and services. Our program provides small, short term
loans to individuals and groups to help them toward self-sufficiency.
No collateral may be required. Interest rates are very affordable.
Capital for the loans is provided through grants and donations
from philanthropic individuals and other charitable associations.
These in general come from outside Africa.
BRIDGE-GAP
PROJECT NEEDS
Our program starts off with simple but important projects
and progressively expands – micro-credit, ICT, water supplies,
roads, medical centre and schools.
Overall, Bridge-Gap needs the following:
- Funding/
Financial assistance
- Tools
for agriculture
-
Seeds for crops
- Tools
for building/construction
- Materials
for community projects
- Basic
machinery for cooperative rice and corn mill
- Basic
communications Equipment
BRIDGE-GAP
CONTACT DETAILS
Name
of Organization |
BRIDGE-GAP
INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION |
Physical
Address
|
4
INYI STREET UWANI, ENUGU |
Postal
Address |
GPO
BOX 4150, ENUGU, NIGERIA, WEST AFRICA
GPO BOX 4948 MARINA LAGOS NIGERIA, WEST AFRICA
|
Telephone
Numbers
|
00
234 (0) 8034924689
00 234 1 4766316
|
Email
Addresses
|
bridgemail522@yahoo.co.uk
bridgepost522@hotmail.com
|
Project
coordinator / Development Manager |
Charles
Osai
00 234 (0) 8037454688
|
Head,
communication & Fundraising |
Stephen
Arum
00 234 8023442450
(Main contact for enquiries about projects)
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