Check out our recent press: St. Louis Post Dispatch
Nanny helps artisans in developing nations
05/05/2007
The name has all the comfort and serenity of a security blanket, but the thriving social enterprise behind Nest marries commerce and social consciousness. Nest is an Internet venture found at buildanest.com. The worldwide small business loan program operated by a nanny in the Central West End is as ambitious as it is unlikely.
Rebecca Kousky graduated with a master's degree in social work from Washington University in May 2006. Two weeks later, she founded a program to fund modest loans for women artisans in developing countries. She solicited female artists, fashion and graphic designers to sell their goods on her website and donate a portion of the proceeds to her loan program. The recipients of the loans can either make monetary repayments or pay with the goods they produce, which are then sold on buildanest.com. The proceeds are then recycled into more loans.
The site was launched on Aug. 31, and Kousky immediately began scouting loan candidates in far-flung countries. She has yet to draw a salary from Nest and has no plans of leaving her day job with the Siwak family. Stacy Siwak, the mother, is on her board of directors. Kousky has been with the family for about three years and tends to three children: Sam, 4; Ben, 2; and Molly, born in February.
For now, Nest is an avocation.
In addition to its online marketplace, Nest has a partner campaign called Shop to Save the World, modeled on the highly successful pink ribbon breast cancer campaign. Rather than design merchandise exclusively for the Nest line, artists and designers participating in Save the World designate a product in their existing line for Nest and donate 15 to 25 percent of the proceeds from the sale of that item for loans.
Who received your first loan?
A woman named Meral Tuncer, who lives in Izmit, Turkey. She received a Nest microfinance loan for her jewelry business. With a $500 loan, she was able to purchase higher-quality stones and beads that will allow her to reach a new clientele at the local bazaar. She eventually wants to open her
own store.
Why loans?
The choice of giving loans, as opposed to other forms of charitable giving, was intentional. By requiring that Meral be intimately involved in the process — from deciding how much to ask for (creating a business plan), what to use it for, the method and time frame for repayment, and actually being responsible for the repayment — Nest's microcredit loans encourage active participation in each step of the process and encourage self-sustainability.
How many women have you helped so far?
We have made 45 loans to date (some as small as $50).
Tell us about some of the loans.
We assisted a collective of women in the Congo who make both traditional and contemporary clothing and sell it in their local markets. We have also enabled several women potters in Mexico to purchase new lead-free and fuel-efficient kilns. Traditional Mexican potters generally work in family groups, and there are clear distinctions between each family's workshop, in style, technique and forms, which are passed down through the family. Nest is helping an organization, Barro Sin Plamo, grow family businesses so that these families can employ more members.
Why do you think impoverished women need this help more so than men?
It is not that I believe women deserve loans more than men. Rather, there were specific ideas, beliefs and research that led to our mission of working specifically with women. Women are more likely to both repay their loans and devote their earnings to assisting the family. Furthermore, when women are given the opportunity to earn an income, their life improves, resulting in more stable families and communities.
What inspired you to take on such an ambitious project?
In 2002, I worked with Mayan Indian women in Chiapas, Mexico, on agricultural techniques to help them become financially independent. In 2004, I traveled to Delhi, India, to volunteer with a program providing education and training to children and adults afflicted with polio. I saw firsthand the plight of women who face hardships complicated by lower levels of education, lower social status, and talents and abilities that do not always translate into productive employment. I created Nest to fill an unoccupied niche. Because our loan monies are repaid, Nest has created a revolving loan fund.
1 comments:
Very inspiring. We just read the article on your group in the magazine, Body & Soul.
We have listed a link to your group as we normally have readers/participants/fellow bloggers that are always looking for a way to improve the world.
Congratulations to you...we wish you continued fortitude and success.
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