This September, UN member states met in New York to ratify the Global Goals, committing to 17 goals that will act as a blueprint for global development over the next 15 years. The ambitious agenda—which tackles poverty, climate change and inequality for all people in all countries—was confirmed by 193 countries. For the next six weeks, Vera will highlight the work of partner organizations contributing to the Global Goals.
“They are a to-do list for people and planet, and a blueprint for success. To achieve these new global goals, we will need your high-level political commitment. We will need a renewed global partnership.” -Ban Ki Moon, UN Secretary General
Global Goal Number 1: No Poverty
End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
Vera Partner: Milaap
Milaap believes that loans are a powerful tool for connecting India’s working poor with the resources they need. Through Field Partners—local NGOs and micro-finance institutions across 11 states in India—Milaap has disbursed nearly $1.4 million in loans and helped 9,000 borrowers across India invest in water connections, toilets or solar lights for their homes, vocational education classes, or inputs for their businesses.
Vera worked with Milaap to design and implement an app to manage their loan assessment processes. Instead of relying on cumbersome spreadsheets, Field Partners upload potential borrowers directly onto Salesforce, where a Milaap staff member assigns each borrower to a volunteer with the click of a button. The system provides unprecedented visibility into Milaap’s borrowers and lenders, and, as Milaap continues to scale, they plan to use their system to bolster communications with lenders and staff, furthering their vision of changing the way people fund and impact communities in need.
