#5236: Re: #5197: How many banks for the poor does Haiti have? (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Dave Fonda <fonphoto@snip.net>

Lois;

There are countless ıbanksı doing micro-lending in Haiti.  I have no idea what the actual number is, but it is surely in the hundreds.  They range from very small operations lending to single communities where they are already working on other projects and have seen the need for mirco-lending, to larger regional operations and I believe Iıd even heard that one of Haitiıs commercial banks was looking into micro-lending, though off-hand I donıt remember which.

Fonkoze is the largest, though, and the only one doing business through-out the country.

As far as the ırival banksı are concerned, I donıt think that the report was implying that another micro-credit institution was behind the attack, but rather one of the commercial banks.  Even that scenario seems pretty unlikely to me.  The call to close down the bank was very vague, very brief, and has not been repeated.  It also seems to have been issued after Amos Jeanot had already been killed.  My (semi-informed) guess is that it was most likely issued to divert attention.

Two suspects have recently been arrested and the vehicle they used was recovered (it was stolen), so hopefully there should be more known soon.  Commendations to the Haitian Police for their efforts.

Itıd be nice to think that it was a simple robbery and nothing more.

R E S P E C T;


     Dave Fonda

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