Here We Go...Maggie's First Blog

Dear DHF Family,

This is my first blog entry, ever! I’m looking forward to a new page in DHF history where we use this blog and other forms of social media to invite you into the life layers of DHF. One of the organizational values of DHF is “practicing authenticity” –for us, this is a form of transparency where you get to know the DHF journey and our highs, lows…and what it takes to do the business of international development focused on microcredit and social support systems for women in economic poverty.

I’m honored to share this blog with Nora Bedard, our Peru Program Manager, who works everyday in the highlands of Cajamarca Peru to make these support systems come to life for the 200+ women we work with in microcredit village banks. This blog was started by Nora when I dropped her off for life in the Andes Mountains. If you are interested in reading about her successes and trials in the field from her ‘08 year, I encourage you to go and check out her previous writings. With Nora at the helm in Peru, we were able to provide 311 classes for women last year with about $5000! This work was born out of her absolute commitment to making this happen. Nora’s reflections are honest snapshots about the enormous energy and heart it takes to do work on the ground in a developing country. These blogs will keep you on the pulse of the project and keep you close to our beneficiaries.

My writings will invite you into the perspective of the Founder’s forum, where you will know what it means to birth a nonprofit organization with an amazing team and consistently build the frame and growth of our work. This will be a great place for us to engage valuable information about bootstrapping a business and what the nonprofit world is like in that picture. Doing the work of international development has its own unique set of challenges, one of the most prominent being the sensitivity involved with the cultural divide. I’m also an avid fan of creative writing, and you’ll certainly experience that part of me, ruminating on a macro level about what it means to be the change with you.

There’s no better time to launch this blog than on the verge of my annual Peru trip where I return to the field and visit the project. Anyone who has traveled in a developing country knows that the “Unknown” must become your best friend. For those of you who know my style of pragmatic detail and 1000 to-do lists (that I like to check off!), this is always brings discomfort that brings ultimate comfort in the learning. My two years of living in Peru in 2004-2005 gave me a profound sense of Trust in process that I sometimes forget in the fast-paced movement of our U.S. culture.

Nora also leaves for her second year in the field tomorrow. Until Feb 1, I will leave a daily blog of this Peru experience and how it relates to DHF as we look toward our 3-year birthday in April. When I return to the US, I will decide what the best frequency/subject of writing is based on your interest. Regardless, Nora and I will both be here throughout the year, looking to be a part of the DHF ripple creating a world without poverty.

Enjoy the Adventures in Hope with us. Invite a friend you think would be interested to the blog and let’s grow together.

Much Peace for you, MM