Common Interest International is a privately funded organization created
to assist the poor through micro-credit. Our goal is to help local
individuals fulfill their personal and economic potential. Common Interest
is a registered foundation in Thailand and has applied for charity
designation in Canada.
Micro-credit, also referred to as micro-finance, is providing small loans to entrepreneurs too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans. In developing countries especially, micro-credit enables very poor people to engage in self-employment projects that generate income. |
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| "Be the change you want to see in the world" |
| - Mahatma Gandhi |
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| Boh Kaew, Chiang Mai. Until recently, strawberry farmers in this region had only one option for credit: the local moneylender. If you wanted to buy fertilizer or supplies, the moneylender was more than willing to supply it on credit with interest rates as high as 30% per month. If they did buy on credit, farmers were also were required to sell their entire crop to the broker at rates substantially lower than market prices. Common Interest started working in this region in 2006. We are now planning a large expansion to assist many more farmers here. |
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