In July and August 2011 I traveled throughout Uganda, documenting activities of the non-profit MAPLE, whose acronym stands for Microdevelopment for the Alleviation of Poverty through Learning and Entrepreneurship.  MAPLE’s founder and I rode public buses to Lira and Mbale, then  took UNICEF vehicles and motorbike taxis to reach outlying villages with no access to banking facilities.  Residents were taught to handle their own small village banks and find income generating opportunites. Jonathon Murdoch, chair of the United Nations Expert Group on Poverty Statistics, calls it "one of the most promising and cost-effective tools in the fight against global poverty."  And I was honored to see the dramatic improvements to standards of living brought about by Microdevelopment.

See full Chron article here: A Helping Hand in Uganda