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MicroCredit Program Hosts Fourth Annual Dum Spiro Spero Fundraiser
9/28/2010
 The money a typical student spends daily on a cup of coffee or a movie ticket could be helping an entrepreneur in a developing nation start a new life.
The University of St. Thomas MicroCredit Program invites the Houston community to their fourth annual Dum Spiro Spero fundraising event at 7 p. m. on Thursday, Oct. 28 in Scanlan Room, Jerabeck Center, 4000 Mt. Vernon.
Lisa Marie Laegreid, deputy director of the Microcredit Summit Campaign, will be the keynote speaker for the evening. Laegreid oversees the production of the annual State of the Campaign Report, organizes regional and global summits, provides trainings on poverty measurements tools, and integrates health education in with microfinance, among other critical advocacy and media outreach efforts.
The UST MicroCredit program is a non-profit, student-driven organization which educates students and develops leaders at UST through the promotion of social entrepreneurship and sustainable growth projects in poverty stricken regions. Dum Spiro Spero, Latin for “while I breathe,” signifies the determination to continue the Program’s mission of student activism and poverty alleviation around the world through micro-lending.
Funds raised at this event will benefit the rural poor of many world regions including current projects in Mexico, Chile, Pakistan and Turkey, as well as possible new projects in Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Haiti. The program’s student board hopes to raise $15-$20,000 this year.
“The goal of the program is to enable people to have hope and opportunity while educating students,” Michael Black, vice president of fundraising, explained. “We give people opportunities where there are none to enter the capitalist market in a developing country and become self-sustainable, self-successful, and maintain a feeling of self-worth. They get to send their kids to school and put food on the table, while we as students have an opportunity to learn about social entrepreneurship.”
The fundraising event is free and open to the public. The event will feature international food donated by local restaurants, a silent auction, music, dancing and presentations about the Program. Silent auction items include art, jewelry and more.
For more information, contact Diana Garcia at 713-525-3530 or at http://microcredit@stthom.edu, or visit www.stthom.edu/microcredit .
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