When someone solves a problem themselves, they gain in confidence and are more able to solve the next problem that comes along.

A micro-project comes about when someone asks to "learn how to fish."

By supporting their micro-project you are supporting their action. If you simply give something, whether it be a goat, a cow you may discover you are simply supporting their inaction.

You make a difference by encouraging someone to make a difference in their own life.

We classify people who need help into three distinct groups:

• Emergency - those who need emergency relief or assistance such as food aid or medical care simply to stay alive
• At Risk - those who subsist at a level of absolute poverty, probably suffering from poor health, low literacy and few opportunities - "at risk"
• Ready for Growth - those who are still poor but have good social networks and profitable income ideas

MicroAid Projects targets the middle category of people - those who are "at risk". By supporting a micro-project you can help someone move from being "at risk" to "ready for growth."

People at the "Ready for Growth" stage will have a good income generating idea. With this we can introduce them to a local micro-credit bank (of which there are many in Indonesia) who will offer them a loan to capitalise their business when they might be able to receive a micro-credit loan at normal interest rates. At this point they become a graduate of MicroAid Projects.