A Look into Recent Loans

November 18, 2025

By Caiden Kippnick, BA Accounting

Mahdi Hassnawi, BS Finance

Kohen Lepeak, BS Finance

Damien Gjekaj, BS Food Industry Management

Niko Stamadianos, BA Finance

At Spartan Global Development Fund, our goals are to help entrepreneurs in developing communities with the power of microloans. This power helps support their families and grow their businesses. Here we have three examples of impactful loans that we have contributed to this semester, and just a few of the many impacts they have had.

Recently, we gave $200 to the Luchando Por Un Sueno Group in Nicaragua. They plan on using the funds to buy more dresses, shirts, pants, blouses, children’s outfits, and sandals to sell in their business. This loan would allow them to expand their business and offer more clothing options to their clients. With the extra income generated from the loan, the group plans on building a house. Spartan Global is proud to lend to Luchando Por Un Sueno, as it allows the group to continue fighting towards their dreams.   

Since last year, Spartan Global has had an increased presence on the African Continent. Last month, we lent $450 to a coffee farmer in Uganda named Katonda. He plans to use the funds to help mulch and fertilize his coffee plantation in order to improve his yields. With the income Katonda earns from these yields, he hopes to be able to start plastering his house. This is just one example of many loans that have an impact beyond their intended purpose, which helps us further encourage sustainable economic development for farmers like Katonda and thousands of others. 

SGDF continues to pursue our effort to lend to developing countries around the world. Some of our efforts to achieve this goal this past quarter of the year have been lending to countries in South America. Take our recent loan for example, to Juan, an indigenous farmer based in Cauca, Colombia. Our loan of $325 helped finish off the rest of Juan's request to Kiva to be able to afford an automatic hole-digging agricultural excavator. This purchase and our efforts will help Juan improve efficiency in land preparation, speed up planting tasks, and strengthen the productivity of his coffee and banana crops, considering he uses manual tools on a 2.5-acre farm that has over 4000 coffee plants and 230 banana trees. He has a big influence in his community and provides crops for many. Along with running his own plantation, he also provides and takes cares of his elderly parents. 

Faber is a farmer from Suaza, Huila. He has spent 46 years growing his two-hectare plot, where more than 10,000 coffee plants grow next to a wide variety of fruit trees. He is committed to sustainable agriculture by using organic waste to improve the soil and support local biodiversity. This displays the kind of long-term community impact Spartan Global Development Fund aims to support through microloans with Kiva. He lives on the land with his two sons and is helped by his daughters when needed. Faber represents resilience and dedication in what he does. With a loan of 2,368,424 Colombian Pesos, he was able to purchase organic fertilizer to strengthen his harvest, improve the quality of his crops, and ensure the continued sustainability of his farm demonstrating how small loans can create important, lasting change.

These loans, along with many others, are just a small percentage of the work that Spartan Global is up to as of recently to achieve our mission of providing opportunities for everyone in the world, making a difference, and curating an impact.

Supporting Small Businesses in Nicaragua

By Payton Strong, BA Supply Chain Management

At the Spartan Global Development Fund, we are proud to see our impact grow as we continue to lend financial support to those wanting to start and sustain their small businesses in underserved communities around the world. In October alone, we provided a total of $2,325 in microloans to support a diverse range of enterprises in rural northwest Nicaragua. These funds have gone toward farming, poultry, retail, and used clothing businesses, helping local entrepreneurs be more financially independent and economically stable. These loans do more than fund businesses; they improve lives, support families, and strengthen communities.

In northwest Nicaragua, many people are left out of traditional financial systems and are vulnerable to usury because they don’t have collateral or access to big loans. However, they have great ideas and the drive to succeed. Microloans help fill this gap by offering small, affordable amounts, sometimes as little as $30 per person, to help them start or grow their businesses.

Our goal is to ensure that anyone with a passion or dream to start or grow a business has the financial means to make it a reality. Whether it's through farming, retail, or specialized services, we believe in the power of small businesses to drive sustainable growth.

As our list of supported businesses continues to grow, so does our commitment to providing for entrepreneurs worldwide. Together, we can create ripple effects of economic opportunity, one microloan at a time.

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Supporting Entrepreneurs in Mexico and Recent Highlights

By Payton Strong, BA Supply Chain Management

One of the most exciting aspects of being involved with Spartan Global is the chance to learn from alumni who have gone on to achieve remarkable success. Recently, we hosted a panel featuring Himani Rajput, a former Spartan Global member and now Vice President at Silicon Valley Bank. Himani shared incredible stories about her time with Spartan Global and emphasized how microfinance remains crucial in addressing global economic challenges. She explained how her experience with microfinance has shaped her approach to venture capital, giving us insights into its broader applications in her career today. Hearing from Himani’s journey was an inspiring reminder of the real-world impact of our efforts.

At Spartan Global Development Fund, we continue to make a significant impact by supporting entrepreneurs around the world. In October alone, we donated $870 to three groups in Mexico, focusing on industries like floristry, shoe sales, and brick-making. Among these stories is Petunia, a florist in Mexico. With the loan we provided, she was able to purchase essential supplies for her floral arrangements. Her business not only generates income to support her household but also contributes to her community's economy. Petunia aspires to expand her shop and empower others around her by creating job opportunities.

By supporting entrepreneurs like Petunia, we continue to foster economic growth and inspire innovation worldwide. Stay tuned for more updates as we expand our efforts and build lasting connections across the globe!

Gateway into Africa: Ghana

By Aarya Mohey, BA Supply Chain Management

Since our founding in 2009, SGDF has lent out money to those in 72 countries, and that list is always growing at each of our Kivapalooza meetings. A few weeks ago, SGDF was able to add a new country to the list: Ghana. SGDF was able to contribute to a small business’ $2,900 loan which distributes fresh water throughout Ghana. We hope that with this microloan, more people in Ghana will have access to a freshwater source, which is already a resource which is limited in the country.

SGDF hopes that this loan in Ghana can serve as a gateway to our organization loaning even more money to the African Continent. The organization primarily loans money out to those in Central & South America, but we hope that this loan in Ghana can make way to the organization loaning money in even more African nations. At SGDF, we aim to provide microloans to those in every nation worldwide, and we are pleased to be able to add Ghana to that list. 

Broad Gala & End of Spring Semester

 By: Caiden Kippnick, BA in Accounting

On April 3rd, Spartan Global Development Fund attended the Broad Gala presented by the Broad Student Senate. Many of our members were present, and we had a wonderful evening celebrating the achievements of our fellow Broad organizations. 

We are so honored to have won Social Contributor of the Year, as it is a testament to our dedication to creating awareness around microfinance and improving social and financial equity around the world. SGDF received this award due to the commitment to using microfinance to promote financial equity that we have demonstrated in the past, as well our plans to continue and expand our microloans. In fact, we recently lent a substantial amount of money on the Kiva microfinance platform. Our most recent Kivapalooza on April 9th brought our total amount lent on Kiva for the academic year to $22,580. This is the largest amount of money we have ever lent in a given academic year since the organization’s founding. We are hoping to bring this total to over $30,000 by the end of the academic year in August. 

The incoming e-board of the RSO looks forward to making more ambitious goals for lending and fundraising for the next year. They cannot wait to see what we will accomplish as an organization! As this academic school year comes to an end, we would like to thank our co-presidents Zoe Linko and Kyleen Hall for their hard work and dedication to our organization throughout this year. It was due to their leadership that we were able to win Social Contributor of the year and lend out as much as we were able to. Furthermore, we would like to extend our gratitude to our faculty advisor, Professor Stenzel, for continuously supporting the organization since its inception in 2009. Finally, we would like to acknowledge all of our RSO members for their contributions, as they also played a vital role in our organization's operation. We all look forward to accomplishing even more in the coming years!

Dust Off The Keyboard: Update Time!

By: Daniel Sukhavitski, BA in Supply Chain Management 

Welcome back! Since the Fall semester of 2023, SGDF has been working hard on fundraising and making microloans through Kiva aspects of the organization. On January 23rd, SGDF partnered with Raising Canes for a fundraiser where a percentage of purchased meals went directly toward the club. From this partnership, we raised $60. Although it may not seem like a lot of money, this fundraiser allowed SGDF to reach out to the Spartan Community further and even attract interest from potential new members. 

For all current and new donors, thank you for the support and financial ability you've given us to change lives across the globe. Since November of 2023, we have received over $700 from donors. We are continuously working to improve and maintain relations with all donors as SGDF expands its outreach. As many of you know, a large portion of our funds for loans are distributed through Kiva. In that aspect, we've been reaching record-breaking numbers! From August 2023 to March 2024, SGDF loaned $19,565.00 through 74 partial loans. And the academic year is not yet over! For comparison, in the 2022-2023 academic year, we loaned $9,190 through a total of 66 partial loans. From all members, we want to thank everyone who donated and supported our efforts this year and years prior, and for helping make this year our most active year on Kiva to date. This could not have been done without you all! 

In addition, we have been in discussions with the Lansing Rotary Club throughout the months as we applied for a grant to expand our financial abilities. Although we did not end up receiving the grant for this fiscal year, we are optimistic that upon revision we will be more likely to secure the Rotary Grant next year! To further boast some of our accomplishments, for the first time in SGDF history, the club has been recognized by the larger Broad community. The organization is now present on the front page of the Broad College Department of Finance website.

As for the future, we are increasing outreach to donors, MSU alumni & faculty, preparing new fundraising ideas, and getting ready to pass the torch to our new Eboard members in the upcoming election. We also have many events coming soon such as the Broad Gala where Spartan Global is nominated for the Social Contributor of the Year. Stay tuned for the forthcoming results! Finally, we have started a SGDF March Madness fundraiser that is gaining traction within the community. Although our dear Spartans have been knocked out of the tournament, our networking abilities to fund the bracket have led to a contribution of $126 to SGDF upon bracket completion. A lot of exciting events are coming up and we cannot wait to share the results of our efforts with you guys soon. Stay tuned and GO GREEN!

SGDF's second Thanksgiving dinner with Vilma

By Marianna Coelho Uchoa, BA in International Relations

On November 21st, 2023, the Spartan Global Development Fund members had dinner with Professor Stenzel at her house with Tom, Vilma Garcia - one of our field partners, her two sons, and Carol & Paul - her host parents. Vilma Garcia is from Guatemala and comes to Michigan several times a year. She works three jobs and has received loans from us before. At this time, we had new members in the organization, so it was an excellent opportunity for the students and Vilma to get to know each other.

When everyone arrived, we took the opportunity to get to know one another. We started by introducing ourselves, our major, and the SGDF team we were in. Professor Stenzel mentioned how this year has the most diverse majors, with people coming from different backgrounds, all with one purpose – to help people. 

In addition, Tom, Professor Stenzel’s friend, who works and lives in Guatemala, was there to get to know the students with the intention of reviving the study abroad program in Guatemala along with Professor Stenzel. He raised an important question: “Why did we join Spartan Global?”. Answers varied from joining because of a friend to being part of different groups and feeling we are helping the organization to getting experience in the field. Being able to reflect on why we are part of SGDF makes us remember the organization’s mission – being a support to communities most in need. Moreover, Carol and Paul shared their work with us. The main project they are currently working on is gathering Spanish books and taking them to public libraries and schools in Guatemala to increase the accessibility of Spanish books there.

After having amazing conversations, we ate dinner and heard more from Vilma. She brought goods from Guatemala from the “Cooperativa de las mujeres indígenas,” a group of Mayan women who make handmade wallets, backpacks, purses, and other items. Vilma and her host parents bring these items to the US to sell in a craft show to help these women reach new markets. Meeting Vilma and listening to her story is essential to maintaining these connections with field partners and different communities. 

Looking into a Loan: Sayohat

By Aarya Mohey, BA in Supply Chain Management

Generally, Spartan Global Development Fund provides microloans to people in Latin America, in countries such as Columbia, Nicaragua, and Ecuador. With these microloans, small business owners in these developing nations are able to put money towards their small business in order to increase their income and help provide and support their families and or communities. Recently, SGDF was able to lend to a woman living in Tajikistan, a country in central Asia. 

Normally, SGDF loans to those who are in the agricultural, goods, and service sectors. But recently, in Tajikistan, SGDF was able to lend to a woman, Soyohat, who is trying to pay for her son's tuition at a university in their country. Living in the city of Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Soyohat is a mother of three children who has been a farmer for over 11 years. With the help of IMON International, a micro-deposit organization in Tajikistan, SGDF was able to contribute through KIVA to Sayohat’s $550 goal to pay her son's tuition. This loan is incredibly important because it allows low-income students to access higher education, which increases the amount of opportunities which they will be able to have. The money that SGDF lent will hopefully allow Sayohat to continue paying her son's tuition, and provide him with a degree which he can use in his future career.

With this unique loan, SGDF is able to expand the types of sectors which we loan to on KIVA. Although a majority of our loans are made to those in the Agricultural, Goods, and Services sectors, we hope that this loan will serve as one of the first for a future where we lend even more money out to the Education sector in foreign nations. 

Looking into a Loan: Walter Mejia

By Zoe Linko, BS in Chemical Engineering 

Spartan Global Development Fund extends many microloans through services, such as KIVA, throughout the year. However, there are some larger loans that take more time that SGDF develops with the help of our field partner, Vilma Garcia. In a previous blog, -- which can be read here-- we discussed the necessity of Vilma’s role in our organization; her role is one of high importance in terms of relationships with loan recipients, recommendations for who to loan to, and communication between us and potential loan recipients. From Vilma’s recommendation, we are able to choose potential loan recipients, who then go through a process, including meeting with SGDF’s board of directors, in order to receive a loan. The loan recipient we most recently lent to is Walter Mejia.  

Walter owns a small business in Antigua, Guatemala called Cafede Antigua, where he buys, processes, and sells coffee. He has had this business for about two years, and started it during the pandemic. Walter is now looking to grow his business with the help of a loan from Spartan Global Development Fund. The loan we extended to Walter will give him the opportunity to not only buy 400 pounds of coffee, but also the money to roast, grind, and package the coffee purchased. In total, the loan amounts to $1,500, much more than the average KIVA loan.  

With this opportunity, Walter hopes to gain international buyers, which would greatly expand his business. The loan was extended in November of last year and has a duration of 12 months. By the end of the loan period, Walter will hopefully have a more robust and expansive business in which he can provide coffee not only across Guatemala, but the Unites States as well. 

When given this loan, Walter said he would get samples of his coffee here to us in Michigan. Through the help of Vilma, on her trip to the United States as talked about in our most recently posted blog, she was able to bring us Walters coffee. Having gotten to try it first-hand, I can indeed say with confidence that our loan to Walter Mejia was worth investing in, and I cannot wait to see how his business is able to expand in the future.  

A Thanksgiving with Vilma

By Bryan Jurado, BS in Data Science

When I first joined Spartan Global Development Fund this semester one of the things I was most excited about was getting to help small businesses. I was also hoping that one day we would be able to meet our field partner, Vilma Garcia, whether it be in Guatemala or in the United States. Luckily, the latter came true.  It was in November when we got notice that Vilma would be visiting the United States for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a group and with the help of Professor Stenzel, we arranged a time to set up a dinner with Vilma to welcome her. We soon began preparing questions to ask Vilma to get to know her better.

Eventually the day came and  a group of us were able to attend dinner with Vilma at Professor Stenzel’s house. When we arrived we were greeted by Vilma and her host mom, Carol. Accompanying them were Vilma’s two sons, Diego and Santiago. After greeting one another, we started off by thanking Vilma for her hard work. Additionally, Vilma gave each of us some coffee from Walter, one of our borrowers in Antigua. As the night progressed we were able to learn more about Guatemalan culture, Antigua, and Vilma’s time in the US. Vilma originally came to the United States with a program called Doctors Without Borders. She was only in her early teens when she needed to get surgery on her foot. She was received in America by Carol and her family, where they would continue to host her until she was able to fully recover. Vilma was able to learn English fluently during her three years in the US. I remember asking Vilma if she had ever considered staying in the US, to which she replied that she has such a strong love for Guatemala and its culture, that she could not see her living anywhere else. We also learned more about Guatemalan culture, and were shown many of the crafts that the women weave and sell. Vilma is very involved in Antigua’s community and she goes out of her way to help others. As the night came to an end, we shared some laughs, ate some cake, and took some pictures together.

After this, I had thought that I would not see Vilma again. However, a couple of days before Thanksgiving I was met with a phone call from Carol and Vilma inviting me to celebrate Thanksgiving with them. When I first met Vilma, we exchanged a lot about our own cultures and some similarities. I grew up in Wyoming with both of my parents being immigrants from Mexico and with MSU being so far from Wyoming, I wasn’t able to go home for Thanksgiving. So when Vilma invited me, I was ecstatic to attend and eat a lovely dinner. Carol and Vilma took me into their home where I was able to get to know Carol, Vilma, and her two sons better. Vilma’s boys were excited to play in snow for the first time, as they had never seen it in person before. I learned more about Antigua, which has volcanoes where you can hike and roast Marshmallows, or as they say in Guatemala, Angelitos (“little angels”). We also exchanged the differences between our languages and words that are different in Mexico compared to Guatemala. I also got to learn about Carol and her husband’s trip to Guatemala where they visited Vilma. I was grateful to get the chance to learn more about their lives and am happy that we have such a great field partner working with us. At the end of my visit, I thanked Vilma and Carol and said goodbye to Vilma’s sons. Hopefully in the future we can visit Guatemala!

Our Field Partner: Who is She?

By Zoe Linko, BS in Chemical Engineering and Kyleen Hall, BS in Microbiology 

As a collegiate organization based out of the US, one might wonder how Spartan Global Development Fund makes connections with our potential loan candidates. The answer is simple: Vilma Garcia. 

We met Vilma roughly two years ago through an alum of SGDF and MSU. Vilma lives in the city of Antigua; it is located in southern Guatemala and is surrounded by volcanoes. Vilma spends her time in Guatemala seeking out potential candidates for SGDF. She visits the local community in Antigua, and surrounding areas, talking to business owners and entrepreneurs. After speaking with the potential candidates, she uses her judgment to determine who would be a good choice to grant a loan to. She bases her choices off of potential risks, potential mitigation routes, and the borrower’s background. Vilma then submits her recommendations to our board for consideration, after which follows a series of meetings and voting, to determine if Spartan Global Development Fund will move forward with the candidate. During these meetings, Vilma is present to support the candidate and listen as the board weighs in about potential concerns. This puts the potential loanee at ease and provides the board with a better understanding of the situation. 

Though Vilma’s role on paper seems to be pretty important for SGDF, it is even more significant than just this. She also serves as the bridge between SGDF and our loan recipients, helping us foster our relationship. She brings skills to the table, such as being bilingual, that alleviate the language barrier and serve to make the process easier and more comfortable. 

Vilma traveled to Michigan last month to meet new members of Spartan Global Development Fund, get acquainted with the US side of the operation, and review the progress of the organization. We enjoyed providing Vilma with a warm, Spartan welcome, and hope she was just as impressed with us as we are with her.

A Sneak Peak at Spartan Global Development Fund

By: Charlotte Cox, BA International Relations 2024

When you first hear the name Spartan Global Development Fund, your mind may jump to a million different places. Is this an organization that works internationally? What development does this organization help fund? And what does a spartan have to do with all this? In short, Spartan Global is a student-run initiative for Michigan State University (Go Spartans!), and is not only a registered student organization, but also a 501 © (3) nonprofit organization. In Spartan Global, students and alumni work to educate, inspire, and enable tomorrow’s agents of global change by raising funds locally in order to offer interest-free microloans to aspiring entrepreneurs throughout developing regions of world. This provides the opportunity for loan recipients to invest in their business. Our focus in Spartan Global is microfinancing loans, which is essentially offering financial services to those living below the poverty line and would otherwise not have access to such resources. It includes micro savings accounts, microinsurance, and microloans, which are small loans ranging from $25 to $5,000. Spartan Global offers interest-free microloans to aspiring entrepreneurs in impoverished regions. There are two ways we loan out money at Spartan Global, the first being direct loans with field partners. This loaning involves a partnership with humanitarian organizations who work on-the-ground in target communities. We work with these organizations who help us find microloan projects that we can then fund. So far, Spartan Global has worked directly with partners in Guatemala and Nicaragua. The second way Spartan Global lends out loans is through KIVA, a loan portfolio that connects us to hundreds of funding agencies, where we can distribute microloans to both corporations and individuals. Spartan Global is an organization where you can directly see the impact of your work because we hold meetings with our direct loan recipients and see how the loan has contributed to their success. Although the name Spartan Global Development Fund may be an intimidating title, the work is anything but that. We work to make sure our loan recipients feel comfortable to reach out and let us know how the loan is helping them and the progress they are making, which help us form lasting and meaningful connections with all loan recipients.

Spartan Global Development Fund (SGDF) Students Speak: What SGDF means to me.

By: Paulette L Stenzel, Professor Emerita, International Business Law and Sustainability, Michigan State University. Faculty Advisor to Spartan Global Development Fund.

As we approached the 2022-2023 academic year, I asked returning student members of our Spartan Global Development Fund the question, “What does Spartan Global Mean to you?” Although I have written about SGDF in various articles and on my personal blog, I wanted to share the students’ words directly.  (See entries ## 31, 20, 32, 33 and 44 for my stories about SGDF and microfinance.)

​In their responses, which are the basis for this essay, students offer thoughtful observations about their experiences while making microloans across the world.  We continue to make direct loans to small businesses in Guatemala facilitated by our own field partners, and we make loans around the world through the online lending platform KIVA. (To learn about Spartan Global's loans and projects, go to Spartan Global’s website at www.spartanglobalfund.org. Also, see our team’s page on the KIVA website at https://www.kiva.org/team/spartanglobal to learn about how we participate in their lending programs.   With 70 KIVA team members, we have contributed to at least 3,243 loans through that program.) 
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I am proud of our students and their dedication to extending economic opportunity to small entrepreneurs in the United States and around the world. A small loan makes a major difference in the lives of individuals, their families, and their communities.  

The entries below reflect the passions of young people who take great satisfaction in making a difference for others around the world. Although we are based in the Broad College of Business, please notice the diversity of interests, passions, colleges, majors, minors of the student members. That diversity enriches our organization, and each member makes unique contributions to our efforts. 

Charlotte Cox, a Junior with a major in International Relations and a minor in Spanish will serve on our Marketing and Communication Team for 2022-2023.  She observes:

SGDF is like no other organization [at MSU] in that it gives me a direct relationship with people in other countries.  Spartan Global has shown me how my own actions and the actions of my fellow members can produce visible results, because we are able to interact with the people who receive microloans. Spartan Global promotes the idea of “small is mighty,” and we put that idea into action by funding microloans!

Marissa Thome, a junior majoring in Marketing in the Broad College of Business, began to serve as our Member and Donor Relations coordinator in 2021, and she will continue to serve through the 2022-2023 academic year.  She observes:

As a freshman studying from home during covid (2021-2022), it was hard to get involved in things at school.  Yet, I knew I wanted to be a part of something. When I saw what Spartan Global was all about, I knew that was “it.” During my freshman year, having everything on Zoom was different, yet I was always excited to go to meetings and learn how we have helped and continue to help others. I love being a part of Spartan Global, and I will continue to participate with enthusiasm throughout my years at Michigan State.

Sam Bacarella will graduate in 2023 in Cognitive Neuroscience the College of Natural Science and is our treasurer for 2022-2023.  He works in tandem with Nicole Whaley, a member of the 501(c)(3) Board who is a CPA, thus working with an experienced mentor. Sam says:

SGDF is one of the most open and welcoming groups of people I have met at MSU, and I am so glad that I joined an organization with such driven people. I have learned [a] great deal from our members and board members. I love SGDF’s mission.  I love the fact that we can meet our field partners and loan recipients in Guatemala through Zoom calls.  I can't wait for this coming year! 

Matthew Emery, a Senior, will graduate in 2023 with two majors and two minors. His majors are Global and International Studies in the College of Social Sciences and International Development and Women’s and Gender Studies in the College of Arts and Letters. His minors are in Peace and Justice Studies and Leadership of Organizations.  For 2022-2023, he will serve as Director of our Marketing and Communication Team.  Matthew states:

SGDF is extremely important to me because I get to see, firsthand, how microfinance works and the importance of empowering marginalized communities. Moreover, the way we carry it out using field partners and through our non-profit organization is highly equitable. SGDF gives me an outlet to pursue my interests in human rights and community and economic development while our work produces long-lasting, sustainable effects within communities worldwide.

Andrew Blankenship. a senior Finance Major in the Broad College of Business with a German minor, is our President for 2022-2023.  He works closely with SGDF’s faculty advisor (that’s me!) and meets regularly with our 501(c)(3) board of directors.  Andrew says:

Spartan Global has been a particularly important part of my college experience. I look forward to meetings every week because I get to know everyone in the club, and we take action to help other people. I've learned so much about how business works throughout the world and the challenges that arise. Working within Spartan Global, I have learned in ways that are not possible through a conventional business education.

Join us if you are a student!  Whatever your role in life, support and appreciate our committed young leaders!

I hope you are inspired by the words of experienced SGDF members who will be returning to campus and continue to share their talents, time, and knowledge.  They are making a difference in the lives of individuals, their families, and their communities by extending economic opportunity to small entrepreneurs around the world.

In closing, if you are a student at MSU and you are inspired by what you have read in this essay, please join us.  We welcome undergraduate students at all levels and from all majors. Whatever your background as a reader, I trust that this essay is a reminder that there are young people at MSU who care deeply about making the world a better place!

Convivial Lending: SGDF’s Process

By: Solomon Kronberg, BA Economics and Comparative Cultures & Politics 2022

Spartan Global occupies a complex space in today’s global paradigm; we inhabit a privileged position, evidenced by our ability to collect and redistribute the donations we rely on to do our work. It would be easy to stop there, to say that our position is unassailable because we try to deploy our advantages, helping where we can. Why fix something that isn’t broken? However, our organization’s strength rests in its propensity for self-evaluation and our capacity to remain self-critical. That ethic is possible because of what we are; a not-for-profit organization staffed by a rotating crew of students.

Our loaning approach has looked very different throughout our history; SGDF made loans exclusively through the Kiva platform for the team’s first several iterations. Students would raise money and loan it out to donors that Kiva’s algorithm presented to them. It was a simple, streamlined process. If a recipient defaulted, Kiva would facilitate the return over time without involving us. We still use the Kiva channel to mobilize funds quickly and efficiently. However, it so happened that a team of students was eventually no longer satisfied with that method. It was too alien, precluding the chance to become close with our partners. It kept our relationships shallow; we wouldn’t know what was happening in that person’s life that caused them to default. We couldn’t know the intricacies that led to them seeking microfinance support, the stories that shaped the connection. So, when the opportunity presented itself, those students expanded our loaning process into direct lending through field partnerships. Field partnerships allowed for the relationship-building that Kiva abstracted, both with the partners themselves and the recipients they nominated. Students interview potential recipients, learn more about the places they live, understand how a loan will diffuse through a community, and maintain dialogue with those people throughout and after their loan period. A few weeks ago, we met with Byron Cap, a loan recipient we worked with during my first year at Spartan Global. It was terrific to hear how his care and adaptability had created safer friendlier economic relationships between his neighbors.

The ethic of self-evaluation has remained steady, even after SGDF shifted into direct lending. As each new student team crystallizes and dissolves, fresh minds and talents assess our relationships with field partners, finding ways to grow closer with them and recipients while expanding the SGDF family in new ways. Our most recent field partner, Vilma Garcia, has already helped us form a new relationship with María José, a talented confectioner whose application for funding in support of a new café we excitedly accepted. María and Johanna, the first recipient Vilma helped us meet, live in the same town in Guatemala. Knowing that our help creates meaningful change in their community is immensely rewarding; both that good and our awareness of its unfolding would be impossible without Vilma’s friendship.

Spartan Global’s overarching mission is to try and create a friendlier world; our work focuses on enabling a convivial economy in places that the West’s political economy has taken advantage of. Friendships benefit from the involved parties’ self-evaluation, caring enough never to stop asking whether or not we are doing the right thing. At the end of my tenure at Spartan Global, I feel proud that future students will enter this space and assess how I conducted myself in these relationships. And I believe that ethic is what makes this organization such a special place.

Benefits of Microfinance

By: Charlotte Cox, BA International Relations, Minor in Spanish 2024

The world we live in has constantly embedded the idea that bigger is better. From an early age, we always wanted the biggest present and cried to have the most ice cream on our cone. As we grow older this desire to have more does not disappear but evolves with us, and we begin to want the biggest house or to make the most money. However, this concept of “bigger is better” is not necessarily the case in the world of loaning to entrepreneurs in developing countries. Spartan Global promotes microfinancing loans instead of the use of large loans from banks or charities. Before getting into the benefits of microfinance loans we must start by understanding the process of offering microfinance loans. Microfinance loans are exactly what they sound like--giving small (micro, between $1,000-$5,000) loans to entrepreneurs in the Global South who not only have a need for the money, but also a plan for what the money will be used for to grow their business. By only loaning a small amount of money, interest free, it gives that individual the opportunity to become financially independent because they will hopefully not only earn the money back to repay their loan, but also save additional profits by implementing their business plan. Microfinancing loans to small business owners is beneficial because it promotes smart money practices, incentivizes entrepreneurs to create a business, and is sustainable practice. Microfinance loans help the very people that big banks and corporations overlook and provides them a chance to create social and economic empowerment for their family and community. 

When organizations and non-profits, such as Spartan Global, loan micro loans, we are not loaning to big corporations, who already make millions. Instead, we are investing in the very foundation of every economy--small business owners. Most of the business owners that receive micro loans are women, who receive less support and are made to be more invisible in the economy than their male counterparts. By offering loans to women, it gives a population that is often overlooked a chance empower themselves, their family, and community. Microfinancing promotes inclusivity by offering loans to a diverse population that often is not given the same number of opportunities. Microfinancing also empowers the local economy of a community by providing entrepreneurs with a loan which can create more jobs in their community. Microfinance also assists in creating a better business for these small entrepreneurs because it allows some of the burden of other expenses related to their business to be lifted, such as costs for technology. Since microfinance loans do not exceed $5,000 and they are facilitated through trustworthy field partners embedded in the community, there is a high rate of repayment. When a payment for a micro loan is complete, more times than not that same money is reinvested back into that same community. 

Microfinancing may seem like a simple idea. However, if you dive deeper into the process of microfinance, you will begin to see the lasting effects that microfinance has on communities. It promotes positive investments in local economies and allows small entrepreneurs to thrive and build up their business, but also teaches them loan recipients how to finance and save their money. Through microfinance, personal relationships can be created through a lender and their loan recipients. Spartan Global prides itself on the relationships it has built and maintained with is field partner and loan recipients in Guatemala. Through these relationships, Spartan Global observes the direct impacts microfinance can pose to aspiring entrepreneurs that are traditionally left behind by the commercial banking industry. 

Why Does US International Development Keep Failing?

By: Gregor Shovlin

Quick. Think of the poorest countries in the world. What came to mind? Somewhere in West Africa? Southeast Asia? Or closer to home, in Central and South America? These places may seem like they are vastly different, but they all have reasons why you will subconsciously associate them with poverty and economic despair. However, you may ask “What connects India to Indonesia to Iberian America?” The answer is: the interconnected global market and America’s outsized influence in said market.

In middle and high school history classes, you probably learned all sorts of important dates, like September 22, 1862, October 29, 1929, and December 7, 1941. But you probably never learned about the earth-shattering invention deployed on April 26, 1956. It was not an upgraded atomic bomb, a new jet fighter, or some piece of foundational space-race technology. It was something innocuous to us today, but revolutionary at the time: the standardized, rectangular shipping container. At risk of sounding dramatic, this small piece of technology allowed America to take the reins of the world’s economy and unilaterally forge a new global interconnectedness. Today, it doesn’t seem as earth-shattering. After all, they’ve been adopted by nearly every shipping firm - a testament to their disruptive potential.

To ship ocean freight before the invention of this container, you had to have longshoremen slowly and deliberately pack everything into the hull of a ship, as opposed to standardized containers that could be stacked easily, drastically reducing loading times. It used to cost $5.38 per ton in 1950’s dollars to load a ship. After the widespread adoption of this container, it only cost $0.16. (1) This made two things apparent: One, that the new global market stood on different rules: efficiency, innovation, and competitive labor costs. This stood in stark opposition to the old ways of empires,mercantile systems of banning international trade and taking over land to extract more wealth. Second, that entire industries could and would be destroyed through said innovation. However, most nations decided to follow this doctrine, so long as it worked to their benefit. 

Sadly, it hasn’t been working for America as of late. America often refuses to play by the rules of the market they created when it starts to lose industries seen as key to the economy or larger American cultural identity. It wouldn’t take you long to find an example: steel, automobiles, textiles, and consumer goods ranging from TVs to car floor mats; essentially, any industrial pursuit that couldn’t be automated or depended on unskilled labor was seen as exempt from these rules. America is incredibly protective of such industries, going so far as to put tariffs on foreign competitors to keep its heavy industry and consumer goods competitive. There is a reason that many people outside of (and increasingly, inside) Michigan will drive a Toyota, Nissan, or Honda, instead of a Chevy, Ford, or Jeep. The simple reason is that American-made automobiles cannot compete with the multitude of cost-reducing production techniques that made the Japanese industry so internationally famous. It has become impossible to bridge this gap even with government protections, causing American car companies to shift to SUV and truck platforms, as the Koreans, Japanese, Germans, etc. cannot compete due to a lack of domestic demand for these larger and less efficient vehicles.

However, America’s domestic economic policy has turned out worse for other countries. In West African countries, such as Mali, the cotton industry was a key job creator. Mali is Africa’s largest cotton producer, and is part of a group called the C-4 countries (a bloc of west African cotton producing countries including Chad, Burkina Faso, and Benin). By 2003, cotton was Mali’s second largest exported crop. (2) It represented around 10% of its GDP and constituted around ⅓ of its export totals, according to OEC reports. (3) The United States also has a cotton industry. This industry generates around $25 billion, is .00125% of total GDP, and employs around 200,000 people in total. Unfortunately for the United States (and Europe), Brazil also has a cotton industry. They are the world’s fourth largest producer and second largest exporter. (4) America subsidized its cotton industry with a $12 billion cash injection between 1999 and 2002, (5) and American farmers sold their product at lower prices. Yet, it somehow came as a shock to American officials when they were summoned to the WTO to face arbitration  by Brazil and the C-4 countries. The Brazilian and Malian representatives to the WTO claimed that this constituted uncompetitive behavior, and caused them to suffer greatly due to cotton making up a much larger proportion of their exports.(6) They sent their case to the WTO for arbitration. This was seen as so egregious, that the United States was actually punished for its subsidies (the first time ever they had been punished for this) and forced to capitulate to Brazilian demands and settle. Later in 2010, the Brazilian representatives claimed that they could disregard American IP and patents to make up for lost profits and exports, causing America to promise to address these issues in the 2012 Farm Bill. (7)

Many people probably know the term “Latin American” or the identifier “Latino”, but may be confused as to why such a large bloc of nations and people groups use this as a sort of catch-all. If you ask a political scientist or an expert in international relations, they will probably tell you it is because of the United States. Because of the United States’ actions, detailed in their own documents declassified and handed over to courts by the Obama administration, (8) thousands of Argentine families have no idea where their sons disappeared during the 1970’s. Argentina’s “Dirty War” under Jorge Rafael Videla and its subsequent junta dictatorship is possibly the most widely hated government in the country’s history. They engaged in a brutal suppression of dissent, and anything seen as “subversive”. This was justified as necessary to stop the spread of communism. Our western opinion of this is often skewed. Many peers have often said “Why do the Argentines still distrust us? There’s been several decades of different American administrations since then!” Well, let me ask you a question. If your son was one day scooped up off the street on his way to university, black-bagged and sent to a detention site, tortured to death, and then uncerimoniously thrown into a mass grave or in the ocean to hide the evidence, (9)(10)(11) would you be quick to forgive? Would you forgive the foreign superpower who administered this as part of some abstract idea of “stopping communism”? Could you ever forgive if this was your son, who you never could see again, who you couldn’t even bury, who the government couldn’t even find a trace of to this day? Most of all, could you forgive if your son was taken from you for the ‘crime’ of simply having different political beliefs? The United States has a great deal of blood on its hands. This is not to forget the complete and utter collapse of inefficient Mexican industry following NAFTA, (12) which wouldn’t have happened if the extremely well-educated American officials had not let post-Cold War hubris blind them to these facts. There is a reason that Mexico’s communal farms collapsed (13) as mechanized American agriculture stormed in to try and recreate America’s export agriculture industry in Mexico, causing many thousands to lose their jobs to machines. There is also a reason this led to a violent, spontaneous uprising of indigenous militias in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. (14) Many of you may not even know of the Zapatistas, named after the man martyred by an oppressive government during the Mexican Revolution. You may also not know that their movement has a great deal of steam. To you, they may be dangerous radicals. Or you may agree with them. But that in and of itself is a flawed way to think about this. To the average indigenous Southern Mexican, they are freedom fighters in a struggle for survival against an American sphere of influence seen as oppressive and exploitative. And we need not even talk about the IMF loans to these Latin American countries, which caused their own subsequent economic troubles, as the damage has already been done.

America is not just a captain of industry, it is a titan of industry, even in these days of outsourcing and new global markets opening. But America cannot afford to lumber around and stomp all over others. When it deals with the world, it has to be precise and deliberate. No more hubris. No more half-baked policy suggestions cooked up by technocrats or politicians looking for cheap re-election material. You need not be an international relations expert to know the complete and utter devastation dealt to regions of Mexico as part of the War On Drugs. When America deals with the rest of the world, we cannot be handing down mandates as if we were an emperor to others in our reach, but it needs to be co-operative. It needs to be nuanced. And if we proceed in this fashion, it may be unpopular but our elected officials need to understand and accept that. America has great power, but it got that power through trade, innovation, and efficiency. We are not the only country nor the only people capable of gaining such prosperity through these means; such bounty deserves to be afforded to all. When things go right, you get a country like Uruguay or Chile, developed and leaders of human rights and prosperity in Latin America. There is no reason why we cannot do better. In fact, I argue that given the previously mentioned prosperity, we are obligated to do better and lift others up to our standard of living. And most of all, there is no reason why you cannot be an agent of that change. So I challenge you to get out and do just that.

Sources:

1. Ebeling, C. E. (Winter 2009), "Evolution of a Box", Invention and Technology, 23 (4): 8–9, ISSN 8756-7296

2. https://bettercotton.org/where-is-better-cotton-grown/bci-is-helping-cotton-farmers-in-mali-to-adopt-sustainable-farming-practices/

3. https://oec.world/en/profile/country/mli/

4. https://cottonbrazil.com/brazilian-cotton/

5. https://www.coha.org/the-wto-cotton-dispute-how-the-u-s-is-trying-to-escape-international-trade-regulation-while-brazil-asserts-itself-as-a-regional-leader/

6. https://www.projecttopics.org/journals/44523-west-africa-versus-the-united-states-on-cotton-subsidies-how-why-and-what-next.html

7. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/3426/WPS5663.pdf?sequence=1

8. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2020/sep/03/operation-condor-the-illegal-state-network-that-terrorised-south-america

9. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/28/mothers-plaza-de-mayo-argentina-anniversary

10. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/03/19/children-of-the-dirty-war

11. https://www.other-news.info/operation-condor-the-cold-war-conspiracy-that-terrorised-south-america/

12. https://voxeu.org/article/mexico-and-great-trade-collapse

13. http://www.cec.org/files/documents/publications/2258-scale-technique-and-composition-effect-in-mexican-agricultural-sector-influence-en.pdf

14. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HAw8vqczJw

Further Reading:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMXXJqvMdk4&t=3877s&ab_channel=YaleUniversity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVWHuJOmaEk

https://netimpact.org/careers/international-development/big-picture

Misty Mountain Coffee

By: Solomon Kronberg, BA Economics and Comparative Cultures & Politics 2022

For all four of my years in Spartan Global, coffee has been key to our organizational identity. So much of our direct trade work occurs in Guatemala that a close relationship with the magic bean was inevitable. Indeed, providing investment to localize more of the coffee processing chain with small farmers and cooperatives remains an effective way to help our partners reap more benefits from their hard work.

South American farmers grow most of the world’s coffee by far. However, other parts of the world are attempting to enter the market as global demand for beans increases. I have been living in northern Thailand for part of this Fall Semester. While I miss home dearly, I encountered a surprisingly familiar sight upon arrival in my new home, Chiang Rai. Coffee shops line every street, filled with patrons excited to sample local baristas latest creations.

Talking with my new colleagues and traveling more extensively confirmed that coffee has skyrocketed in popularity over the last decade. The Thai government introduced the plant as recently as the 1970s to provide viable alternative crops to the previously lucrative Opium Poppy, another commodity that emerged from trade with Western powers. The northern provinces’ cooler temperatures, even more temperate in its foggy mountains, are highly suitable for Arabica production. Aso, these areas are home to Thailand’s Hill Tribes, ethnic groups that core Thailand has tended to ostracize. Robusta production has also increased in the southern provinces. In both cases, coffee’s potential as a state-approved product suitable for export and open for investment has been oft-touted as the solution to poverty, especially in the north.

The truth has been more complicated. While most of the post-introduction coffee has been consumed domestically, the lion’s share of the market has gone to industrial Robusta growers in the South. The Thai government has championed an intensive agricultural regime for most southern crops, and coffee is no exception. This means monocropping, paired with the use of industrial pesticides, which inevitably leads to landscape degradation. While the North’s Arabica is high-quality, producers encounter many of the same issues as small-scale farmers elsewhere: potentially exploitative processing chains and low returns that make investment difficult.

However, the more recent boom in local cafes and specialty roasteries has begun to show movement towards a more equitable market, especially in the north. I’ve had the honor of meeting several entrepreneurs growing direct-trade coffee businesses, attempting to bridge the gap between mountain-based growers and new shops in the valleys. This is something of a unique situation; most countries currently producing high-quality coffee tend to find themselves beholden to the overwhelming demand from the West, limiting the market capacity for a domestic specialty market that would distribute benefit to more local people. In this sense, Thailand’s relatively late entry into the world of coffee may be a blessing; that is if business people like my new friends continue to do their crucial work. 

New Partners and New Loans

By: Matthew Feighner, BS Horticulture 2022

Spartan Global is excited to announce our new field partner in Guatemala, Vilma Garcia. Our relationship with Vilma began because one of our student team members had known Vilma for a long time through mutual family-friends. Vilma spent a portion of her childhood in the United States, and, as a result, she is bilingual and is well-acquainted with American culture. When revisiting the U.S., Vilma raises money for children’s school supplies and helps market products, like textiles, made by people forced to live in the Guatemala City landfills. In her home country, Vilma has deep roots and loves to help her community. We are excited to further both Spartan Global’s and Vilma’s mission and enable sustainable development and empowerment for those living in poverty.

Our first loan with Vilma is to a businesswomen named Johanna. For the last year, Johanna has run her own tortilla shop. She has been quite successful and has built up a solid customer base in her community. As such, Johanna decided to expand her business into a restaurant. The restaurant will serve pizza because there are no local pizzerias in the community, as well as local favorites, including hilachas, estofado, buche, and caldos.

The expansion requires Johanna to purchase a pizza oven as well as tables, chairs, and tableware to accommodate guests. Thus, Spartan Global has partnered with Vilma to loan Johanna $1,039, with a repayment period of one-year, to make Johanna’s business plan a reality. Given her previous business success and her plans to market through existing social networks, we are confident that Johanna will be successful in her business expansion endeavors, and we are excited to watch as Johanna implements her plans and grows her business!

Spartan Global has always prided itself in being a relationship- and trust-based organization. We are very excited to continue this tradition with Vilma as our new field partner and friend in Guatemala. Vilma’s existing relationships and passion for community and economic empowerment in her community will be long-standing assets to our continuing relationship and her community. We look forward to continuing to develop our relationship with Vilma in the months and years to come and hearing about the progress Johanna makes in expanding her business with the support of this microloan!

Sustainable Business in Guatemala

By: Madeline Malpass

In recent years, the issue of climate change has been brought to light. Our world is changing, and with that comes individuals and businesses working to incorporate sustainable products in an effort to allow individuals to live sustainable lifestyles. Tom Heffron is one of these individuals who focuses on sustainability in the industry to slow and reverse the climate change our world is facing.

Spartan Global was lucky enough to have Tom attend one of our meetings to discuss our topic for the month, sustainable business and a changing climate. Tom is an MSU alumnus who focused on Latin American studies, attended law school, and now lives in Guatemala and owns a coffee company: MI Guate Select. A second business that connects growers with the market created by MI Guate. Tom focuses primarily on the supply chain and expansion of business in Latin America. His company connects with individual, small-medium-sized Guatemalan Coffee farms and provides access to the supply chain.

For Tom, sustainability means two things. First, a business can sustain itself; secondly, a business’s ability to do business without irreversibly damaging the world’s ecology. Coffee farming is a highly water-intensive industry, meaning that farms must be near a water source. However, many times, runoff from the farming process is absorbed back into these sources, leading to pollution and degradation. Tom’s role is to ensure that coffee farmers can access water-efficient processing equipment that can recycle water and do not pollute. Even though coffee farming can cause degradation, more macro-level climate changes profoundly affect the industry and its farmers through no fault of their own.

Additionally, Tom discussed the role of elevation and climate change within the coffee industry. Many coffee plantations are located at higher elevations, where the air is brisker, and the temperature is perfect for higher quality beans. However, the climate is rising, meaning that the quality of beans is degrading. Tom predicted that high-quality coffee would have to be grown higher and higher in elevation, creating more overhead.

Tom contrasted his business with large companies such as Starbucks. These corporations work to connect with growers, and Starbucks themselves started by creating these equitable relationships. However, Starbucks works to import and create bulk access to cheap, high-quality, and in doing so, no longer produces these honest relationships. However, Starbucks does work to support sustainable farming practices.

Tom also discussed the importance of sustainable finance. He stressed that microfinance is essential to business and knowing your partners and their goals and ambitions. Tom believes that microfinance should continue in Guatemala to help equity on multiple fronts, including gender equality, as women have been proven to be more reliable lending partners.

Tom’s experience and insights on sustainable business and a changing climate are crucial to the work Spartan Global is doing. From microfinance to climate change, Tom’s insights were a great way to close out this challenging year, and we look forward to what is to come in 2021!

Colonialization of Technology

By: Solomon Kronberg, BA Economics and Comparative Cultures & Politics 2022

Earlier this month, SGDF was lucky to host Dr. Catharyn Baird, founder-creator of the EthicsGame, for the third time. Her unique integration of philosophy and business ethics provides a cutting-edge perspective to apply when dealing with moral questions as a team, an essential skill set in our changing business world. During her visit, Dr. Baird discussed her work in a new ethical arena; the role of technology as interconnectedness becomes the norm.

Dr. Baird began her talk by describing the process of community creation. She believes that all communities must answer three core questions: who is a person, who owns what property, and what are the proper uses of power? These are universal questions, and each condition the others’ answers. Ethicists try and determine the best solutions that apply to the most groups, which they term hyper-norms. However, in reality, all communities reach different ethical conclusions. These distinct answers are micro-norms, ethical agreements that coexist in our world, along with the groups that create them.

These ideas have fascinating implications in the realm of international relations. Multi-national hierarchies arise with globalization, and the search for hyper-norms feels their influence. Dr. Baird described how hyper-norms are often relative because they emerge from the micro-norms influencing ethicists world-wide. Philosophers intend hyper-norms to be universal; however, their relativity creates ethical hierarchies. Thus, powerful actors can use the concept to make unilateral decisions about acceptable behaviors. With this in mind, how can we figure out what good values are? Who should determine what good behaviors are? How can you build trust in a supply chain when ethical perspectives overlap and conflict?

Dr. Baird reminded us of the increasing role of technology. Specifically, the internet simultaneously complicates and expands these questions. She described a new project based on a people-centered internet, expanding knowledge sharing and production to as many groups as possible. To best synthesize new knowledge, internet providers must understand what people have, what they need, and who can provide it. Communication throughout the expansion process is critical. Dr. Baird’s Ethical Lens perspective helps actors understand the micro-norms that inform their approach to interactions with people operating from different views, a negotiation space she calls the ethics of ambiguity. When working in this space, small acts of compromise and humility create a synthesis process. Equitable internet access drastically increases opportunities for the ethics of ambiguity to play out, which Baird believes will undermine hegemonic biases in tech and ethics.

In my opinion, Dr. Baird’s philosophy is impressive and relevant because it focuses on fluid questions as tools for understanding rather than broad, static claims on the nature of social reality. Because I respect her work, I’m honored that she considers SGDF to be a skilled actor in the ethically ambiguous space. Working with people from diverse backgrounds and value systems requires flexibility, and using tools like EthicsGame helps us do our best work.