Micro-Enterprise Credit for Street Youth

Introduction

Although small-scale business training and credit programs have become more common throughout the world, relatively little attention has been paid to the need to direct such opportunities to youth living on the street or in difficult circumstances. Over the past years, Street Kids International (S.K.I.) has been working with partner organizations in Africa, Latin Africa and India to support the economic lives of street children. The purpose of this paper is to share some of the lessons S.K. I. and our partner organizations have learned.

Background

    Typically, children end up on the streets not due to a single cause, but a combination of factors: the lack of adequately funded schools, the demand for income at home and so on. The street may be attractive to children as a place to find adventurous play and money. However, it is also a place where some children are exposed, with little or no protection, to exploitative employment, and urban crime.

Street Business Partnerships

S.K.I. has worked with partner organizations in Latin America, Africa and India to develop innovative opportunities for street children to earn income.

● The S.K.I Bicycle Courier Service first started in the Sudan. Participants in this enterprise were supplied with bicycles, which they used to deliver parcels and messages, but they were required to pay for it gradually from their wages.

● The Youth Skills Enterprise Initiative in Zambia is a joint program with the Red Cross Society. Street Youths are supported to start their own small business through business training, life skills training and access to credit.

Lessons Learned

The following lessons have emerged from the programs that S.K.I. and partner organizations have created.

● It’s important for all loans to be linked to training programs that include the development of basic business and life skills.

● Small loans are provided initially for purchasing fixed assets such as bicycles, shoe shining kits.

● All S.K.I. programs have charged interest on the loans, primarily to get the business runners used to the concept of paying interest on borrowing money. Generally the rates have been modest.

Conclusion

    There is a need to recognize the importance of access to credit for poor young people seeking to fulfill economic needs.

21. The organization, S.K.I., aims to _________________.

 A. give business training and loans to street children

 B. provide schools and social support for street children

 C. share the lessons S.K. I. learned to help street children

 D. draw the attention of the government to street children

22. This passage implies that with the help of S. K. I. street children may_____________.

 A. reject paid employment            B. set up their own business

 C. leave their families                D. employ other children

23. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

 A. The link of all loans to training programs is important.

 B. Interest is charged for the loans in all S.K.I. programs.

 C. The S.K.I Bicycle Courier Service provides the participants with free bicycles.

 D. The Youth Skills Enterprise Initiative in Zambia works with another organization.

   Finally，I entered the university. Because of my careful savings，I did not have to work during the school years. Then summer came and it was time to work harder than ever. I continued working as a waitress at night，instructed tennis camps several mornings a week and worked as a secretary for a few hours in the afternoons. I even decided to take a class at a community college. This class at the community college saved me $650.It was an extremely tiring summer and made me anxious to return to my relatively easy life at the university.

    During my second and third years of undergraduate schooling，I decided to work about five hours per week in the campus admissions office answering phones. This provided a little spending money and kept me from drawing my savings out .The overall situation looked  hopeful as I approached my senior year as long as I could make as much money as I had the previous summer. I wanted to go to Israel to study for 3 weeks，but I hesitated in making this decision because it would cost me $1,600 more to get the credits in Israel. About two weeks later my mom called to tell me that I had $1,600 in the bank that I had forgotten about！One of my concerns about this trip was not only the cost，but the loss of time to make money；however，I made as much that summer in the ten weeks when I was at home as I had made during the fourteen weeks when I was at home the summer before. The way everything worked together to make this trip possible was one of the most exciting things that have ever happened to me.

This experience has shaped me in many important ways. The first thing that I learned was the importance of a strong work ethic. Working long hours did a lot to develop my character and helped me learn the value of a dollar. It also made me learn how to search for creative ways to settle difficult situations.

24. Where did the writer probably work part­time before attending the university?

  A. In a restaurant.                B. In the tennis camps.

  C. In a company.                 D. In the campus admissions office.

25. The writer took a class at a community college mainly because________.

  A. she wanted to save money        B. life there was relatively easy

  C. summer time was tiring          D. it was required by the university

26. The writer’s major concern about the trip to Israel was that________.

  A. her mother would not give her approval

  B. she would fail to get credits in Israel

  C. a well­paid summer job would be lost

  D. $1,600 couldn’t be drawn out in time

27. The passage is mainly about how the writer________.

  A. made money on the college campus

  B. managed to make full use of her vacation

  C. was forced to support herself by her mother

  D. was shaped by working part­time through college

    Public bookshelves are appearing across Germany on street corners，city squares and in suburban supermarkets. In these free­for­all libraries，people can grab whatever they want to read，and leave behind anything they want for others. There’s no need to register，no due date，and you can take or give as many as you want.“This project is aimed at everyone who likes to read .It is open for everybody，”  Michael Aubermann，one of the organizers of the free book exchange said.

    The western city’ s latest public shelf was put up next to Bayenturm. It is the fourth free shelf that Aubermann’ s group，the Cologne Citizen’s Foundation，has placed outside.“We set up our other outdoor shelves last year and it’s been working really well，” said Aubermann. The public bookshelves，which are usually financed by donations and cared for by local volunteer groups，have appeared independently of each other in many cities，suburbs and villages. Each shelf holds around 200 books and it takes about six weeks for a complete turnover，with all the old titles replaced by new ones.

    Even commercial book stores and online book sellers seem to support the idea of free book exchanges.“We see this project rather as a sales promotion than as competition，”said Elmar Muether.“If books are present everywhere，it helps our business，too.”

    So far，the Cologne book group has had few problems with damage or other problems. Aubermann said，“Propaganda (宣传) is the only kind of literature we do not allow here.”

    At another bookshelf in the Bayenthal neighborhood，the lower shelves are reserved for children’s literature only.“It is important that we make it easy for everyone to participate in this ‘reading culture on the street’—from old readers to kids to immigrants，”Aubermann said.

    While most of the shelves have so far been put up in upscale neighborhoods，Aubermann and the 20 volunteers who help look after the project are planning to put up future shelves in poor neighborhoods，where citizens often don’t have as much access to literature.

28. Which of the following is TRUE about the public bookshelves?

  A. People can take the books and leave their books at will.

  B. People can’ t borrow books unless they donate books.

  C. People can borrow whatever they like after registering.

  D. People have to return the books according to the required time.

29. According to Aubermann，the public bookshelves________.

  A. are financed by local volunteers

  B. have been going well since their birth

  C. were managed by the local government

  D. will hold more books and take a shorter turnover

30. The underlined phrase “upscale neighborhoods” refers to________.

  A. communities that have many people

  B. communities that have many tall buildings

  C. communities that are free to live in

  D. communities that are of high grade

31. Which might be the best title for the passage?

  A. Public Reading Becomes Popular Worldwide

  B. New Trends of Bookshelves in Germany

  C. Public Bookshelves Spread Across Germany

  D. Reading Culture on the Street in Europe                             

Grandparents Answer a Call

    As a third-generation native of Brownsville, Texas, Mildred Garza never planned to move away. Even when her daughter and son asked her to move to San Antonio to help with their children, she politely refused. Only after a year of friendly discussion did Ms. Garza finally say yes. That was four years ago. Today all three generations regard the move as a success, giving them a closer relationship than they would have had in separate cities.

    No statistics show the number of grandparents like Garza who are moving closer to adult children and grandchildren. Yet there is evidence suggesting that the trend is growing. Even President Obama’s mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, has agreed to leave Chicago and move into the White House to help care for her granddaughters. According to a study by grandparents. Com, 83 percent of the people said Mrs. Robinson ’s decision will influence  grandparents in the American family. Two-thirds believe more families will follow the example of Obama’s family.

    “In the 1960s we were all a little wild and couldn’t get away from home far enough for fast enough to prove we could do it on our own,” says Christine Crosby, publisher of Grand , a magazine for grandparents.“We now realize how important family is and how important it is”to be near them, especially when you’re raising children.”

    Moving is not for everyone. Almost every grandparent wants to be with his or her grandchildren and is willing to make sacrifices, but sometimes it is wiser to say no and visit frequently instead. Having your grandchildren far away is hard, especially knowing your adult child is struggling, but giving up the life you know may be harder.

32. Why was Garza’s move a success?

  A. It strengthened her family ties.

  B. It improved her living conditions.

  C. It enabled her to make more friends.

  D. It helped her know more new places.

33. What was the reaction of the public to Mrs. Robinson’s decision?

  A. 17% expressed their support for it.

  B. Few people responded sympathetically.

  C. 83% believed it had a bad influence.

  D. The majority thought it was a trend.

34. What did Crosby say about people in the 1960s?

  A. They were unsure of themselves.

  B. They were eager to raise more children.

  C. They wanted to live away from their parents.

  D. They had little respect for their grandparents.

35. What does the author suggest the grandparents do in the last paragraph?

  A. Make decisions in the best interests of their own.

  B. Ask their children to pay more visits to them.

  C. Sacrifice for their struggling children .

  D. Get to know themselves better.

No personal success, achievement, or goal, can be realized without self-discipline.   __36  ． It is the ability to control one’s impulses, emotions, desires and behavior. To possess it is to be able to make the decisions, take the actions, and carry out your plan regardless of the obstacles, discomfort, or difficulties, that may come your way.

How to develop self-discipline? We’ll explore it together.

· Start with baby steps. No process takes place overnight.    37   ．So, begin by making the decision to go forward and learning what it takes to get there.

· Learn what motivates you and what your bad triggers are.    38  . Sometimes it is very difficult to fight off urges, so know the areas where your resistance is low and how to avoid those situations. Remove the temptations and surround yourself with encouraging items such as motivating slogans and pictures of what you want to achieve.

· Make certain behaviors a routine. Once you have decided what’s important to you and which goals to strive for , establish a daily routine that will help you achieve them.     __39  ．   They can put you in a negative frame of mind and hinder(阻碍)your self-discipline. A poor attitude can also be a bad habit.

  40   Michael Jordan has always maintained that his greatness as a basketball player came as much from his willingness to work hard at his craft, as it did his talent. It was his desire through discipline and focus that made him one of the best basketball players ever. If it worked for him, it could certainly work for the rest of us.

A. What is self-discipline?

B. Engage in sports or activities．

C. Get inspiration from those you admire．

D. You can begin by learning about yourself !

E. If you try to do too much at once , you could injure yourself and have a setback．

F. Meanwhile, get rid of some of your bad, self-defeating habits, whatever they may be．

G. It does mean learning how to focus your mind and energies on your goals until they are    accomplished．