Economy

Cloudy Skies at the Microfinance Horizon?

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Microfinance may be in for some rough times, as the impact of the global recession works its way down the economic food chain. In Africa, less money for microfinance projects is coming in from Europe and the United States, the Daily Nation of Kenya reports. Meanwhile, the demand for microfunds is up threefold, reports the Africa Microfinance Action Forum, as people lose their regular jobs and look to become entrepreneurs. The same scenario is playing out in Europe. Although a new European Union microfinance institution is being set up to provide small-business loans for the unemployed, New Europe reports that critics are already saying it offers too little.

Featured

Home Run!

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No, it’s soccer, actually. Specifically, it’s the six-year-old Homeless World Cup, which teams homeless people from at least 56 countries — such as the 2008 world champions from Melboune, Australia (right) — to compete for the title, and win big in the game of life. Photo: Big Issue Australia

Featured

No Pregnant Pause

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Teen pregnancies are in the pop spotlight, from the Oscar-winning film “Juno” (right) to MTV’s new reality show “16 and Pregnant.” Talk about reality: More than 750,000 U.S. teens will become pregnant in 2009, while globally the number reaches 14 million. Photo: Handout

Public Health

No Pregnant Pause

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Teen pregnancies are in the pop spotlight, from the Oscar-winning film “Juno” (right) to MTV’s new reality show “16 and Pregnant.” Talk about reality: More than 750,000 U.S. teens will become pregnant in 2009, while globally the number reaches 14 million. Photo: Handout

World

Many Goals for the Homeless World Cup

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Now in its sixth year, the Homeless World Cup comes to Milan, Italy, in September, bringing together teams of homeless people from at least 56 countries to compete for a unique world championship title. The real prize, however, is winning the game of life — something fans worldwide are lining up to support. Rio de Janeiro and Paris have already agreed to host the 2010 and 2011 games, notes Happy News, while Poland.com boasts that the city of Poznan will host in 2013, beating out Amsterdam and Manchester. Women from eight nations competed for the first-ever Women’s Cup last year — and are taking their game, and their goals for better lives, to Milan in 2009 as well. One such player is Auma Okot of Uganda, who was once in the grip of the infamous Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency.