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August 11, 2005
Muslims help Burkina
The Aga Khan recently visited Burkina Faso. The Aga Khan is the spiritual leader of the Nizari sect of the Ismaili branch of Shi'a Islam.
He came to Burkina to co-launch a Micro-credit Agency with President Blaise Compaoré. The idea is to engage the mainstream banking sector in small business loans to the poor, in line with the UN international year of micro-finance. Apparently the Aga Khan group holds majority shares in the Comoe National Sugar Factory at Banfora, and the Fasoplast plastics factory in Bobo-Dioulasso, and has for several years headed the national airline, Air Burkina.
Now, I wonder if there is a role for Christian businesses to use their skills and profits to help poor countries in similar ways, developing micro-enterprise etc, or whether it should just be left to Muslims...
Tags: burkina faso africa aid burkina micro-credit business
Posted by Keith at August 11, 2005 06:48 PM
