2007年VOA标准英语-Prize-Winning Idea Paying Dividends in Kyrgyzst

By Peter Fedynsky
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
24 September 2007
 

It is said that it takes money to make money.  Last year, an economist¹ from Bangladesh won the Nobel Peace Prize for an innovative² program called micro-lending that enables poor people to borrow small sums of money in order to lift themselves out of poverty.  VOA Moscow Correspondent Peter Fedynsky has this report about entrepreneurs who benefited from micro-loans in Kyrgyzstan.

Busaira Tulekeeva opened her micro-business five years ago selling small garment items such as socks and ties in Bishkek's Alamadinskiy  Bazar.  Earlier, she was unemployed³. 

Tulekeeva is one of about 30,000 people in Kyrgyzstan who have received micro-loans from Kompanion, the financial affiliate⁴ of Mercy Corps⁵, a private American international development and relief organization.   The average Kompanion loan today is $350, a sum that allowed Tulekeeva to realize her modest business plan. "I feel very good because I was able to expand the range and number of products I offer and this is a good result."

Tulekeeva learned of the micro-loan program from other women at the market, as did her neighbor, Aiymkyl Dyikanova , who has been selling household goods here for four years.  She too was able to expand her inventory⁶, and to finally save some money.  "I bought a DVD player for my family, a cell phone and summer clothes for my children. I also sent my kids on a summer vacation. I think this is a big achievement."

The achievement can be traced to Muhammed Yunus, an economist in Bangladesh.  About 30 years ago, he came up with the simple idea of lending small sums of money to help lift poor people out of poverty.  For this he won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize.

Mercy Corps officials in Kyrgyzstan say their mission is to help build civil society and to expand Kyrgyz economic development.  The organization's financial affiliate, Kompanion, employs more than 400 people in 49 offices to distribute micro-loans throughout the country. 

Catherine Brown is Mercy Corps' director in Kyrgyzstan. She says Kompanion enjoys a 99 per cent repayment⁷ rate, despite the fact that the loans are given without collateral⁸ to people once thought to be poor credit risks."It has been proven that that theory [poor credit risks] is wrong.  That poor people can handle credit -- appropriate credit -- as well as other people in other sectors⁹ and segments of the population."

Kosmosbek Cholponbayev is director of the Galenpharm pharmaceutical¹⁰ company. He is considered one of Mercy Corps' best success stories.  He has a degree in pharmacy¹¹ and now produces medications in a small factory on outskirts¹² of Bishkek.  Cholponbayev received an initial business loan of $7,000 from Mercy Corps in 1997.   While that sum is on the high end of the micro-loan scale, Cholponbayev says Mercy Corps -- unlike commercial banks that turned him down -- was more interested in people than in loan profits.

He did not disappoint.  Cholponbayev now has 50 full-time¹³ employees, a $500,000 annual turnover¹⁴, and growth rate of 10 to 15 percent.  He notes that micro-loans develop more than just the local economy.

"We've developed a sense of responsibility.  You take money, you need to repay it.  A strict budget must be set and observed.  The entrepreneur learns a sense of responsibility.  Every month, I need to pay off the loan.  The economy works within certain limits.  As much as you would like to, you can't throw money around."

Mercy Corps director Catherine Brown says the Kyrgyz people buy more goods from micro-businesses than they do from large retailers¹⁵.  This, she says, makes the micro-entrepreneur the backbone¹⁶ of Kyrgyzstan's economy. 

1 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

2 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

3 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

4 affiliate   

vt.使隶(附)属于；n.附属机构，分公司

参考例句：

• Our New York company has an affiliate in Los Angeles.我们的纽约公司在洛杉矶有一个下属企业。
• What is the difference between affiliate and regular membership?固定会员和附属会员之间的区别是什么？

5 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

6 inventory   

n.详细目录，存货清单

参考例句：

• Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。
• We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。

7 repayment   

n.偿还，偿还款；报酬

参考例句：

• I am entitled to a repayment for the damaged goods.我有权利索取货物损坏赔偿金。
• The tax authorities have been harrying her for repayment.税务局一直在催她补交税款。

8 collateral   

adj.平行的；旁系的；n.担保品

参考例句：

• Many people use personal assets as collateral for small business loans.很多人把个人财产用作小额商业贷款的抵押品。
• Most people here cannot borrow from banks because they lack collateral.由于拿不出东西作为抵押，这里大部分人无法从银行贷款。

9 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

11 pharmacy   

n.药房，药剂学，制药业，配药业，一批备用药品

参考例句：

• She works at the pharmacy.她在药房工作。
• Modern pharmacy has solved the problem of sleeplessness.现代制药学已经解决了失眠问题。

12 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

13 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

14 turnover   

n.人员流动率，人事变动率；营业额，成交量

参考例句：

• The store greatly reduced the prices to make a quick turnover.这家商店实行大减价以迅速周转资金。
• Our turnover actually increased last year.去年我们的营业额竟然增加了。

15 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

16 backbone   

n.脊骨，脊柱，骨干；刚毅，骨气

参考例句：

• The Chinese people have backbone.中国人民有骨气。
• The backbone is an articulate structure.脊椎骨是一种关节相连的结构。