Coady Institute's Microfinance education programs
get a boost from MasterCard Foundation
ANTIGONISH - The Coady International Institute and the MasterCard Foundation are pleased to announce a new program to create scholarships for development practitioners who will study in the Coady Institute's Microfinance and Livelihoods and Markets education programs.
"We are thrilled that the MasterCard Foundation has provided $100,000 in new funding to support microfinance professionals who will study at Coady, either at our campus on Canada's east coast, or online through the Coady Institute's new distance education programs in Microfinance," says Mary Coyle, Director of the Coady International Institute and Vice President of St. Francis Xavier University. "Essentially, this support will remove financial barriers to study for many development professionals who specialize in microfinance and livelihoods and markets."
"The goal is to build up the capacity of staff and organizations so they can deliver better quality services to the women and men who count on them, who often live in the poorest neighbourhoods and villages of our world," she says.
Thanks to the MasterCard Foundation's support, practitioners in these areas will have greater access to the Coady Institute's unique education programs, aimed at developing leadership, and new knowledge and practical skills that development professionals can apply directly to their work. The Coady Institute, founded by St. Francis Xavier University and based in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and is world-renowned for its unique program of leadership education for development practitioners. The Institute has over 5,000 graduates and partners working in 130 countries. Microfinance is an important area of focus for the Institute.
"Microfinance is an extremely important way to raise the standard of living for many people and communities around the world," says Coyle. "The Coady Institute is pleased to lead in this area through education and research, and we are extremely grateful for the support provided by the MasterCard Foundation. In the end, it is development professionals and the organizations and communities they serve who will benefit from the Foundation's generosity."
Practitioners who apply for Coady Certificate programs, either campus-based or online, or who choose to specialize in microfinance or Livelihoods and Markets through the Diploma in Development Leadership program, will be eligible to receive financial support from the new Scholars Program.
For more information about Coady Education programs, visit our website: www.coady.stfx.ca. For media enquiries, please contact Janet Becigneul, Manager of Communications at (902) 867-3648 or e-mail: jbecigneul@stfx.ca.
Janet Becigneul
Communications Manager
Coady International Institute
Phone: 902-867-3648
Mobile: 902-971-0704
E-mail:jbecigneul@stfx.ca
Fax:902-867-3907