Micro financing has been around in one form or another since neanderthal man ruled the earth. The type of financing the MicroPlace offers is similar to what numerous other organisations have been offering for years all across the 3rd world.
Here's another organisation that operates in Indonesia.....
http://www.kiva.org/about/aboutPartner?id=82
I can't vouch for them but I do know a guy who has made over a hundred small loans through them to people in poverty in various parts of the world. He approaches it purely as a way of helping people establish their own small business to lift themselves out of poverty.
On the flip side and playing devils advocate I did catch a glimpse of a news program a few weeks ago where the muslim village leaders had banned all forms of micro financing from their village (somewhere on the subcontinent) due to the endless spiralling debts their villagers had got themselves into because of microfinancing loans.
Also I found this...
http://readerswords.wordpress.com/2009/ ... o-finance/
I guess it's like anything ...do you research 1st before getting involved.
