October 24: Mercy Niwe Speaks on “Women, Extreme Poverty, and the Economic Ladder”

We are excited to introduce Mercy Niwe, our speaker for the October 24th iZosh event. Mercy is an economist who seeks to understand the complex dynamics surrounding international aid from donor countries to third-world recipients in a fight against poverty and its effects. The title of her talk is “Women, Extreme Poverty, and the Economic Ladder.” Born in Uganda, Mercy experienced first-hand the realities of life in a poverty stricken country. Even as a young girl, she often wondered: Could it be that developing countries do not have what it takes to support themselves? Or is there more than meets the eye? She pondered whether as an African girl, her place was “in the kitchen”, or could she possibly be part of a global solution. In a quest for answers, Mercy pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Economic Development, and began a career in Uganda’s banking sector. She soon gained an insider’s view of one developing country’s complex economic system. Mercy then pursued a Master’s degree in Economics, graduating with Honors. Not long afterwards, Mercy received news that she had won the Diversity Visa lottery, and was to migrate to the United States. It was a very hard decision to leave a country she loved and go into the unknown, yet she knew that moving from a developing country to such a wealthy country would be a pivotal step in search for answers to her questions about wealth and poverty. Upon Mercy’s arrival to the U.S., she got a job with the World Bank Credit Union, where her work allowed her to compare practical banking policies between wealthy and impoverished countries around the world. After two years at the World Bank, Mercy felt the need to dig deeper into the reasons for global economic disparity. It was at this point that she applied for a position at World Vision, where she believed the answers to her questions might be found, while also allowing her to follow her passions as a Christian. Mercy Joined World Vision in 2007, where her program-design and monitoring roles have given her great joy, as she can now see the donor promise fulfilled in quality, community based programs. Through World Vision’s holistic approach, Mercy sees not only physical needs being met, but also the spiritual needs of love, purpose, and hope. She lives in the Washington D.C. area with her husband, Moses, and their two children, Moshe and Meira. Come join us for our fall iZosh event on Friday, October 24th at 7 pm at Huron Hills Church. It will be an exciting evening of learning, community, and granting loans to help women in extreme poverty advance their entrepreneurial ventures. Be sure to invite your friends!