By Mary Malloy
Peter D'Aleo is the Director of Domestic Operations, MESI Micro-Finance A project of FORGE (Facilitating Opportunities for Refugee Growth & Empowerment.) The program was founded in 2003, and utilizes university students from western countries as "a mechanism to mobilize and harness the potential of youth as catalysts of social change," according to a statement on their Web site. They are partnered with the United Nations.
At D'Aleo's Welcome Home party at his East Rockaway house last week, his mother, Loretta, said that her son has had such a positive impact on so many of the refugees lives. " His genuine compassion for others truly inspires the refugees," he said. "They trust him with their lives. I am so proud of Pete and what he has accomplished thus far, as he continues in his journey throughout Africa hoping to making a difference."
D'Aleo became interested in the FORGE program after a friend of his became involved two years ago. His mission in Zambia was to help make the camp a better place in which to live by creating businesses and educating the people about business management and finance.
An economics and business administration major at Boston University, he has spent countless hours teaching the refugees about loans, interest rates, repayment and business strategies. D'Aleo trained three loan officers and two workshop instructors to regulate the businesses after he returned to America. "They really learned the process," said D'Aleo.
D'Aleo set up a financial plan where an individual could get up to a $150 (US Dollars) loan and groups could receive up to $800. One dollar in American money amounts to 3300 Kwatcha in African currency. "This is money being invested in people's lives," he said.
The refugees would then enter a five-week workshop period where they would be taught business administration and personal finance. This method of providing loans to poor families is calling micro-finance. One of D'Aleo's main goals was to make sure that the refugees understood how to manage their micro-loans, a necessary piece of information often overlooked by other organizations providing micro-finance, according to D'Aleo. His aim is to boost the confidence of the struggling refugees.
"Most of them will go into the trade business," said D'Aleo. "They came to this settlement from other countries in Africa, seeking refuge from genocide, corruption, and civil wars. "The want to make a better life for themselves and their families. We have had a 90 percent repayments on loans."
In an E-mail home, soon after he arrived at the settlement in July, Peter wrote, "Greetings from Meheba! Things in the settlement have been going very well. I must admit that it's been quite stressful continuing our work here in Meheba. Nonetheless, I've been enjoying every moment here working with the staff as well as the current and previous loanees. We made our selections for the new men's intake this past week. Those individuals will begin workshops in the next couple of weeks and will be given micro-loans to begin their businesses. We're really excited about this new group of men; they're highly qualified and I really think they're going to create some very successful businesses."
The refugees and staff members themselves are grateful to D'Aleo and the FORGE program. One man, Stephen Kaumba, wrote: "...yes you are my friend. My good friend. My best friend. Full of love regardless of rank, color, background. Full of inspiration. I am so fortunate to have known you. I image who I would be like if I hadn't of met you on the way. You have had a great impact on my life. You've filled me with energy to face the future and have success. Thank you so much. I will be always thankful to you for everything...to change the negativity into possibility and the adversity that I see into opportunity to turn everything around. I was so sad to see you leaving, but now I'm no longer sad because I've realized you come for missions, that missions is to find a durable solutions to our lives, to make us self sustainable by giving us opportunity to learn how to fish strait from the river. To make think, conceive ideas us entrepreneurs. It's a big achievement. You've made it, be proud of it. Once again thank you."
"The Meheba Refugee Settlement is treating us all very well," D'Aleo wrote home at the beginning of August. "We have just written a new chapter in Meheba history. Yesterday, August 1, we celebrated the grand opening of the MESI Savings Program, an initiative designed to provide personal savings opportunities to the entire Meheba settlement and its refugee citizens. The staff and I feel very strongly about innovation - we believe it's the reason for much of our success. Yesterday we were once again innovators in the Meheba community. This new initiative is an effort to empower refugees and educate people about the importance of savings and financial responsibility. We believe that these two principals will enable refugees to achieve a better life for themselves, their families, and their communities...every day I hear a new success story - 500-1000% increases in monthly income, big changes in the quality of life, children now able to attend school, and past loanees lending their own money and becoming small micro-lending agents of their own. Through all the hardships, through all the stress and worry that goes into this work, hearing the daily success stories is what motivates me to continue moving forward and keep our mission alive.
"Asante sana and kwaheri (Thank you, and farewell)...Pete."
Mike Russo and Mike Schnitzel and contributed to this story. Comments about this story? MMalloy@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 202.
