Leg #1 – Training

IMED is primarily a training organization and uses the multi-phased approach outlined above.

Leg #2 – Funding

Training without funding is, at best, a mirage of false hope. Those who are qualified through a multi-layered screening process deserve to be funded. To accomplish this, IMED raises money in the US and other developed countries and distributes them as low-interest development loans to our graduates. As loans are repaid, the money generally remains in-country (not repatriated to the US) and used to build a capital pool for investing in future graduates. In this way, IMED fosters a self-sufficiency model that can be turned entirely over to local control and management over a 5-7 year period.

Leg #3 – Mentoring and Follow Up

Once graduates have completed their training and received their micro-loan, the hardest work has just begun. As they start and grow their micro-business, they are in need of support, coaching, and accountability. IMED creates country-specific mentoring programs to assist graduates through this crucial period. Usually this is a cooperative effort between in-country partners, national business leaders, and US volunteers who regularly visit the graduates at their business.