September 2006


ESR Review to Debut

ESR Review is new venture to bring together all those interested in developing economic self-reliance around the world in an effort to build awareness, knowledge, and opportunities. Each issue of the journal will contain perspective articles on specific themes concerning self-reliance, written by experts in that field.  more

Innovations in ESR Conversations

We are looking forward to another semester of interesting ideas and insightful discussions at the ESR Brownbag-Lunch Conversations. Our goal for this year is to build a more collaborative group of researchers, students, and practitioners who are committed to participating in the ongoing development of the theory and practice of economic self-reliance and development. To reach this goal, we are adding some new innovations this fall semester.  more

MicroFranchise Consulting Class

During this Fall semester the MicroFranchise Consulting Class, taught by Jason Fairbourne—MicroFranchise Development Initiative (MFDI) Director, is featuring four projects. Students will be working with our partner organizations: Academy for Creating Enterprise, Coast Coconut Oil, MFDI, and Ascend Alliance.   more

New Single Mom Initiative Director

At the beginning of August, the Economic Self-Reliance Center hired Julie Humberstone as the new director of the Single Mom Initiative. Julie recently completed her Master of Public Administration degree at BYU. During her master's program, Julie was involved with the ESR Center as a volunteer, intern, and research assistant.  more

Microfranchising to Beat Malaria

During the summer of 2006, the Microfranchise Development Initiative (MFDI) and Freedom from Hunger (FFH), an international development organization, partnered together and sent a team of BYU graduate students to Ghana. These students conducted research to design microfranchises that will provide products and services to rural communities. These microfranchises will address particular health problems in those communities.   more

Intern Outreach

During spring and summer terms, the ESR Center sponsored 16 interns who worked for five of our partner organizations: Ascend Alliance, Care for Life, FINCA International, LDS Employment Resource Services, and ProLiteracy.  more

Intern Outreach -- Tyler Woolstenhulme

From May to August of this year, I worked in Honduras and Southern Mexico as a Client Research Fellow for FINCA International, one of the largest microlending institutions in the world that distributes funds to clients in 24 countries.  more

Intern Outreach -- Aaron Felix

My internship consisted of a myriad of objectives. My primary focus was small business instruction to Ascend’s 115 village community workers as well as analyzing/ assisting in the community worker teaching to more than roughly 2,100 mothers in village-mother’s co-ops.  more