China’s migrant workforce is one of the major drivers of the country’s economic rise. In Beijing alone there are 4 million migrant workers. Over the past decade, China has seen the development of micro-loans to support rural development, but very few banks lend money to migrant workers. With support from the Boeing Company, The Asia Foundation developed the “Social Innovation Fund” for migrant workers in Beijing. The fund helps integrate migrant workers into their new urban communities by building social support networks and creating new and enhanced economic opportunities and providing skills training. Loan projects have provided them a remarkable opportunity to start their own businesses, set up a bookstore for other migrant workers, and recruit more migrant workers to expand their garment businesses.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 5th, 2008 at 4:25 pm and is filed under | Notes from the Field .