Help needed: write to NPR and Ms. Melissa Block So She Will Cover Microfinance Efforts in Sichuan

For those NPR listeners, please take a minute to write to Melissa Block, so she will cover microfinance in helping the earthquake victims!

Background: Melissa Block is the host of the most popular NPR program, All Things Considered. She was reporting live in Sichuan province when the earthquake struck. She did a wonderful job of reporting the damages from the quake and the rescue efforts.

Now she is going back to Sichuan again, to follow up on life in the quake zone. A couple of weeks ago, when she announced her plan on air, she asked for the audience to submit questions, suggestions on what they like to hear most.

If you are a Wokai supporter, or someone follows microfinance in general, I urge you to write a brief letter to NPR and Melissa, asking her to take up the topic of how microfinance helped the quake victims?

I hope by urging NPR to discuss this topic in ATC, we can effectively raise the awareness of microfinance in China. Whether Wokai is mentioned directly or not, we will certainly benefit from a potential surge of interests.

Here is what you can do:
1. Go to: http://help.npr.org/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=5670&task=ticket
2. Fill out your name and email
3. Click on the following choices:

• a. I want to "Send a question"
• b. I have a question about "Something I heard"
• c. Show: "All things considered"

Make sure you start your "Subject" line with "CHINA".
In the message body, you can briefly state your interest in "how microfinance helped earthquake victims in Sichuan"

You may also suggest the producers to contact Wokai or our field partner in Yilong county: The Association for Rural Development of Yilong County (ARDY)

Other tips:
Recently, Danone, the French food company, has just launched a $3 million microfinance fund for the quake victims. Dr. Yunus himself attended the inception ceremony. See my previous article here.

That is all!

Thanks!