The following report is important because it shows the impact the availability of microcredit linked to cultural heritage conservation has on a rural community.
Conserving Cultural Heritage with Microcredit: An Impact Assessment of the CultureBank in Fombori, Mali
This study presents an assessment of the social, economic and cultural impacts of the CultureBank in Fombori, Mali, based on field research in 2002. The CultureBank is a local initiative started in 1997 to conserve cultural heritage through the provision of small business loans to community members. Participants obtain credit by using cultural objects as collateral and the objects are conserved and publicly displayed in the CultureBank museum collection. This innovative approach to microcredit provides a financial incentive for cultural conservation in a rural community.
The Dogon CultureBank of Fombori
[Photo credit: http://www.nsaccid.org/WARA%20Report.htm]
