One Hen - How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference (CitizenKid)
Product Type: Book
Product Price: $18.95
Manufacturer: Kids Can Press, Ltd.
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Description
Inspired by true events, One Hen tells the story of Kojo, a boy from Ghana who turns a small loan into a thriving farm and a livelihood for many. After his father died, Kojo had to quit school to help his mother collect firewood to sell at the market. When his mother receives a loan from some village families, she gives a little money to her son. With this tiny loan, Kojo buys a hen. A year later, Kojo has built up a flock of 25 hens. With his earnings Kojo is able to return to school. Soon Kojo's farm grows to become the largest in the region. Kojo's story is inspired by the life of Kwabena Darko, who as a boy started a tiny poultry farm just like Kojo's, which later grew to be the largest in Ghana, and one of the largest in west Africa. Kwabena also started a trust that gives out small loans to people who cannot get a loan from a bank. One Hen shows what happens when a little help makes a big difference. This help comes in the form of a microloan, a lending system for people in developing countries who have no collateral and no access to conventional banking. Microloans have begun to receive more media attention in recent years. In 2006 Muhammad Yunus, a Bangledeshi economist who pioneered microloan banking, won the Nobel Peace Prize.The final pages of One Hen explain the microloan system and include a list of relevant organizations for children to explore.
Reviews
Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2010-06-23
Summary: "Excellent."
Katie Smith Milway, One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference (Kids Can Press, 2008)
Cute book about microlending, one of today's most exciting trends, geared toward the preschool set. Milway gets extra credit, though, for including a section geared towards slightly older readers (and adults) with a capsule biography of the chap upon whom she based the main character in One Hen that's just as interesting as the book itself. She also includes a quick nonfiction overview of microlending and a quick guide for further investigation, which is fantastic (and points out that this process also exists in America, which may surprise some readers, both children and adults). A must for conservative parents, but I do think it's got a universal appeal. ****
Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-05-28
Summary: "One hen made a big difference"
Do you think a little loan and a little brown hen can change the future of a whole country? This tale is based on a true story about a small boy (called Kojo) who lived in a poor village in Ghana. It all started when his mother gave Kojo the rest of the loan she had asked for. He had an amazing idea. Kojo's plan was to help his mother by buying a hen which would give them food and money. After finding the perfect hen his life started to change.
Read this book to find out how was Kojo able to change his life. This is a fantastic and interesting story which shows how a small boy with a great and clever idea could improve the life of many people.
We recommend this beautiful book because we read it aloud in class and learned a very important lesson about solidarity, effort, hard work and commitment.
Start the chain and pay it forward, nothing is impossible.
By Woodlands School Grade 6C 2010
Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-05-14
Summary: "Capitalism!"
This book is a great lesson in capitalism. Successful business provides jobs and money for the community, then others can use that money to create more businesses and more support and prosperity for the community. A great lesson for kids: initiative, ingenuity and work equals success.
Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-03-15
Summary: "Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children"
A child named Kojo lived with his mother in a tiny village in the Ashanti region of Ghana. The villagers came up with the idea of pooling their savings and making small loans to alternating village members for various business activities. When it was Kojo's mother's turn to receive a loan, she purchased a pushcart to help her sell more firewood at the market, and Kojo used the few leftover coins to buy a hen.
That single hen made an enormous difference not only to Kojo and his mother, but ultimately to the entire country. The hen laid enough eggs for Kojo and his mother to enrich their diets and for Kojo to sell the extras at the market. Saving the egg money enabled Kojo to purchase another hen, and after a year, Kojo had a flock of 25 hens. Selling all their eggs yielded Kojo enough money pay the fees for school, where, after many years, he gained the qualifications he needed to become a commercial farmer. Another loan after his graduation helped him to start a new poultry farm that grew to become Ghana's largest farm, leading not only to job creation but also to export earnings and tax revenues.
Based on true events in the life of Kwabena Darko, a successful poultry farmer from Ghana, this informative book makes an excellent resource for teaching children about loans and entrepreneurship. Moreover, the book provides a nice opportunity to teach children about the work of Dr. Muhammad Yunus, a banker and economist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for developing the idea of microfinance, which includes very small loans to low-income people to start their own businesses. Colorful illustrations and a child's point of view make this lesson accessible and interesting to young learners.
Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-02-17
Summary: "One Hen - two steps above!"
This is a wonderful children's story with a very important message. The story is captivating, the illustrations are colorful and engaging, the size of the book is large enough for group readings, it's inspired by a real life character, and provides easy steps so every reader can choose to make a difference in this world. Leaves readers with hope and inspiration. Great book!