Microcredit is not just for developing countries. In the Netherlands, HandsOn Microcredit lent 5000 euros to a Surinamese mobile take-away owner and a Venezuelan guitarist. The interest on the loan is six percent and the recipients receive personal training from a coach.

A white van is parked in a car park outside a shopping centre in the town of Almere. Above it flies the Surinamese flag. It’s Lilian Bayley’s mobile take-away 'Roti's corner'. Customers buy a fish or chicken curry roll for three euros. Lilian prepares the food at home and heats it up in a microwave. Her van is equipped with an oven, freezer and a Bain Marie, and a cooled display case. She couldn’t have done it without credit from HandsOn. She also used the credit to buy the van and a metre box for the electricity.
 
Financial backers
Lilian looks back: "I was unemployed and was on benefits. I really wanted to set up my own business, but I’m over 50 and couldn’t get credit from a bank. They didn’t believe people would want to eat Surinamese food." The food Lilian took with her to the meeting was left untouched. Eventually she managed to get microcredit.
 
Venezuelan singer and guitarist Leonardo Gil Beroes was looking for financial backing to record a CD with Latin Fusion music. His original sponsor had died. "The show must go on," says Leonardo. He has been living in the Netherlands for 15 years and has a family now. He got a Dutch passport last month and is learning Dutch. Banks refused him credit without a Dutch passport. But HandsOn was willing to help the musician.
 
Dutch microcredit
Alexa Dutilh supervises starters at HandsOn Microcredit. She says: "It is a pity to leave people on benefits because they are unable to get credit from a bank. The people we help are legally in the Netherlands, but do not always speak the language. We give microcredit to artists, DJs, filmmakers, fashion designers. They are good at what they do, but have no idea about bookkeeping. Banks are not keen on giving loans to artistic companies. We do give credit to this group, if they have a good plan, do not have large debts and are over 18. This makes them financially independent and eventually society benefits."
 
HandsOn Microcredit is a foundation, not a bank. The credit organisation is sponsored by Dutch businesses, which provide interest-free loans. HandsOn uses the same principles as microfinance organisations in developing countries.  "Here in the Netherlands we also require someone to act as a guarantor," says Ms Dutilh.
 
Coaching
As well as a loan, entrepreneurs can receive coaching from experienced business people. Leonardo is supervised by the owner of the Coffee Company. They meet twice a month. "He helped me with the production of the CD," says the musician. On the advice of his coach, Leonardo put his performer’s name on the CD cover to raise his profile. "The coaching makes you think about what you need to work on, so you can take a course. But I am so busy working, I don’t have time to think about these kind of things," says Lilian Bayley.
 
Success
Alexa Dutilh encourages starters to take a part-time job to earn extra money. Leonardo Gil Beroes also works at a sports shoe factory. It is not clear whether the businesses are able to continue once the credit has run out. "HandsOn is a young organisation. We know of an art dealer who imported art from Eastern Europe but did not attract enough customers and stopped after the credit ran out," says Ms Dutilh.
 
New opportunities
Meanwhile HandsOn has granted 50 microcredit loans and it has another 50 applications. Leonardo Gil Beroes is pleased with the new opportunities he has been given as a result of the credit. "Thanks to the credit, my band has big plans. We want to perform in a theatre and we are making a video clip," he says. Gil Beroes hopes his music will sell, so that he can carry on without the credit in the future. Lilian dreams of opening her own restaurant, where people stay to eat rather than just take away meals.