Microcredit is reserved for the poorest of the poor - often women in developing countries - enabling them to set up their own small business. At least, that's what I thought.

But it turns out that this is not always the case. In fact, micro-credit is also available in the Netherlands. While it might not be combating dire poverty, it is helping people build an independent life for themselves.

On the telephone, 57-year-old Arnold Hoek sounds lively and enthusiastic. Even the shortest of questions prompts a response that lasts for minutes on end. It's a sign of just how delighted he is with his new moped rental company in the eastern town of Markelo. He set up shop in April 2009, with the help of a micro-loan. He's more than willing to take part in our report. It will give him the chance to show what micro-finance has done for him. And, a true entrepreneur, he also has an eye for the free publicity it might generate for his business.

We arrange to meet on a Thursday morning, when a bride-to-be and her friends are turning up to rent some mopeds for a pre-nuptial girls' day out: the perfect photo opportunity. Arnold turns out to be just as talkative and energetic in real life. As soon as the conversation turns to his company, his face lights up.

Heart's desire
For years Arnold was largely dependent on disability allowance, only able to earn a little bit on the side by teaching drawing classes. But thanks to micro-credit, he can now follow his heart's desire: a combination of working with people and the Solex moped, the love of his youth. The black bicycle with its motorised front wheel was nothing short of a 60s icon in the Netherlands.

The girls arrive on cue, but the elements are threatening to spoil the fun. The sun peeks through the clouds as the day begins but every now and again the heavens open. Traditional Dutch weather and no mistake.

Fortunately the fun-seekers are not put off easily. They smile and wave for the camera as they rev up their Solexes and off they go. Arnold is visibly enjoying the scene. But amid all the excitement of the video shoot and the stories he is entertaining us with, he forgets to fill the tank of one of the mopeds. At the end of the ride he has to jump on a Solex himself to tow a stranded moped rider back to Markelo. Even so, there's a silver lining - it results in some lovely snapshots.

Serious business
In the midst of all this enthusiasm, it's easy to forget that this is a serious business for Arnold Hoek. Without micro-credit he might have spent the rest of his days stuck at home, dependent on benefit and with no prospect of funding for his ambitions. As the result of a divorce, his financial situation is far from comfortable and he has no home he can use as collateral for a loan. And at the relatively advanced age of 57, opportunities on the job market are few and far between.

Arnold's Solex rental business may not be quite what Princess Máxima had in mind when she became a UN advisor on micro-finance, promoting opportunities for the poorest of the poor to make a living for themselves. Especially given that this particular project involved the not insignificant sum of 20,000 euros. But for Arnold Hoek, like the beneficiaries in developing countries, micro-credit most definitely represents the promise of a better future.