Another estimate of worldwide remittances

BRIEFING: "Work In, Cash Out," sourced from World Bank and IMF's Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook 2007, in BusinessWeek, 19 May 2008, p. 14.

$240 billion.

Mexico's government matches remittances 3 to 1 in dollars used for community projects. Interesting.

Highest dependencies: Honduras (26%), Moldova (36%), Tajikistan (36%) and Kyrgyzstan (27%).

My spouse and I, BTW, are applying now for an international adoption from Kyrgyzstan, giving up our attempt to do one from Taiwan, which has gotten too crowded and too slow with the new rules imposed by China on its own adoption programs.

We have informed Vonne Mei that the Mongols are coming!

Comments

[Brad B.]

Tom, I wish your family the best of luck with your next adoption process. I'm not sure if you remember meeting me in Detroit, but being a regular reader of yours, I obviously respect you for your professional work. However, I've always had an extra dimension of adoration for you because of your ability to manage being an international, jet-setting, gap shrinker while still managing to foster a strong family life. Your family gets full credit for their understanding in having you away from home so much. Add to that your family's continued desire to adopt and I'm suddenly a sucker for the Barnetts! God bless you guys. You're really working to make this world a better place on many different levels.