For a group of recent business school graduates from the University of Washington, job hunting in the current economy proved grueling.

So they decided to give up searching and start their own non-profit -- Lumana Credit, which provides micro loans and business training to entrepreneurs in rural Ghana.

COURTESY OF LUMANA

Lumana founder Samantha Rayner (left) and Beaulah Tettey, a local staff leader (center), present Comfort Afornorpe with a certificate for completing entrepreneurship training in Ghana.

Samantha Rayner, 21, started the effort last year with $3,000 and an idea to help Atorkor Village in Ghana with a microloan project. She spent the summer working on a pilot program to train 30 local entrepreneurs and provide each with a small loan.

Lumana Credit has partnerships with the Atorkor Development Foundation in Ghana and Village Volunteers, a Seattle non-profit that connects volunteers with grassroots organizations in Ghana, Kenya, India and Nepal. Lumana gives borrowers access to funds and manages repayment of loans through Anlo Rural Bank in Ghana.

With a team of nine people, Lumana is expanding and introducing the organization to potential supporters, volunteers and others in Seattle. Lumana will hold a fund raising event at 7 p.m. tonight at BoConcept Seattle.