Articles by Sam Mendelson
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Guest Articles
Tuesday
March 16
2021‘The First Wealth is Health’: Exploring the European Microfinance Award 2021’s Focus on Inclusive Finance and Health Care
For the global poor, health is often the dividing line between the path to prosperity or a slide into destitution. Daniel Rozas and Sam Mendelson of e-MFP explain how precarious incomes and the absence of high-quality universal health care can push low-income households into a deeper cycle of poverty. As a response to the issue, the European Microfinance Award is seeking to highlight initiatives that facilitate access to quality and affordable health care with this year's €100,000 award, which focuses on the topic of "Inclusive Finance and Health Care."
- Categories
- Finance, Health Care
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Guest Articles
Wednesday
January 6
2021Financial Inclusion During – and After – COVID-19: Three Takeaways From a (Very Different) European Microfinance Week 2020
The 2020 European Microfinance Week encapsulated much about the financial inclusion sector – the good, the bad and the simply confusing – as it navigated the historic challenges of the past year. Sam Mendelson at e-MFP shares three broad takeaways from the event, representing three key priorities for the inclusive finance industry as it seeks to adapt to the COVID-19 crisis – without overlooking other essential priorities.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
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Guest Articles
Thursday
August 6
2020A Sector in Ruins or ‘Building Back Better’? Findings From e-MFP’s Covid-19 Financial Inclusion Compass
With the COVID-19 pandemic and the global recession it has triggered, the financial inclusion sector is facing perhaps the greatest crisis in its modern history. In response, the European Microfinance Platform repurposed this year's Financial Inclusion Compass survey for this critical moment. Sam Mendelson discusses the results, and what they say about the sector's priorities, challenges and prospects for recovery.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance, Investing
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Guest Articles
Thursday
March 12
2020A Spotlight on Effective and Inclusive Savings
Saving for an unpredictable future is one of the few genuinely universal life tenets. But for much of the past 40 years, the microfinance sector has focused overwhelmingly on credit. As Sam Mendelson and Daniel Rozas at e-MFP explain, that's one reason the 2020 European Microfinance Award is focused on “Encouraging Effective & Inclusive Savings.” They discuss the benefits of savings in introducing the €100,000 award – which is open for applications until April 15.
- Categories
- Finance
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Guest Articles
Thursday
January 23
2020Optimism, Confusion and Soul-Searching: The Financial Inclusion Compass 2019 Reveals a Sector at an Inflection Point
It's not your imagination: Financial inclusion is getting more complex. As Sam Mendelson at e-MFP points out, the sector expands in depth and breadth each year – from new products and players to increased expectations of impact. To cut through the confusion, e-MFP publishes The Financial Inclusion Compass, a report based on a broad survey of stakeholders, who share their views on the sector’s present and future. He discusses some highlights from the 2019 report.
- Categories
- Finance
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Guest Articles
Monday
March 18
2019The Winds of Change: Mobilizing Microfinance for Climate Change Resilience
Though the world is slowly taking action on climate change, much of the debate still focuses on mitigation. In fact, adaptation – becoming resilient to the changes to come – is equally important, say Daniel Rozas and Sam Mendelson at e-MFP. They explore how the financial inclusion industry can help vulnerable communities develop resilience to the disruptions of climate change, and to adapt to permanently changed environments. This year’s European Microfinance Award aims to inspire the sector to make this fundamental shift – interested providers can apply for the €100,000 award until April 9, 2019.
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- Environment, Finance
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Wednesday
November 28
2018On the Ground at European Microfinance Week: Discussing Technology’s Threat and Promise – and Financial Services for Refugees
There were two topics that dominated debate at last week’s European Microfinance Week (EMW) conference: the threats and opportunities brought about by the fintech revolution in inclusive finance, and the issue of financial inclusion for refugees and internally displaced persons. The discussion of these issues ranged from hopeful to surprisingly cautionary – Sam Mendelson at the European Microfinance Platform shares some highlights.
- Categories
- Finance
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Wednesday
May 2
2018Caveat Venditor: A New Model for Buyer Selection in Responsible Microfinance Equity Exits
Socially responsible investing is well understood, but what it means to be responsible as you "exit" or sell off equity is less clear. Daniel Rozas and Sam Mendelson studied a particularly difficult part of the exit process for microfinance investments - how to choose a buyer that is suitable for an MFI, its staff and its clients. They discuss their findings in a paper that they hope will help microfinance investors navigate the complicated terrain of "responsible exits."
- Categories
- Investing
