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Yes, microlending reduces extreme poverty
Currently, 836 million people – or 12% of the world’s population – experience extreme poverty, living off less than US$1.25 a day. Using data from 106 developing countries from between 1998 and 2013 to examine the efficacy of microlending as a poverty-reduction tool, I found that just a 10% increase in the gross microfinance loan portfolio per client could cut this number by 1.26%.
- Categories
- Investing
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Impact investments booming in Africa
Impact investing has become a key focus for many fund managers on the continent. Just under half of funds surveyed in Southern, West and East Africa are awake to the idea that their assets can not only be used to generate good returns for their clients, but also outcomes that are good for society at large.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Impact investors face US$39bn opportunity in education microfinance
“Education offers extraordinary social returns in the sense that a decent schooling remains the best opportunity for most to escape poverty,” said Nathan Byrd who heads the Opportunity EduFinance program.
- Region
- South Asia
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Q&A: Batten professor helps launch World Refugee Fund
Mahoney, also the director of Social Entrepreneurship at the University and author of “Failure and Hope: Fighting for the Rights of the Forcibly Displaced,” co-founded the Alight Fund with her husband as a for-profit investment fund to support refugee and host community entrepreneurs.
- Categories
- Investing
- Tags
- lending, microfinance, refugees
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LeapFrog announces USD 180 million investment in Enterprise Group Ltd
LeapFrog Investments, the profit-with-purpose investor in emerging markets, today announces a total investment of USD 180m in Ghanaian financial services market leader, Enterprise Group Limited (Enterprise Group). The transaction draws from a USD 350m separately managed account, LeapFrog Strategic African Investments (LSAI), which was established in 2016 to access high growth markets in Africa.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- impact investing
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F.B. Heron Foundation President Clara Miller to Step Down
Miller, who has served as director and president of Heron since 2010, will assume the role of president emerita and will continue to write, speak, and undertake research aimed at advancing the foundation's mission.
- Categories
- Investing
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Investment trust’s $150m listing to bring ‘impact investing’ to mass market
Currently impact investing is focussed on private equity and private debt meaning it is only available to the wealthiest of private investors, such as family offices. This is despite demand for socially responsible investment products from the upcoming generation of investors.
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- Investing
- Region
- Europe & Eurasia
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Sri Lanka’s first reality show to promote entrepreneurship and impact investment
“Our vision is to build a thriving social enterprise sector in Sri Lanka by 2025. Ath Pavura is a giant step in our journey. The purpose of Ath Pavura is to find and promote social entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka. It’s the best opportunity for entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka to promote their innovative solutions to social and environmental problems on television and inspire many more aspiring future social entrepreneurs,” said Social Enterprise Lanka Founder Eranda Ginige.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- South Asia