NextBillion - A WDI Publication

Microfinance Staff Seek Greener Pastures

Mumbai: SKS Microfinance Ltd, India’s largest and only listed microfinance institution (MFI), has seen an exodus of at least 3,000 of its employees in the three months ended 31 March, even as the lender of tiny loans to the poor grapples with large-scale defaults from borrowers in Andhra Pradesh and a rapidly eroding market value. The 12% decline in its employee strength for the March quarter is the sharpest fall the company has seen. SKS is not the only micro-credit lender th...

Source

Livemint.com (link opens in a new window)

Region

South Asia

Iko-toilet’ Wins Global Recognition

Until recently, public toilets in Nairobi and Kenya’s urban centres were an eyesore, dreaded answers to calls of nature. The dilapidated facilities were a no-go zone for many who preferred walking into hotels or offices for relief. Some private ventures came in to ameliorate the situation by providing clean, convenient facil...

Source

The Standard (link opens in a new window)

Region

Sub-Saharan Africa

Lender 2.0: Kiva’s Premal Shah

Patt Morrison Asks I could just see the eyebrows rising around the room. I was moderating a panel on philanthropy not long ago, and on my left, Premal Shah, the president of Kiva.org , was talking animatedly about how much fun Kiva donors had, competing with each other, in teams, to see who could do the most good. Fun? This is not your father’s philanthropy. Shah"s online matchmaking philanthro-banking site lets people in the donor door for as ...

Source

Los Angeles Times (link opens in a new window)

Grameen Bank to Come Under Bangladesh Bank Supervision

The government plans to bring Grameen Bank (GB) under the direct supervision of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) to be guided by Bank Company Act, 1991. The move, according to official sources, is aimed to establish...

Source

The Financial Express (Bangladesh) (link opens in a new window)

Region

South Asia

Making Healthcare Affordable, Accessible, and Ubiquitous

A small but growing band of companies wants to make healthcare affordable, accessible, and ubiquitous. Like the larger groups, their services are of a high quality, but costs are kept under a tight leash. With early models starting to scale, social investors are not the only ones being drawn to such companies. For the rich, famous and pregnant living in Hyderabad’s upmarket Jubilee Hills, there is The Cradle, a high-end , luxury ’birthing centre’ recently launched...

Source

Economic Times (link opens in a new window)

Region

South Asia

Social Entrepreneurship: The MicroConsignment Model

As an innovative way to alleviate poverty, a number of social entrepreneurial approaches have focused on enabling poor people to help themselves through the power of entrepreneurship. Micro-credit has provided billions of dollars in start-up and growth capital to encourage micro-entrepreneurs around the world to launch their own enterprises to lift themselves out of poverty. ...

Source

Forbes (link opens in a new window)

IDB Providing $3.3b to Help Indonesia Hit Growth Target

The Islamic Development Bank on Wednesday agreed to provide as much as $3.3 billion of financing through 2014 to speed Indonesia’s economic growth. "We are focusing on poverty, health and infrastructure. In line with IDB’s strategic priorities, we are committing to provide soft loans for its member, including Indonesia," bank president Ahmad Mohammed Ali said. The Saudi Arabia-based bank’s Member Countries Partnership Strategy program helps its 56...

Source

The Jakarta Globe (link opens in a new window)

Region

Asia Pacific

(Indian) Venture Funds Race to Raise Fresh Capital

BANGALORE -- Aavishkaar India, an early-stage venture capital firm, will complete raising a $120 million in June for its fourth and largest fund. The size and speed of Aavishkaar’s fund-raising effort -- six months to close a fund -- reflect the hurry venture capitalists are into make new investments, taking a cue from their more active private equity investors. There are at least half a dozen other venture-capital firms that are either raising funds or increasing the size of their ...

Source

The Wall Street Journal (link opens in a new window)

Region

South Asia