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Under-Leveraged Best Practices for Scaling Productive Use of Energy Appliances: Part 2 — Financing Options
Productive Use of Energy (PUE) appliances are the subject of growing attention in the development sector, but manufacturers and distributors are facing a number of challenges and misconceptions that are limiting uptake of these devices. In the second article of a two-part series exploring best practices for selling PUE appliances, Thomas Charoy and Lucie Klarsfeld McGrath at Hystra discuss the affordability challenge, sharing solutions for handling the high level of working capital and financial skills required to offer financing options to end-users.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy, Finance, Technology
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The Future of Digital Credit: A Recent Report Explores How to Make its Second Decade More Impactful Than its First
The first online lending platforms began emerging roughly two decades ago, and since then, the global digital credit market has grown to reach many formerly excluded customers. But according to Dan Cassara, previously at CEGA, this growth has raised concerns about over-indebtedness, exploitation and scams. As the market looks toward the coming decades, he shares a recent report that investigates digital credit — particularly Mobile Instant Credit and airtime loans — and explores approaches that can better protect consumers and support their financial health.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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How Can the Financial Inclusion Sector Serve the World’s Growing Number of Refugees and Forcibly Displaced People?
There were over 108 million people worldwide estimated to be forcibly displaced as of 2022. Sam Mendelson, Fernando Naranjo Galindo and Daniel Rozas at e-MFP argue that the financial inclusion sector can and should play an important role in addressing the challenges of forced displacement. They explore how financial service providers and other stakeholders can better serve these communities, and announce the launch of the European Microfinance Award 2024, which will focus on “Advancing Financial Inclusion for Refugees & Forcibly Displaced People.”
- Categories
- Finance
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Press Release: MicroVest Launches New Framework for Portfolio Impact Management
MicroVest is a registered investment adviser specializing in the allocation of private debt to financial institutions that finance underserved micro-, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in emerging markets.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Global
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As Nobel Laureate Yunus Skirts Jail in Bangladesh, Fears for His Future
The pioneer of microfinance now faces scores of legal charges, but his supporters say they're part of a campaign of political intimidation and harassment.
- Categories
- Finance, Social Enterprise
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Analysis: Swedfund Invests $5 Million in Bridge Bank Microfinance to Enhance Financial Inclusion in Côte D’Ivoire
BBM has expressed its intention to narrow the market gap by tailoring its offerings specifically to women entrepreneurs and MSMEs led by women.
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Nigerian Fintech Mamamoni, Dedicated to Women Empowerment, Receives €250,000 to Expand Agent Network
The investment is particularly aimed towards expanding its network of female agents, a task in which the VFD Microfinance Bank will provide assistance.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Does Microfinance Spark Economic Growth? A Case Study From Bosnia and Herzegovina
A new study from Effat University challenges long-standing beliefs about the positive impact of microfinance on economic growth.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Europe & Eurasia