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Another Use for Mobile in Microfinance: Getting Honest Feedback On Sensitive Topics
When our team first started doing this work four years ago, I used to get asked all the time, "So are you giving out mobile phones?" We use mobile technology to reach invisible populations like factory workers, farmers and, most recently, microfinance borrowers. In the last four years, mobile penetration has continued to skyrocket. India has three times as many mobile phones as the United States, and 78 percent mobile penetration. So the answer is no, we do not need to give out mobile phones.
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- Uncategorized
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Former Kiva.org CEO Brings New App, a ‘Branchless Bank’ to Kenya
The former chief executive and co-founder of nonprofit lending platform Kiva.org, Matt Flannery, on Wednesday revealed his latest initiative Branch International Inc., which he calls “a mobile-based microfinance institution for the world.”
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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- lending, microfinance
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10 Key Takeaways from the 2014 Global Findex Survey: Highlights from the World Bank’s treasure trove of financial inclusion data
How many adults in the world have a bank account? How do people save, borrow, and manage financial risk? How is mobile money shaking up the financial inclusion world? The World Bank’s newly released Global Findex attempts to answer those questions, drawing from a database of 800 indicators, based on surveys with almost 150,000 people in 143 economies. CGAP presents 10 takeaways from the report.
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- Education
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Press Release: Greta Bull Appointed New CEO of CGAP and World Bank Group Director
The Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), today announced the appointment of Greta Bull as its new CEO. As CGAP’s CEO, Ms. Bull is also a Director at the World Bank Group.
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- Uncategorized
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- microfinance
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Press Release: Microfinance Leaders Offer Model Law Resource for Financial Consumer Protection
The Microfinance CEO Working Group has published Client Protection Principles: Model Law and Commentary for Financial Consumer Protection. This Model Law provides a framework of suggested legislation for financial consumer protection in the microfinance and broader financial inclusion industry.
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Viewpoint: The Evolving Microfinance Revolution Has Yet to Run Its Full Course
Forty years ago, before microfinance was called microcredit, before it even had a name, I made $50 loans to 800 Guatemalan farmers in the form of six bags of 12-24-12 fertilizer, which dramatically increased their yields on the plots of maize and beans they cultivated.
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- Uncategorized
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Viewpoint: India’s MFI Rules Need More Thought, or Else They Can Go Wrong
The microfinance industry has witnessed many changes since the 2010 crisis. Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) eased some lending norms for microfinance institutions (MFIs), which will mean enhanced access to credit for customers. Also, the government has proposed that the Mudra Bank (Micro Units Development Refinance Agency Bank) will regulate MFIs. Alok Prasad, chief executive officer, Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN), a self-regulatory organization for non-banking finance company (NBFC) MFIs, talks about regulatory challenges in the industry and how the future of microfinance may evolve. Edited excerpts:
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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- lending, microfinance
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The Power of Texting: How a Simple Text Message Can Make the Difference Between Success and Failure for Social Initiatives
Mobile phones are increasingly prevalent throughout the world, and researchers have found that sending text message reminders can help people follow through with their intentions, significantly increasing the success of development interventions. Roxanne Bauer explores the impact of text reminders on malaria treatment and savings initiatives, and discusses the science behind the approach.
- Categories
- Health Care, Impact Assessment, Technology, Telecommunications
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