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Weekly Roundup (2/14/14): The Kiva Debate
If you were reading NextBillion this week, you probably couldn’t help but notice - and perhaps get drawn into - a debate over Kiva. It started with Hugh Sinclair’s NexThought Monday post, and continued with Kiva’s response. Today, NextBillion’s editors explain why we published this controversial post, and why we believe the ensuing debate was worth having.
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OPINION: Can microfinance be self-regulated?
The Reserve Bank’s recent announcement, recognising industry associations as self regulatory organisations (SRO) is being seen as a positive development for the microfinance industry (MFIs). But have MFI associations acquitted themselves well enough to deserve this regulatory mantle?
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Absolving the ‘Original Sin’ of Microfinance
Micro-lenders have traditionally been vulnerable to unstable local currencies, but new groups are helping them hedge
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Impact Investments Seek to Solve Social or Environmental Challenges while Generating Financial Profit
Elevar Equity, an impact investor, is looking to raise its third fund with a target corpus of $75 million by end-2014.
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- South Asia
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Mobile cash delights tithe-eager pastors in Zimbabwe
PENTECOSTAL churches in Zimbabwe have moved to take advantage of mobile phone penetration rates now said to be about 103.5 percent and the introduction of mobile money platforms to ease their tithe worries.
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- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Kiva Responds: The famed microlender replies to Hugh Sinclair’s scathing critique
On Monday, NextBillion Financial Innovation published a post by Hugh Sinclair, a prominent critic of microcredit, in which he leveled some sharp criticisms of Kiva, its microlending model and business practices. Today, Kiva’s co-founder/CEO and president give their side of the story.
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Why This Social Entrepreneur Is Paying African Women To Go To Free HIV Clinics
Nigerian women get a small payment everytime they’ve received a treatment in a clinic, proved by their geotagged doctors’ notes.
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- Health Care
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- Sub-Saharan Africa
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- microfinance
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Reserve Bank of India Eases Lending Norms for Microfinance Institutions
Move gives more leeway to medium-sized micro lenders to price their loans based on their cost borrowings
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- Uncategorized
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- South Asia
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- governance, microfinance
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