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Press release: IDB Invest provides loan to Mundo Mujer, the largest private microfinance bank in Colombia
The financing allows Banco Mundo Mujer to increase its loan portfolio to support communities with easy and quick access to working capital, strengthening its businesses and productive units.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Latin America
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The Latest in Impact Investing in Latin America: Recent Data Shows Dynamic Growth – And New Challenges
Latin America has been making global headlines of late, though often for negative reasons—from the divisive election in Brazil, to the conflict over Central American migrants. But according to Rebeca Rocha at ANDE Brazil, there’s a more encouraging development that’s been building up under the radar: the growth of impact investing in the region. ANDE recently launched the second edition of its biannual survey of impact investing in Latin America, and Rocha shares some findings that highlight both the sector’s momentum, and its emerging challenges.
- Categories
- Investing
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Telenor Microfinance partners with Alipay for Pakistan blockchain remittances
The service is provided by Telenor’s mobile banking service Easypaisa in Pakistan and another subsidiary Valyou in Malaysia. The aim is to make payments real-time, 24/7 and more efficient.
- Categories
- Finance, Telecommunications
- Region
- South Asia
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Understanding the average effect of microcredit
Microcredit trials show only moderate variation in effects across different settings, suggesting that the average effects of these loans are small.
- Categories
- Finance
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What Was the Top NextBillion Post of 2018? Vote for Your Favorite
As 2018 comes to a close and we look back at the year's top posts, it's clear that the social sector is developing an increasingly willingness to challenge long-held assumptions – even when this leads to uncomfortable discussions and difficult course corrections. As NextBillion launches our seventh annual "Top Post of the Year" contest, we encourage you to vote for the post that influenced you most in 2018. You can vote up to once every six hours until 12:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (U.S.) on Jan. 3, and the winners will be announced on Jan. 4. Thanks for reading, and happy holidays!
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy, Finance, Investing, Social Enterprise, Technology
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PayGo vs. MFIs: What Works Better for Energy Access Consumer Financing – And Does it Have to Be Either/Or?
Many last-mile customers can’t afford clean energy products without financial solutions to help pay for them. Energy enterprises often meet this need in two different ways: by partnering with microfinance institutions (MFIs) to provide loans to customers, or by offering pay-as-you-go (PayGo) financing options. The United Nations Capital Development Fund’s CleanStart program has supported energy providers using both of these models, and Teresa Le, an energy finance consultant at the program, explores their relative merits and challenges.
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Inclusive Innovation: How Two Mobile Technology Startups are Changing the Game in Microfinance
Securing a bank loan is an onerous task for anyone. But for the 2.5 billion unbanked people worldwide, the obstacles can seem insurmountable. And microfinance and village savings groups both have significant limitations, particularly for people without a credit history. June Sugiyama of Vodafone Americas Foundation explains how two winners of the foundation's annual Wireless Innovation Project competition are overcoming these limitations through mobile technology.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Small Loans Help Increase Rice Yield In Bangladesh, Study Shows
Microfinance institutions have a positive impact on farmers, allowing them to adopt high-yield rice varieties and increase their farming output, researchers say.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Finance
- Region
- South Asia
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