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Microfinance sector looks to shake off demonetisation blues by March
Loan repayment took a severe hit in the cash-based sector after the government announced note-ban in November 2016. The situation deteriorated further when small borrowers in five states including Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra stopped repaying loans after the respective governments announced farm loan waiver.
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- lending, microfinance
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Press release: Largest Non-Governmental Climate Insurance Program Launches for African & Asian Smallholder Farmers
Over 690,000 families totalling up to four million people living in six low-income countries stand to benefit from a new climate insurance programme launched today by VisionFund International, World Vision’s microfinance arm and Global Parametrics, a new venture funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) and by the InsuResilience Investment Fund, set up by German development bank KfW and managed by Swiss-based impact investment manager BlueOrchard Finance. Financing for the initial preparation and assessment required to implement the programme came from the Rockefeller Foundation and FMO, the Dutch development bank.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Environment, Investing
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Press release: New report provides insight into replicable practices for a critical phase of impact investments
“Impact investing has huge potential to generate positive long-term outcomes for society and the environment,” said GIIN Research Director Abhilash Mudaliar. “But investors need to have the confidence that they will be able to exit responsibly. There are many more exit approaches to meet financial objectives and ensure sustained impact post-exit than investors may be aware of. This report should provide impact investors with proven strategies that they can use to exit their investments in ways that won’t jeopardize the impact they seek to create.”
- Categories
- Investing
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From Haiti to China: 5 Pilots Begin to Reveal Digital Credit’s Uneven Impact
Demand for digital credit is growing in emerging markets, sparking opportunities for providers – and critical questions about its impact on low-income borrowers. CEGA's Digital Credit Observatory awarded five short-term pilot grants to studies in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, India and China, which provided some intriguing answers. Alexandra Wall, Natasha Beale and Carson Christiano of CEGA explore some of the studies' takeaways.
- Categories
- Finance, Impact Assessment
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The path to empowering and profiting off India’s next wave of online users
The Omidyar Network’s latest report offers entrepreneurs valuable tips on how to access India’s next gigantic wave of online users.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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Press release: The Church Pension Fund Invests in $75 Million Off-Grid Solar and Financial Access Senior Debt Fund
The Church Pension Fund invested $17 million in the Social Investment Managers & Advisors Off-Grid Solar and Financial Access Senior Debt Fund I, B.V. The $75 million fund will provide loans to microfinance institutions, distribution companies, and manufacturers in the off-grid solar sector located in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
- Categories
- Investing
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Microloans: Boon or bane for Cambodia’s rural poor?
Microfinance evokes both wariness and optimism here in the Cambodian countryside, where low incomes and savings mean farmers often borrow small sums at high interest rates to fertilize their plots.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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What was the Most Influential NextBillion Post of 2017? Vote for Your Favorite
“Fast away the old year passes.” That lyric from “Deck the Halls” always hits home this time of year – and in 2017, it resonates particularly strongly. Across the social sectors, the year often felt like a race against time (or against competing societal forces) and many of our most popular posts reflect that sense of urgency. Here are the most influential posts from the last twelve months, one from each month, in our sixth annual holiday contest. Vote early, vote often.
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