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Moving Beyond Microcredit
Microfinance pioneer Muhammad Yunus was driven by the idea that many of the world’s poor are entrepreneurs who could bootstrap their way out of poverty if only they had access to startup capital. But in practice, loan recipients are often already in the middle class, at least relative to local standards. And Yunus did not anticipate the practice becoming a commercial one, which he now blames for higher interest rates.
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- Uncategorized
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India and Bangladesh Play Unlikely Starring Role at Money 20/20
Financial inclusion featured high on the agenda of the opening sessions at Money 20/20 in Las Vegas. Initiatives from Asia were highlighted as showing best practice in solving identity issues.
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- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Manila Hosts Summit on Asia Pacific Financial Inclusion
The Philippines is hosting the inaugural Asia-Pacific Financial Inclusion Summit from Oct. 27-29 to augment financial inclusion in the Asia Pacific region. It is being held at the Makati Shangri-La in Manila.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Viewpoint: Upcoming IPOs Will Be an Acid Test for Indian MFIs
Between 2007 and now, globally, two microfinance institutions (MFIs) got themselves listed on the stock exchanges. In the next six months, this number will be doubled; it could even be trebled. And, all entities opting for public listing are from India.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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For MFIs, the future is ‘go green,’ or ‘go broke’
Microloans are a vital tool for farmers and rural entrepreneurs to upgrade their businesses or invest in the next growing season. But what happens to microfinance models when the next growing season never materializes?
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- Agriculture
- Region
- Latin America
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(UPDATED) Weekly Roundup 10-2-15: Kiva Zip folds in Kenya – what happened? Updated with a Kiva Zip response
Kiva Zip was launched in 2011 to considerable acclaim, and its dual operations in the U.S. and Kenya appeared to be progressing smoothly. But recently, Kiva Zip announced that it is winding down its Kenyan operations. What happened, and what does it mean for the future of the direct person-to-person lending approach in microfinance? Kiva Zip's senior director responds.
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- Uncategorized
- Tags
- microfinance
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This Microfinance Startup Teaches Students in Bangladesh and Africa How to Code
Microfinance loans are small, do not require an extensive credit history, and are just enough to build something basic, like launching a grocery business or buying a taxi. In recent years, they have come to represent a source of salvation for the economically disadvantaged.
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- Education, Technology
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- microfinance
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Indian Microfinance Institutions Have Just Busted a Myth
By definition, microfinance is the business of giving tiny loans to people who do not have access to formal banking services. The Investopedia website defines microfinance as a type of banking service that is provided to unemployed or low-income individuals or groups who would otherwise have no other means of gaining financial services. “...the goal of microfinance is to give-low income people an opportunity to become self-sufficient by providing a means of saving money, borrowing money and insurance,” it says. In India, microfinance institutions (MFIs) cannot collect deposits, but sell insurance products, besides offering small loans that are typically paid back in weekly or monthly instalments.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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