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Archive for February, 2009

Sam Daley-Harris on Slumdog Millionaire

Feb 28, 2009 — Unlike the movie-goers in the theatre, who pinned their hopes for one chai wallah (tea seller) escaping the horrors of the slums of Mumbai, India, on the long-shot odds of his winning the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, we knew that right now, there is a tool [...]

Microenterprises: No Recovery Without Them

Teresa Lemmons, Executive Director of Washington State Microenterprise Association, writes about the necessary corollary to microfinance microenterprise.

Vittana Benefit Raises $1200

Feb, 27, 2009 — Vittana is taking the concept of microfinance — making small loans to people in developing countries to help them build small businesses — and applying it into the world of education. Vittana is working with local schools and microfinance banks in developing countries to identify ‘high-achieving, deserving” students. (full article)

Refuting a Common Microfinance Critique

Richard Rosenberg, a Senior Adviser at CGAP, provides evidence to disprove a common misconception about microfinance.

Microfinance in Mexico Resilient

Feb 26, 2009 — Until a year ago, microfinance and low-income banking in Mexico were a joint success story, growing at rates that made the rest of the country’s banking sector look sluggish. But since the beginning of last year, as credit began to dry up on fears of global recession, the fortunes of the [...]

TIAA-CREF Microfinance Equity Fund

Feb 25, 2009 — TIAA-CREF, the leading provider of retirement savings products and services in the academic, research, medical and cultural fields, today announced a $40 million investment in Developing World Markets Microfinance Equity Fund I (“Fund”). In 2006, TIAA-CREF created a $100 million Global Microfinance Investment Program (GMIP) to invest in selected Microfinance Institutions [...]

Nine Questions to Ask Every Microfinance Institution

The Grameen Foundation recently published an excellent checklist of questions to ask before investing in microfinance.

GuyCarp Microinsurance Grant

Feb 24, 2009 — Global reinsurance specialist Guy Carpenter Co., LLC has been awarded a grant by the Microinsurance Innovation Facility to develop a reinsurance facility for microinsurance and microfinance company operations (MFIs). (full article)

Microcredit in the US

Feb 24, 2009 — Sokoloff and Powell are among thousands of Americans using microcredit, a financing system originated in the Third World, to help open small businesses or get through rough spots. While the dollar amounts are much bigger in the U. S. than the tiny loans in developing countries — some for less than [...]

Dambisa Moyo

Feb 24, 2009 — Dambisa Moyo is interviewed in the New York Times as a harsh critic of western development strategies. Her advice to those of us who want to contribute in some way to African development? Make a loan through Kiva. (full interview)