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 ...
AsidesTeresa Lemmons, Executive Director of Washington State Microenterprise Association, writes about the necessary corollary to microfinance microenterprise.
Events, News and CommentaryFeb, 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)
AsidesRichard Rosenberg, a Senior Adviser at CGAP, provides evidence to disprove a common misconception about microfinance.
News and CommentaryFeb 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 ...
AsidesFeb 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 ...
AsidesThe Grameen Foundation recently published an excellent checklist of questions to ask before investing in microfinance.
News and CommentaryFeb 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)
AsidesFeb 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 ...
AsidesFeb 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)
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