Harnessing Student Potential In Microfinance

June 2009 Blog Posts (8)

One Billion In The Developing World Have Cell Phones But No Bank Account

mocoNews - Report: One Billion People In Emerging Markets Have Cellphones, But No Bank Accounts

The market for mobile financial services in emerging markets is on track to surge from zero to $5 billion by 2012, according to a study conducted by the U.S.-based microfinance policy and research center CGAP and the GSMA, a wireless trade association.

While people in emerging markets have used cellphones for some time to conduct business, it's been fairly disorganized.… Continue

Added by Chris Becker on June 29, 2009 at 2:15am — No Comments

Hurry: Microfinance Insights Offers Free 1-Year e-subscription to members of MFI Connect

Microfinance Insights

Microfinance Insights, a print and online resource on microfinance, is offering a free 1 year e-subscription.

Every other month, the PDF of the latest issue will be delivered to subscribers' e-mail inbox. Microfinance Insights is promoting the e-subscription as an environmentally friendly way to keep updated with the latest information in the sector. Those interested can subscribe online at…

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Added by Chris Becker on June 26, 2009 at 11:41pm — 2 Comments

Global Credit Crunch: A Gloomy Forcast for Microfinance In Africa

A new study by CGAP is predicting a gloomy forecast for microfinance in Africa.

In many of the more integrated parts of the world (Europe, Asia, Latin America) the global economic crisis has had a profound effect on microfinance. However, African Microfinance Institutions (MFI's) have been fairly resilient thus far. However, CGAP expects this to change.

The global economic crisis is expected to hit the African continent in… Continue

Added by Chris Becker on June 23, 2009 at 11:18pm — No Comments

Students Taking Action: The Chiapas Project Raises $3.3 Million for Microfinance in Mexico

Brian sent me this video about the Chiapas Project Junior Committee's Divot Dash Polo Match. The Chipas Project Junior Committee is a group of students and young professionals who are fighting poverty through fundraising in the Dallas Fort Worth area. I have posted the article from DFW Reporting below. Enjoy!

The Chiapas Project Junior… Continue

Added by Chris Becker on June 20, 2009 at 5:00pm — No Comments

Support Grameen America!

Whole Foods Market to Donate 5% ofNew York store sales to Grameen America

On Wednesday, June 24th, Whole Foods Market will donate 5% of sales from all of its New York stores to Grameen America. That day, all purchases will count towards Whole Foods Market's contribution, which will help enable low-income entrepreneurs to start and expand their small businesses. Members of Grameen America staff will be at each of the Whole Foods Market Manhattan stores to answer questions and speak… Continue

Added by Haley Priebe on June 17, 2009 at 1:20pm — No Comments

“Do you see the moon in America?”

The following blog post is part of a series of reflections from the Messiah College MicroEconomic Developemt Group's Zambia Site Team.

There are many luxuries of the western culture that we don’t realize we have until we forced to live without them. Of course there’s the obvious like electricity, running water, and roofs which don’t contain rats. However one luxury I believe we all over looked is the knowledge we have of our world around us. During our time in Simaubi, I… Continue

Added by MicroEconomic Development Group on June 5, 2009 at 5:00am — No Comments

Purex, Kiva, and Angie Harmon team up for mom entrepreneurs

Purex, Kiva and Angie Harmon have teamed up to create the "Purex Changes Lives" program to get loans to mom entrepreneurs. The innovative program is getting moms in American involved in helping moms around the world start their own businesses by supporting Kiva small business loans.

Customers can use the barcode on their Purex 3-in-1 laundry product and then go to the "Purex Changes Lives" website where they select which mom entrepreneur they… Continue

Added by Chris Becker on June 2, 2009 at 12:20am — No Comments

The Verdict Is In on Microfinance

The results from the first large-scale randomized trial of access to microfinance indicate that it comes up short in many areas of human development. 52 of 104 slums in Hyderabad, India were randomly selected to receive new branches of a microfinance outfit called Spandana. Abhijit Banerjee and the other researchers from the Poverty Action Lab describe the results in The Miracle of Microfinance? Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation.

The results show that microcredit does have… Continue

Added by Chris Becker on June 1, 2009 at 2:29am — No Comments