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Microfinance’s Risky Lending Is a Safe Bet
The following post by Kadita “A.T.” Tshibaka, on our Board of Directors, was originally published on The Huffington Post. As I look at the microfinance industry globally, I’m encouraged by the trends and the progress we’ve achieved so far. Whether you search in Wikipedia, CGAP or MIX Market, whatever the source of the data and Read more…
Tagged Africa, Board of Directors, CGAP, Clients, code of conduct, Community, Education, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Poverty, Huffington Post, Kadita "A.T." Tshibaka, Loan Officer, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Microfinance industry, mitigate risk, MIX Market, Opportunity International, Poverty, Savings, Smart Campaign, Training, Transformational Training, Uganda, what we're reading
What We’re Reading: Top 10 Blogs About Microfinance & Poverty Eradication
Blogs are a great way to hear a variety of voices and experience an issue from diverse perspectives and if you’re interested in microfinance and global development there are a variety of sites full of information, opinions, and more. These blogs, like our Opportunity Blog, are fun ways to learn more about the voices and Read more…
Tagged Accion, Asia, banking with the poor network, Blog, Blogging, Blogs, Center for Financial Inclusion, CGAP, Community, Consultative Group to Assist the Poor, Defeat Poverty, Financial services, global development, Global Poverty, Grameen Foundation, India, India Microfinance, MFI, Microfinance, MicroFinance Transparency, Mykro, Nicholas D. Kristof, Opportunity Blog, Opportunity International, Poverty, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal
LiveBlog: Chicago Microfinance Conference-The Challenges & Impact of Practicing Microfinance in Areas of Conflict
At this lunch and learn session today at the Chicago Microfinance Conference, Peter Greer, the President & CEO of HOPE International and co-author of the book The Poor Will Be Glad, discusses the need for financial services in areas of conflict and discusses the risks and the great rewards of expanding microfinance into countries like Read more…
Worldwide Voices in Support of Microfinance and Dr. Muhammad Yunus
Earlier this week, Opportunity International and a dozen other leading microfinance organizations issued an open letter (below) supporting Nobel Laureate and Medal of Freedom winner Dr. Muhammad Yunus. Since then, we have seen an increasing number of statements in support of Dr. Yunus from high-ranking U.S. officials including Senator John Kerry, organizations like ONE and Read more…
What We’re Reading: “Haiti: Could Mobile Banking Be a Legacy of the Earthquake?”
Every Wednesday, we highlight an article, book or a blog in our “What We’re Reading” series. We feature works that are noteworthy, inspiring, educational or relevant to the work we do at Opportunity International. We welcome your comments in the comment field below–-tell us what you’re reading, or respond to the piece we’ve highlighted. The Read more…
Tagged ATMs, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Cell phone banking, CGAP, cgap technology blog, Earthquake, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Fonkoze, Gates Foundation, Haiti, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, mobile phone banking, natural disasters, NGO, Opportunity International, point-of-sale devices, Port-au-Prince, POS devices, Poverty, Technology, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, what we're reading, World Bank
Andhra Pradesh: Will the Crisis Spread Throughout India?
In mid-October, the government of the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh passed an ordinance severely restricting the operations of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the region. The controversial action was taken after local officials complained of wide-spread abuses in the rapidly growing for-profit microfinance sector; the MFIs have challenged the ordinance in the state’s high Read more…
Tagged Agricultural finance, Andhra Pradesh, Bank Building, Bank for the poor, CGAP, Clients, Education, Ending Poverty, Financial services, India, Insurance, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Microinsurance, Opportunity India, Opportunity International, Poverty, Rural Outreach, Savings, SEEP Network, Smart Campaign, Technology, Training
Event: Connecting and Inspiring Microfinance Professionals at the 25th Anniversary of the SEEP Conference
All this week, the 2010 SEEP Conference will be taking place in Arlington, Va. The annual conference is a forum for microenterprise development practitioners from around the globe to connect on the challenges and opportunities they face. Opportunity International is an associate partner at the conference, which is supported and attended by microenterprise practitioners, policy Read more…
Tagged 2010 SEEP Conference, CGAP, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Portfolios of the Poor, Portfolios of the Poor: How the World's Poor Live on $2 a Day, Poverty, SEEP Conference, SEEP Network, Social Media, strategic partners, Technology, Training, Twitter, Two Dollar a Day Challenge, USAID
CGAP Report: Mobile Phone Banking Effectively Reaches the Unbanked
CGAP Technology Blog posted a report yesterday on the effectiveness of “branchless banking” (mobile phone banking) in seven countries, with eight high profile m-banking providers, including M-PESA in Kenya and Tanzania. Among the highlights: 37% of active clients now in the formal financial system through mobile phone banking were previously unbanked… Mobile phone banking is scaling faster than Read more…
Tagged 2010 fall microfinance conference, CGAP, cgap technology blog, Credit Suisse, Daryl Skoog, Electronic wallet strategy, Ending Poverty, fall microfinance conference, Financial services, Kenya, Loans, M-banking, M-PESA, Malawi, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, mobile phone banking, Mobile Phones, Opportunity International, Tanzania, Technology
The Potential of Cell Phone Banking
Wondering if cell phone banking can reach the unreachable? CGAP Technology Blog has published the results of a discussion with Daryl Collins (co-author of Portfolios of the Poor) and Olga Morawczynski (of Grameen Foundation) from June’s Mobile Money Summit, an examination that highlights some of the keys to effective cell phone banking. Blog author Mark Read more…
Tagged biometric technology, biometrics, Cell phone banking, Cell Phones, CGAP, cgap technology blog, Grameen, Grameen Foundation, Insurance, Kenya, Loans, M-banking, M-PESA, Malawi, Mobile Banking, Mobile Phones, Opportunity International, Opportunity Kenya, Opportunity Malawi, Portfolios of the Poor, Portfolios of the Poor: How the World's Poor Live on $2 a Day, Professional training, Savings, Technology, Training
