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 contributors in the microfinance industry. Below are 10 interesting blogs that present unique perspectives on the topic of microfinance. Do you agree with our picks? Let us know in the comment field below!

1. The Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) Microfinance Blog discusses the benefits and challenges of various tools used in microfinance and provides a forum to learn more about new microfinance initiatives. There are a variety of contributing writers who share their expertise on the nuances of microfinance, and CGAP also presents fact-based blog entries in addition to opinions on how to improve the industry.
2. The Nicholas D. Kristof blog is a favorite of many readers of The New York Times. This blog is not directly related to microfinance but discusses many of the world problems that microfinance addresses.  It tackles many development issues around the world and discusses issues ranging from hunger to education to women’s rights.
3. A Grameen Foundation blog (Creating a World Without Poverty) discusses Grameen’s work in microfinance and showcases thoughts and feelings from the organization’s volunteers in the field. It provides a variety of voices experiencing microfinance in action around the world.
4. The Wall Street Journal’s India Real Time blog provides a “daily pulse for the world’s largest democracy.” This blog is not solely about microfinance or poverty eradication but it does provides many articles related to daily life and the economic growth of India. It offers regular comments and critiques on the Indian microfinance industry.
5. The Center for Financial Inclusion blog from ACCION International covers and comments on the many new ventures currently in progress in the field of microfinance. It also discusses methods for how to enable more people to access microfinance services in the future.
6. Defeat Poverty provides reviews on current books in the field of development and microfinance, in addition to covering many other issues related to poverty eradication.
7. The India Microfinance blog discusses the issues and triumphs of the microfinance industry in India. It discusses many specifics on the financial tools used. India’s microfinance industry is critiqued by many and this blog provides voices which speak on either side of the issue.
8. The Banking with the Poor Network blog discusses microfinance in Asia and around the world, with a focus on a wide variety of organizations.
9. The MF Transparency blog deals with some of the challenges faced by for-profit and nonprofit microfinance organizations, and offers information and resources that encourage transparent pricing.
10. The myKRO blog serves as an online community where microfinance organizations can raise awareness about their work, offering and receiving commentary about their actions with other players in the field.

This post was written by Tara Kumar, an intern in the Outreach & New Initiatives department at Opportunity International and an undergraduate student at the University of Chicago studying Economics and Political Science.