Written by Paul Rippey, published in March 2009 as Focus Note Number 53 by the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), 20 pages, full text available at: http://www.cgap.org/gm/document-1.9.34043/FN_53%20ENG_4-08-09a.pdf Continue Reading »

As world leaders met in London to discuss the global financial crisis, one of the items on the agenda was how the major economies and international institutions could mitigate the impact of the crisis on the world’s poorest counties. Several measures were proposed to reaffirm the G-20′s commitment to the most vulnerable. Yet, a recent Christian Science Monitor article argues that global financial players should instead be listening to what the poor have to say about financial institutions and take some lessons from the microfinance sector. Continue Reading »

MICROFINANCE 2.0: INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO THRIVE IN THE DOWNTURN

JUNE 15-17, 2009, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA Continue Reading »

BURO Bangladesh, a microfinance institution in Bangladesh, announced that it will raise Tk 100 crore (USD 14.52 million) through syndicated loans. The financing, arranged by Citibank NA, will be used to expand BURO’s microcredit program, with 30 percent going towards their agricultural loan portfolio. According to The Daily Star, the expansion follows on a push by the central bank of Bangladesh to encourage agricultural credit programs. Continue Reading »