Habitat for Humanity, a US-based nonprofit organization, and Citi Foundation, the charitable arm of US-based financial services provider Citigroup, recently unveiled “The Housing Microfinance: Product Development Toolkit” in an effort to increase lending to improve housing for poor people worldwide. Continue Reading »

Bank Mandiri, a government-owned provider of financial services to private and state-owned businesses as well as individuals and microentrepreneurs, recently opened its first office in Sidoarjo, East Java, as part of its partnership with Pos Indonesia, the national postal service. Continue Reading »

Ujjivan Financial Services, a Bangalore-based microfinance institution (MFI), recently put its lending operations on hold in the districts Vaishali and Muzaffarpur in the Indian state of Bihar after an October attack on its customer relations officer, Achchhe Lal Prasad. Continue Reading »

Absolute Portfolio Management GmbH (APM), Austrian-based investment and asset management company that offers microfinance institutions (MFIs) financing and investment strategy advisory services, recently disbursed a loan of USD 1 million to KazMicroFinance (KMF), a microfinance institution (MFI) in Kazakhstan, via the Dual Return Fund, a sub-fund of Vision Microfinance created by APM that issues direct loans to MFIs in developing countries. Continue Reading »

CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor), a US-based nonprofit policy and research center dedicated to advancing financial access for poor people worldwide, is calling for interested individuals to respond to a short survey designed to clarify the demand for and the supply of capacity building services needed to advance financial inclusion.  Continue Reading »

Share Microfin Limited and Asmitha Microfin Limited, two microfinance institutions (MFIs) based in Hyderabad, India, reportedly have rekindled efforts to execute a merger. Continue Reading »

Absolute Portfolio Management GmbH (APM), an Austrian investment company that specializes in microfinance and asset management, recently disbursed USD 3.2 million in loans to microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Russia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina through a microfinance investment vehicle that it manages, the Dual Return-Vision Microfinance Fund. Continue Reading »

The European Microfinance Network (EMN), a France-based NGO whose mission is to promote microfinance, microentrepreneurship and self employment to fight social and economic exclusion, recently announced plans to hold a debate on the topic “Microfinance as a tool of active ageing” on December 14, 2012, in Brussels. Continue Reading »

Equitas Holdings, a microfinance institution (MFI) based in Chennai, India, raised INR 500 million (USD 9.26 million) from MicroVentures India and India Financial Inclusion Fund, two funds dedicated to supporting the Indian microfinance industry. Continue Reading »

Grameen Koota, a India-based microfinance division of Grameen Financial Services Private Limited (GFSPL), plans to expand into housing microfinance in areas of rural India that have limited microfinance institution (MFI) penetration. Continue Reading »

FinMark Trust, a South African  nonprofit, recently released the FinScope Rwanda report titled “Financial Inclusion in Rwanda 2008-2012″, which indicates a growing demand for loans in rural Rwanda. Continue Reading »

The Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), a member of the Inter-American Development Bank Group, recently announced that it will make a USD 4 million equity investment in Vox Capital Impact Investing Fund, a Brazilian venture capital fund targeting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups that serve the low-income population, also referred to as the base of the pyramid (BoP). Continue Reading »

By Sarah Rotman, David Ferrand, Stephen Rasmussen; published by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor); October 2012; 4 pages; available at:http://www.cgap.org/sites/default/files/CGAP-Brief-The-Jipange-KuSave-Experiment-in-Kenya-Oct-2012.pdf Continue Reading »

Western Union, a US-based financial services and communications company; ICICI Bank, a commercial bank in India;and Mastercard, a global payments and technology company  recently launched the Western Union- ICICI Bank Prepaid Card in India. Continue Reading »

The Mongolian Bankers Association (MBA), a nonprofit association of  financial institutions in Mongolia; the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private investment arm of the World Bank Group; and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), a development finance institution headquartered in London, recently  hosted a roundtable event to deliberate on lending  reforms with respect to broadening  access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and other borrowers in Mongolia. Continue Reading »

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private investment arm of the World Bank Group, recently agreed to loan RON 36.6 million (USD 10.3 million) to Patria Credit, a non-banking microfinance institution in Romania, with the goal of enhancing access to finance for micro- and small-scale entrepreneurs in Romania. Continue Reading »

CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor), a US-based nonprofit, recently announced that Yavuz Sariyildiz of Turkey has won 2012 Photography Contest, which comes with a USD 2,000 gift certificate for photography equipment and accessories. Continue Reading »

“The State of Microfinance Investment 2012: MicroRate’s 7th Annual Survey and Analysis of MIVs;” published by MicroRate; October 2012; 17 pages; available at: http://www.microrate.com/downloads/78 Continue Reading »