Développement international Desjardins (DiD), a unit of Canada’s cooperative Desjardins Group that promotes financial services in developing countries, launched a pilot program
Category: Trends/Challenges
MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Flexible Microloan Repayment Schedules in Bangladesh; Merchant Acceptance of Digital Payments in Developing Countries; Global Standard-setting Bodies and Financial Inclusion
“Cost-Benefit Analysis of Traditional Versus Flexible Microfinance in Bangladesh;” by S. Bairagi, W. Bin Shadat; published by the Copenhagen Consensus Center; May 2016; 32 pages; available at: http://www.copenhagenconsensus.com/sites/default/files/bin_shadat_microfinance.pdf
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: DiD Supports Microfinance Institution Kafo Jiginew in Offering “Input Savings” Voucher Plan to Help Farmers in Mali Buy Improved Pesticides
Developpement international Desjardins (DiD), a nonprofit unit of Canada’s cooperative Desjardins Group that promotes financial services in developing countries, recently partnered with Kafo Jiginew, a microfinance institution in Mali, to help it introduce a savings plan intended to address the fact that small-scale farmers often run out of funds between harvest and planting time.
SPECIAL REPORT: 7th European Microfinance Award: $112k for Education Funding
Christoph Pausch serves as Executive Secretary of the European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP). The European Microfinance Award is jointly organised by the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs – Directorate for Development Cooperation, e-MFP and the Inclusive Finance Network Luxembourg, with the support of the European Investment Bank. For more details, please visit http://www.european-microfinance-award.com.
MicroCapital: Why is education access the topic of this year’s Award?
Christoph Pausch: Education is the strongest predictor of economic
well-being, and it can also have a major impact on health, women’s empowerment and even population growth. Unfortunately,
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: India’s SKS Microfinance Changes Name to Bharat Financial Inclusion, in Apparent Continuing Reaction to 2010 Microfinance Crisis in Andhra Pradesh
SKS Microfinance, a for-profit microfinance institution (MFI) headquartered in Hyderabad, India, recently announced it will change its name to Bharat Financial Inclusion [1].
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Grameen Foundation, Ideas42 Seek to Influence Mobile Money Behavior in the Philippines
Two US-based nonprofits, the microfinance-oriented Grameen Foundation and the behavioral design firm ideas42 recently launched a partnership to support financial inclusion in the Philippines by implementing a combination of behavioral science principles and digital financial services provided through mobile phones.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Kenyas’ Sidian Bank, Zohari Leasing to Finance Uber Driver’s Vehicles
Uber, a US-based car hailing service, and Sidian Bank, a Kenya-based commercial bank, recently announced they will support Uber drivers in the purchase or lease of new vehicles.
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: Guidance on the Application of the Core Principles for Effective Banking Supervision to Institutions Relevant to Financial Inclusion, published by the Basel Committee
“Guidance on the Application of the Core Principles for Effective Banking Supervision to the Regulation and Supervision of Institutions Relevant to Financial Inclusion”, published by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, December 2015, 55 pages, available at http://www.bis.org/bcbs/publ/d351.pdf
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: India’s Janalakshmi Sells $7.5m in Securitized Microloans to Government-backed MUDRA, Arranged by IFMR Capital
IFMR Capital, an affiliate of the Chennai-based nonprofit Institute of Financial Management and Research (IFMR), recently structured the first capital market transaction for the Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency (MUDRA) Bank, an Indian public-sector financial institution that provides subsidized loans and other services to microfinance institutions (MFIs) and non-banking financial institutions (NBFCs).
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: World Bank, Rabobank Foundation Seek to Replicate Consolidation of Agricultural Cooperatives in Albania
The World Bank, member of US-based multilateral World Bank Group, and the Rabobank Foundation, the “social fund” of the Dutch bank Rabobank, recently teamed up to consolidate agricultural cooperative financial institutions (CFIs), organizations set up by farmers to gain access to financing.
MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Improving Financial Capability in India, Mexico; Mobile Money Usage; Post-Disaster, Post-Conflict Microfinance
“A Change in Behavior: Innovations in Financial Capability;” by J. Arnold, E. Rhyne; published by the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion, JPMorgan Chase & Co; April 2016; 47 pages; available at: https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/a-change-in-behavior-final.pdf
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Indian Microfinance Institution Ujjivan Goes Public, Raising $95m in Association With IPO
Ujjivan Financial Services, an Indian provider of microloans and life insurance, recently conducted its initial public offering (IPO), generating INR 3.6 billion (USD 54 million) from the sale of newly issued shares.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Loans $12m to Enda Tamweel of Tunisia
Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the overseas development agency of the French government, recently provided TNR 22.8 million (USD 12 million) in debt funding to Enda Tamweel, the agricultural and livestock microfinance division of Tunisia-based microfinance organization Enda Inter-Arabe.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Indian Microfinance Lender Equitas Holdings Goes Public, Raising $330m
Equitas Holdings Limited, an Indian microfinance lender, recently opened its primary market sale.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Accion Venture Lab Invests in Alternative Credit Scoring Firm Aire
Accion, a US-based nonprofit providing microfinance services in 32 countries, recently announced that it will invest an undisclosed amount of money in Aire, a UK-based startup focused on credit score data analytics.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Cignifi, Equifax to Generate Credit Scores Based on Mobile Phone Usage in Latin America
Cignifi, a US-based provider of information technology, and Equifax, a US-based consumer credit reporting agency, recently announced a “multi-year partnership” to offer credit scores in Latin America.
MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Mobile Money in Africa; Doing Business in Kyrgyzstan; Digitalization of Kenya’s Premier Credit
“Mobile Money Momentum in Four African Countries;” published by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor); December 2015; 101 pages; available at: http://www.cgap.org/news/new-data-cgap-sets-benchmark-use-mobile-financial-services
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Afluenta Raises $8m in Series B Equity Funding from International Finance Corporation, Elevar for Peer-to-Peer Lending in Latin America
Afluenta, an Argentina-based peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform, recently announced it closed a series B funding round totaling USD 8 million from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the US-based World Bank Group that aims to increase economic growth in developing countries, and Elevar Equity, a “development-focused” private equity fund based in India.