Category: Microenterprise
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Microfinance: An Economic Development Failure?
Social Edge: Microfinance: An Economic Development Failure? Microfinance doesn’t clear land mines, save rain forests or stop global warming. … Today, many armchair economic development experts, trained economists and sideline pundits have started to wonder why microfinance is not the next Industrial Revolution. Since I usually agree with myself, I quote here from my speech to…
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Wealth of Opportunity: Microfinance in Person
Unitus: Wealth of Opportunity: Microfinance in Person "We are pleased to present the complete 15-minute film, Wealth of Opportunity: Microfinance in Person. The production, completed in the fall of 2009, features African and Indian borrowers whose lives and futures have been transformed through microfinance. The project is a co-production by Unitus and NonFiction Media." Wealth…
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The success of the family firm
BBC: The success of the family firm They may survive ten generations – but they can be destroyed by infighting. If your family business survived the French Revolution, a common or garden recession ought to be a breeze. Or so you'd think. The French group Wendel has been around for more than 300 years; it…
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United Prosperity Microfinance
I recently learned of a new online microfinance operation called United Prosperity. It is similar to Kiva in linking individual lenders with businesses. The difference is that United Prosperity collects an amount that becomes collateral for a larger loan from a bank. It leverages the financing power of the individual lenders. For more on the…
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The Women’s Crusade
New York Times: The Women's Crusade (This lengthy piece was brought to my attention by Dana Ames. It is three weeks old, but I'm linking it belatedly since it is such a powerful article.) IN THE 19TH CENTURY, the paramount moral challenge was slavery. In the 20th century, it was totalitarianism. In this century, it…
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Yes, Microfinance has Positive Effects on the Poor.
Next Billion: Yes, Microfinance has Positive Effects on the Poor. Microfinance in its simplest form involves extending loans to a group of borrowers (usually called self help groups) who agree to help each other by means of group savings and informal support. The typical self help group consists of 10 to 20 people who meet…
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Seattle center develops tech for poor people
Computerworld: Seattle center develops tech for poor people The first question many people asked when Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus proposed the Village Phone idea was: Who will they call? Village Phone is the project that turns primarily poor women in developing countries into entrepreneurs by offering them micro-loans to buy a cell phone…
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Kiva to make microloans inside the U.S.
SFGate.com: Kiva to make microloans inside the U.S. The San Francisco non-profit has arranged microloans for borrowers in Africa and other parts of the developing world since 2005. Now it will also serve borrowers in the U.S. Kiva's lenders loan small amounts of money — the average loan size is $416.09 — to entrepreneurs who…
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Microfinance Heats up in East Africa
Defeating Global Poverty: Microfinance Heats up in East Africa With BRAC's (Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee) recent announcement of their successful raise of $62M for their Africa Loan Fund, a new benchmark/milestone has been reached for the potential growth in microfinance in East Africa. For the underdeveloped East Africa microfinance market, this is a huge amount…
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The Girl Effect
Danny Gamache put me on this campaign to end poverty. Great Stuff! Considerable wisdom is shown here beyond bumper sticker politics and economics. Official Website: The Girl Effect