by Ananya Tiwari -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: New Ventures Mexico to Host 5th Annual “Latin American Impact Investment Forum (FLII),” February 24-26, 2015, Merida, Mexico

Event Name: Fifth Annual Latin American Impact Investment Forum (Foro Latinamericano de Inversion de Impacto)

Event Dates: February 24-26, 2015

Event Location: Hyatt Regency Merida, Merida, Mexico

by Aliz Crowley -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: 4th Global Islamic Microfinance Forum Hosted by AlHuda Center of Islamic Banking and Economics, Concludes with Release of “Road Map of Industrial Promotion”

The 4th Global Islamic Microfinance Forum was hosted by the AlHuda Center of Islamic Banking and Economics (AlHuda) in November in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, bringing together delegates from 25 countries including this author.

by the MicroCapital Team -

SPECIAL REPORT: Kompanion of Kyrgyzstan Wins $125k European Microfinance Award on Microfinance and the Environment for Pasture Land Management Training

Kompanion Wins EMAThe Kompanion Financial Group, a microfinance institution (MFI) in Kyrgyzstan, was selected today from three finalists to receive the Fifth European Microfinance Award, which includes a cash prize of EUR 100,000 (USD 125,000). Pictured at the right are Her Royal Highness The Grand Duchess of Luxembourg and Olesya Paukova the development director of Kompanion upon her receipt of the award on behalf of the MFI.

by the MicroCapital Team -

SPECIAL REPORT: At European Microfinance Week, University Meets Microfinance Action Group Presenting Awards for Papers on Impact Assessment, Downscaling via Banking Agents

Today, the University Meets Microfinance Action Group of the European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP) is presenting awards of EUR 500 (USD 620) each to students Hayyan Alia for “A Modified Household Economic Portfolio Model for Assessing Impact of Microfinance Using Diaries” and Eike Haas for his paper titled “Do Agent-assisted Banking Beyond Branches Channels Decrease Costs in Downscaling? A Qualitative and Quantitative Review.” The group also met earlier in the day as part of the series of Action Group meetings held during the first day of European Microfinance Week, which is hosted by e-MFP, a 130-member NGO located in Luxembourg.

by Simon Pfanner -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) Mutually Reinforcing Institutions, Microcredit Summit Campaign, Freedom from Hunger Partner to Launch “Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies” in Effort to Reach 600k Filipino Women

The Center for Agriculture and Rural Development Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI), a group of organizations in the Philippines that includes CARD Bank; the Microcredit Summit Campaign, a US-based advocacy organization; and Freedom from Hunger, a US-based non-governmental organization (NGO) that offers financial and health protection services in 23 countries, launched the program “Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies,” which is expected to provide maternal health services to 600,000 Filipino women.

by Simon Pfanner -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Technology Recognized as Tool to Improve Property Rights, Payment Platforms, Reduce Transaction Costs at International Monetary Fund (IMF) Seminar: “Future of Finance – Technology and Financial Inclusion”

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), a US-based arm of the United Nations, and the US-based World Bank Group, recently held a seminar on technology and financial inclusion as part of its seminar series entitled “The Future of Finance,” panelists discussed the role of technology as a tool to amend market failures in the provision of financial services for low-income people such as via the documentation of property rights and reductions in transaction costs.

by Ananya Tiwari -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: “Inclusive Microfinance Conference” 2014, to Address Serving People with Disabilities in Kampala, Uganda, November 11-12, 2014

Event Name: Inclusive Microfinance Conference 2014

Event Dates: November 11-12, 2014

Event Location: Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala, Uganda

by Simon Pfanner -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Call for Applicants for $227k Ashden International Sustainable Energy Awards Open until November 4, 2014

Ashden, a UK-based nonprofit established in 2001 that promotes the use of sustainable energy, has issued a call for applicants for the 2015 Ashden International Awards, which will recognize development programs with a focus on reducing carbon emissions and increasing access to sustainable energy.

by the MicroCapital Team -

SPECIAL REPORT: Over-indebtedness, Microfinance and Environment Award, Conflict Zones at e-MFP’s European Microfinance Week

MicroCapital: Please describe one of the key issues to be covered this year at European Microfinance Week.

Christoph Pausch: The question of over-indebtedness is still the major risk for the sector, as identified in the most recent Banana Skins survey. We had a very successful plenary last year exploring the issue from a research perspective. This year, we’re taking a very different approach by bringing CEOs of leading microfinance institutions (MFIs) from three countries – Bangladesh, Morocco, and Mexico – to discuss how they’ve been dealing with the issue. Each of these countries has had a different experience, with Bangladesh having successfully averted a potential crisis by slowing market growth (as described in an excellent paper by Stuart Rutherford and Greg Chen). Morocco was one of the original “microfinance crisis” countries during 2008 and 2009, and the MFIs there have had an interesting experience in resolving the problems from that period. Finally, Mexico is a major market with serious concerns regarding over-indebtedness, and MFIs there are working to avert a potential crisis.

by Ananya Tiwari -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: “Banking South Asia’s Half Billion Unbanked” Conference, November 17-19, 2014, Islamabad, Pakistan

Event Name: Banking South Asia’s Half Billion Unbanked

Event Date: November 17 – November 19, 2014

Event Location: Serena Hotel, Islamabad, Pakistan

by Aliz Crowley -

MICROFINANCE EVENTS: Inclusive Finance India Summit, December 8-9, 2014; Livelihoods Asia Summit, December 10-11, 2014, New Delhi, India

Event Names: Inclusive Finance India Summit; Livelihoods Asia Summit

Event Dates: December 8-9 and December 10-11, 2014, respectively

Event Location: New Delhi, India

by Nisha Koul -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Sodexo, Bluedrop Learning, Global Impact Announce Commitments to Middle East, Women-Owned Small, Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) at 10th Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting

The tenth annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), an initiative of US-based nonprofit Clinton Foundation, is being held in the US city of New York from September 21-24, and has entertained new commitments as well as progress reports on earlier commitments to address global challenges [1][2]: