MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: MIX Snapshot of Microfinance in Asia, How Social Entrepreneurs Spread Innovation, Impact of Thai Million Baht Village Fund

“2011 Asia Regional Snapshot;” published by the Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX); March 2012; 19 pages; available at:
http://www.themix.org/publications/mix-microfinance-world/2012/03/2011-asia-regional-snapshot

This report offers an overview of the Asian microfinance environment in 2011, including growth in the region, funding structures, profitability, efficiency and risk levels. It also examines the conditions of the Indian microfinance environment after the recent crisis in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

“Rippling: How Social Entrepreneurs Spread Innovation Throughout the World;” by Beverly Schwartz; published by Jossey-Bass; March 2012; 288 pages; available for purchase at:
http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1118138597.html

This book describes ways leaders may bring about deep, lasting and systematic change relating to social and environmental challenges. The examples provided include microconsignment, which promotes income-generating local enterprise that sells essential products and services at affordable prices to poor people, in order to promote financial inclusion in Guatemala; building a culture of sanitation and hygiene in crowded urban areas in Africa and Asia; and impacting consumers in the US and producer families around the world through FairTrade USA, which uses a certification system to inform consumers about products that provide fair prices to producers.

“A Structural Evaluation of a Large-Scale Quasi-Experimental Microfinance Initiative” by Joseph P Kaboski and Robert M Townsend, published by Econometrica, September 2011; 49 pages; available at: http://www.econometricsociety.org/abstract.asp?ref=0012-9682&vid=79&iid=5&aid=3&s=-9999

This paper considers the impact of the Thai Million Baht Village Fund program, a microcredit intervention that transferred THB 1 million (USD 1.8 billion) in government funds to create almost 80,000 village banks throughout the country. The authors argue that the program costs overall are 30 percent more than the sum of the benefits.

By Natalie Baer, Research Associate

Sources and Additional Resources:

“2011 Asia Regional Snapshot” ?http://www.themix.org/publications/mix-microfinance-world/2012/03/2011-asia-regional-snapshot

“Rippling: How Social Entrepreneurs Spread Innovation Throughout the World” http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1118138597.html

“A Structural Evaluation of a Large-Scale Quasi-Experimental Microfinance Initiative” http://www.econometricsociety.org/abstract.asp?ref=0012-9682&vid=79&iid=5&aid=3&s=-9999

MicroCapital story, March 12, 2012, “MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Snapshot, Eliminating Entry Barriers in Brazil, and Savings Commitments in Malawi” https://www.microcapital.org/microfinance-publication-round-up-sub-saharan-africa-regional-snapshot-eliminating-entry-barriers-in-brazil-and-savings-commitments-in-malawi/

Browse the MicroCapital Universe and add your entry to the wiki at: https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/

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