by Lori Curtis -

MICROCAPITAL STORY: Indonesia’s MBK Ventura, Egypt’s Al Tadamun, and Grameen Bank’s Nurjahan Begum Recognized at Grameen Foundation 2008 Awards

The achievements of the Grameen Bank‘s Nurjahan Begum, Indonesia’s Mitra Bisnis Keluarga (MBK) Ventura, and Egypt’s Al Tadamun were recognized on November 12, 2008 at the Grameen Foundation’s 2008 Awards in Washington D.C. The awards were held in conjunction with its annual Knowledge Sharing Roundtable discussion, which this year discussed the implications of the global financial crisis on microfinance. Nurjahan Begum received the Susan M. Davis Lifetime Achievement Award for her work in microfinance for over 30 years, including her efforts to organize women in Bangladesh’s poorest villages and leading the fight for the rights of disadvantaged women. MBK Ventura of Indonesia received the Excellence in Microfinance Award for its leadership its efforts to ensure that Indonesia’s poorest citizens receive financial services, and Al Tadamun of Egypt was awarded the Pioneer in Microfinance Award in recognition of its program to provide financial services to Cairo’s poorest women.

by Jeffrey Erfe -

MICROCAPITAL EVENT: 2008 Arab Microfinance Investment Symposium

NOVEMBER 30, 2008, DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The 2008 Arab Microfinance Investment Symposium is a day-long event focusing on microfinance as an emerging asset class and investment opportunities in the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan.  The symposium will take place on November 30 at the Godolphin Ballroom of the Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and it will be co-hosted by Grameen-Jameel, a social-oriented business based in Dubai, and BlueOrchard, a microfinance investment manager located in Geneva, Switzerland.  Aramex and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) have signed on as sponsors.   The symposium has been marketed to asset managers, bankers, high net-worth individuals, family businesses and other interested investors. 

by Jennifer Lee -

MICROCAPITAL STORY: ING Review of Citigroup’s Microfinance Activities and Its Syndicated Loan Securitizations for Compartamos, SKS Microfinance, and BRAC

The Dutch Bank ING published its updated 2008 study on commercial bank microfinance activity, called “A Billion to Gain? The Next Phase”. A MicroCapital summary of the paper can be read here. MicroCapital is reviewing the microfinance activities of several of large international banks covered in the study, such as Citigroup (Citi).

by Melissa Duscha -

MICROCAPITAL STORY: Asian Development Bank and Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction Provide USD 1 Million Grant to the Philippines for Microinsurance

 The Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR) provided a grant of USD 1 million to the Government of the Philippines on March 17, 2008 to be used in the development of microinsurance for the nation’s 27.6 million citizens currently living below the poverty line. The grant will be managed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), developing an insurance service targeting poor families in case of financial shocks caused by death, illness, or injury of family members.

by Sophie Kim -

MICROCAPITAL STORY: Forbes’ Special Feature on Private Investment in Microfinance Includes Top 50 Microfinance Institutions

Forbes, a American business and financial news magazine, presented the list of top 50 microfinance institutions (MFIs) of 2007 in its special feature on the private investment in the microfinance industry.