FINCA International, a US-based network of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in 21 countries, recently published two case studies: “Exploring the Linkages between Food Security and Microfinance: A Study by FINCA in Zambia and Guatemala” and “FINCA Client Data Viewed through World Bank’s Human Opportunity Index.”
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MICROFINANCE EVENT: Opportunity Collaboration to Host Poverty Alleviation UN-Conference, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo de Azueta, Mexico, October 17 – 20, 2011
Event Name: Poverty Alleviation UN-Conference
Event Date: October 17 – October 20, 2011
Event Location: Club Med Ixtapa Pacific, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo de Azueta, Mexico
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Jonathan Lewis Describes Opportunity Collaboration as Addressing Poverty by “Doing the Opposite of What Most Other Conferences Do”
Forbes, a US-based magazine, recently published an interview with Jonathan Lewis, founder and chief executive officer of the annual Opportunity Collaboration business retreat and networking summit that he describes as “laser-focused on poverty reduction”.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Jonathan Lewis of Opportunity Collaboration Responds to Complaints that “Microcredit Does Not Solve Poverty”
The Huffington Post, a US-based news website, recently published an editorial series by Jonathan Lewis, founder of the annual Opportunity Collaboration retreat for social investors, titled “Social Impact Evaluation: Useful? Utopian?”, which responds to suggestions by members of academia and the media that “microcredit does not solve poverty.”
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Panel Discusses Balancing Profit, Mission, Impact at Microfinance USA Conference 2011, Presented by Opportunity Fund, ACCION, Kiva, in New York City, May 23 – 24
Opportunity Fund, a nonprofit organization based in the US state of California that offers microloans and microsavings primarily to people in the San Francisco Bay area; ACCION International, a microfinance organization that provides lending and financial education to small businesses in twenty-three countries; and Kiva, a US-based online portal that allows individuals to make loans to microfinance institutions (MFIs) for on-lending to poor people in sixty countries, hosted the Microfinance USA Conference 2011 on May 23 and May 24 in New York City.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Opportunity International Celebrates Grand Opening of Operations in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Opportunity International (OI), a global network of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in 24 countries, has celebrated the grand opening of its operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). OI DRC is seeking to provide affordable financial services to the country’s working poor through a network of community banks.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Microfinance Opportunities to Partner With Opportunity International Bank of Malawi on Branchless Banking
Microfinance Opportunities (MFO), a microenterprise resource center based in Washington, DC, has announced a partnership with Opportunity International Bank of Malawi (OIBM), a Malawian microfinance institution (MFI) affiliated with US-based microfinance network Opportunity International, to implement its branchless banking program in Africa. OIBM joins Moble Transactions in Zambia, Financial Information Networks and Operation (FINO) Fintech Foundation in India and Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP) in the Philippines as partners in MFO’s program, “Consumer Education for Branchless Banking” (CEBB).
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: responsAbility Social Investments of Switzerland Loans $2m to Middle East Micro Credit Company (MEMCC) of Jordan, Urwego Opportunity Bank (UOB) of Rwanda
responsAbility Social Investments AG, an investment company based in Switzerland, recently reported to MicroCapital that it has made local-currency loans totaling the equivalent of USD 2 million to microfinance institutions (MFIs) Middle East Micro Credit Company (MEMCC) of Jordan and Urwego Opportunity Bank (UOB) of Rwanda.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Opportunity International to Receive Grant of $2.5m from United Nations Capital Development Fund’s (UNCDF’s) MicroLead Program to Begin Microfinance Services In Democratic Republic of Congo
As part of its “Banking on Africa” campaign, Opportunity International, a global network of microfinance institutions (MFIs), recently announced plans to begin “community banking” operations in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) thanks in part to a USD 2.5 million grant from the United Nations Capital Development Fund’s (UNCDF’s) MicroLead program.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Urwego Opportunity Bank of Rwanda Introduces Mobile Banks to Increase Access to Financial Services in Rural Areas
Urwego Opportunity Bank (OUB), a microfinance institution (MFI) based in Rwanda, recently introduced mobile banks to address the lack of banking services for savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs) and individuals in rural areas.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Islamic Insurance Provider Tokio Marine Middle East Eyes Expansion in Egypt, Sees Political Shake-Up as Opportunity for Microinsurance
Ajmal Bhatty, chief executive of Tokio Marine Middle East, a “takaful” (Islamic insurance) provider based in Dubai, reportedly has stated that the recent political turmoil in Egypt will create a greater need for financial protection in the country and will hence provide Tokio Marine an opportunity to further extend its takaful services to the Egyptian market.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Opportunity Fund Launches “GreenforGreen” Loans to Promote Sustainable Businesses in San Francisco, USA
Opportunity Fund, a provider of microloans and microsavings in San Francisco, California, recently launched a “GreenforGreen” loan with the assistance of a USD 3 million grant from US-based financial services company JPMorgan Chase. The loans are intended to assist low-income entrepreneurs in making their businesses more environmentally friendly.
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Opportunity Fund, ACCION and Kiva Present Microfinance USA Conference 2011 in New York, May 23 – 24
Event Name: Microfinance USA Conference 2011
Event Date: May 23 – May 24, 2011
Event Location: Metropolitan Pavilion, New York, NY
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: responsAbility Social Investments Provides Debt Financing Worth $2.7m to Microfinance Institutions Opportunity Albania and FINCA Russia
responsAbility Social Investments AG (responsAbility), an investment company based in Switzerland, recently reported to MicroCapital that in November 2010 it made four debt investments in microfinance institutions Opportunity Albania and FINCA Russia.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Opportunity International and Caterpillar Foundation Launch $1m Corporate Challenge to Alleviate Global Poverty Through Savings-Based Microfinance Programs
Opportunity International, a US-based microfinance organization, and the Caterpillar Foundation, the charitable arm of heavy equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Inc., have launched a USD 1 million challenge grant that will match donations from corporations and small businesses to Opportunity International.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Opportunity International Expands savings-based Microfinance in Malawi, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Mozambique
Opportunity International, a US-based organization with a microfinance program based in Malawi, announced that it will be expanding its savings-based microfinance services in Africa as part of its “Banking on Africa” campaign, which mainly targets small – scale farmers and other entrepreneurs in rural Africa.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Microfinance Holdings NV Acquires Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) Opportunity Albania, Inicjatywa Mikro of Poland and Forus Bank of Russia
Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Microfinance Holdings NV, a Dutch private-equity holding company owned by Development Finance Equity (DFE) Partners’ Balkan Financial Sector Equity Fund (BFSEF) of the Netherlands and US-based private-equity fund Creation Investments Capital Management, recently announced the purchase of three microfinance institutions (MFIs) located in Albania, Poland and Russia.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Regulation in Kenya’s Mobile Industry Leads to Increase in Banked Population as Phone Operators Seize Opportunity to Encourage Mobile Bank Accounts
As a result of new Kenyan government regulation which requires registration of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards by mobile phone users, the country is experiencing growth in the mobile banking population because mobile phone operators in Kenya are encouraging subscribers to simultaneously activate a mobile bank account.