But, in the meantime, microfinance projects that rely on social cohesion will struggle to succeed.
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Microfinance has grown to such a level that it cannot go unnoticed by governments.
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Musoni, an Unreasonable Institute applicant and early favorite, disburses microfinance loans through M-Pesa in Kenya.
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By building strong sustainable institutions, WWB helps to foster a socially responsible microfinance model.
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His proposal: Create microgroups targeted at solving individual issues such as water, hunger, microfinance.
Partnerships with local NGOs and microfinance institutions (MFIs) has helped launch some microinsurance products.
His epiphany for ALA came when he was working on a microfinance project in 2003.
Aunt Cayita knew a loan officer who told her about microfinance and its potential benefits.
One example of that is the partnership between mobile operator Telenor Pakistan and Tameer Microfinance Bank.
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Small entrepreneurs are working to restore their enterprises with funding support from microfinance institutions.
This creative use of widespread mobile services is also enabling the growth of microfinance institutions.
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Finally, microfinance institutions can tackle the cost of distribution for direct to farmer lending.
Innovative microfinance initiatives, such as lending circles, generally see repayment rates of 92% to 98%.
With nearly 30m clients each, these are now the world's biggest markets for microfinance.
Casey Santiago has worked in over 20 countries around the world expanding access to healthcare and microfinance.
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But microfinance is a reminder that the ability to borrow is a crucial part of economic development.
One lesson of the year of disaster relief is about the limits to what microfinance can achieve.
Over our 50-year history, we have helped build 64 microfinance institutions in 32 countries that today serve millions.
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Further sustainability in microfinance can only be achieved when all parties in the supply chain make a return.
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Microfinance was developed in response to mainstream financial institutions which failed to provide financial services for the poor.
Microfinance is the supply of small, usually unsecured loans to poor households and small businesses in developing countries.
She said that microfinance honoured the hard-working nature of many poor people and borrowers preferred loans to donations.
In Bangladesh the government has capped the annual interest rate that microfinance institutions (MFIs) can charge at 27%.
Just ask the great microfinance pioneer Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh's Grameen Bank -- women are the best bet.
According to Herman, until now, munis have been a lot like microfinance: Results can be all over the map.
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Microfinance of 20 years ago is completely different from what we have today.
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If there's any criticism of microfinance it's that it's a halfway solution to giving the poor access to capital.
As is stands, microfinance organizations that accept deposits, or provide insurance to the poor are underrepresented in the market.
Micropayments are the foundation and most widespread form of microfinance, though micro-lending and other financial services are growing, too.
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From the NGO perspective, the microfinance movement has been perverted by for-profit models.
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