A key objective of microfinance programmes is to provide financial services to poor people who are excluded from such services by the formal banking system. It is in this perspective that governments, development partners and donor agencies continue to provide support to such institutions, to...

The paper evaluates the extent to which Sinapi Aba Trust has contributed to poverty reduction among rural and urban poor especially women by supporting them with small loans to expand their businesses to generate income to build up their asset base. Using a cross-sectional data from 547...

Where the concepts of free markets and capitalism have been lauded to bring freedom and choice, they have been held responsible for bringing much worldwide social and economic disparity. Critics have blamed them for widespread crime, corruption and poverty. Wary of such consequences,...

As an effective financial tool for socio-economic development, today microfinance has gained enormous success in tackling poverty on a global scale and helping various governmental and non-governmental actors to achieve their Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Given the positive impact of...

Over the last three decades microcredit has gained enormous success in reducing poverty on a global scale. As an efficient financial mechanism, microcredit enables various governmental and non-governmental actors to realise the millennium development goals (MDGs). Based on our recent...

Microfinance as the best way of tackling poverty is under attack. It has been accused of failing to help the poor, of treating its clients badly, of charging high interest rates and of encouraging poor people to take on excessive debt burdens. The authors examine these issues, and find that...

This paper investigates a relationship between economic governance and the dual objectives of microfinance institutions (MFIs): poverty reduction and financial viability. Using an unbalanced panel of 531 MFIs, the important role of other institutions, such as country-level business registry...

This paper aims to understand the role of micro-insurance as an element of social protection. It outlines the current status of micro-insurance provision in Ghana and Sri Lanka, two countries with very different socio-cultural backgrounds. It concludes that both countries are unlikely to extend...