Microfinance
July 9, 2014
Published by Isabel Whisson at Jul 09 2014
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On 24 June, 2014, BRAC welcomed Joshua Goldstein from the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion, to Bangladesh. Josh, a key figure in the campaign for disability-inclusive development, is helping to galvanise a worldwide movement that takes financial inclusion that necessary step further- including persons with disabilities. Naturally - connecting with the world’s largest NGO seemed like a great place to start.
December 26, 2013
Published by Scott MacMillan at Dec 26 2013
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Modern microcredit, born in Bangladesh, was hailed as an innovative poverty fix when it appeared on the global radar. The United Nations dubbed 2005 “the year of microcredit,” and the following year, Mohammed Yunus and his Grameen Bank won the Nobel Peace Prize. Soon, however, the pendulum of hype swung the opposite direction, as scholars began to question the efficacy of microfinance.
December 2, 2013
Published by Anushka Zafar at Dec 02 2013
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Across the murky waters of Banani Lake from BRAC's headquarters in Dhaka, Bangladesh, lies Korail, one of the country's largest slums, jam-packed with over 40,000 people. I have always seen the slum from a distance, but knew very little about what goes on inside. Typically, slums are illegal land settlements littered with crime, invariable health-hazards and acute poverty. But what I saw recently on my first visit was beyond my expectations.
July 1, 2013
Published by Zaian Chowdhury at Jul 01 2013
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How can we quickly boost farmer incomes so they have a chance to lift theLike 80 percent of Tanzanians, she earns a living from agriculture. The smile on Khabitu’s face suggests she’s doing well. She works as a model farmer, demonstrating good techniques to her neighbors at her small vegetable farm, which she tends with her husband Said, in Iringu, central Tanzania.mselves out of poverty?
June 19, 2013
Published by Oscar Abello at Jun 19 2013
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A lack of formal financial services serving the poor and even middle income households leads to those households finding ways to supply financial services themselves. Wealthy country or not.
April 26, 2013
Published by BRAC at Apr 26 2013
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To donate to BRAC's relief efforts, BRAC has partnered with Jolkona to raise money for BRAC Limb & Brace Centre custom prosthetics and counseling for victims of the building collapse and their families. To donate, please go to http://supportsavar.geocko.com/campaigns/eap. Or U.S. cellular phone users can text "BRAC" to 20222 to donate $10 via mobile.
April 2, 2013
Published by Maria A May at Apr 02 2013
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A week before the Frugal Innovation Forum, I came across the Ted Talk by Dan Palotta that criticized development for rewarding frugality (i.e. low rates of overhead) instead of ambition and big ideas. This is one reason why, in his opinion, progress has been slow to find solutions to address social issues.
April 2, 2013
Published by Renée McAlpin at Apr 02 2013
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Everyone, from Save the Children, Plan International, and UNICEF, to BRAC, agrees that the early years are critical to a child’s overall development. How best to invest in those early years is a fertile topic for exploration and debate among academics, scientists, and policymakers. What if early childhood and adolescent development was also seen as a potential career path for women?
March 15, 2013
Published by Nicola Banks at Mar 15 2013
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This blog post is an abridged version of a case study featured in Problem or Promise: Harnessing Youth Potential in Uganda, recently published by BRAC and The MasterCard Foundation.
March 8, 2013
Published by Renée McAlpin at Mar 08 2013
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“What I most regretted were my silences.” – Audre Lorde, The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action
In honor of International Women’s Day, we use the words of Audre Lorde, a self-described black lesbian poet, who spent the better part of her life advocating for female empowerment and equality. Through solidarity and individual self-awareness, Lorde recognized the innate power of women in overcoming oppression. Her words are the embodiment of empowerment, not only for women but marginalized groups from all walks of life. She firmly believed that “it is not difference which immobilizes us, but silence.”
February 21, 2013
Published by Oscar Abello at Feb 21 2013
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The number of people worldwide reached by microfinance institutions (MFIs) fell in 2011, the first time in 13 years, according to the Microcredit Summit Campaign’s (MSC) brand new report.
September 14, 2012
Published by BRAC at Sep 14 2012
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A recent global meeting in Paris acted as the first occasion for sharing the first tranche of substantive results from 10 pilot programs implemented across 8 countries around the world based on BRAC’s flagship program for reaching the ultra poor – Challenging the Frontiers of Poverty Reduction: Targeting the Ultra Poor, otherwise shortened to CFPR:TUP.