Microfinance

July 13, 2011

BRAC at International Conference on Framework for Economic Growth in Pakistan

BRAC at International Conference on Framework for Economic Growth in Pakistan   Starting today, the Government of Pakistan and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are co-hosting a 2-day conference in Islamabad titled “A Policy Dialog on the New Growth Strategy of Pakistan Moving Forward”. The UNDP has invited Dr. Mahabub Hossain, Executive Director of BRAC, (pictured above) to be the lead speaker for the conference’s session on “Connecting to the Community Engagement.” The roundtable will cover community engagement, market reforms, innovation, among other topics.
June 27, 2011

In Commemoration of the Day of the African Child, the Honorable State Minister of Karamoja Visits BRAC Uganda Programs

The below post was written with contributions from Dr. Nicola Banks. Dr Banks works with BRAC's Research and Evaluation Unit in Uganda. She previously worked for BRAC Research and Evaluation Division in Bangladesh, before completing her PhD in Development Policy and Management with The Brooks World Poverty Institute, The University of Manchester. She remains an Honorary Research Fellow at the Brooks World Poverty Institute.
June 23, 2011

Highlights of Microfinance USA Conference

On May 23, 2011 Susan Davis, President & CEO of BRAC USA participated in a panel titled "Social Entrepreneurship and Microfinance." The panel discussion revealed a number of valuable lessons. Natalia Oberti Noguera, founder and CEO of the Pipeline Fund, moderated the panel. Simonida Cvejic contributed interesting ideas based on her experience in founding the Bay Area Medical Academy, and Jessica Jackley, co-founder of ProFounder, provided interesting insights. Susan Davis discussed the widespread impact of her book Social Entrepreneurship: What Everyone Needs To Know, written with David Bornstein to highlight answers to common questions within the field of social entrepreneurship. Susan explains that, "part of the message of the book is that we are writing the chapters together. That is the spirit of everyone can find his or her own power to be a change-maker and contribute to solving the things we find troublesome."
June 22, 2011

Inspiration and Hope in Afghanistan

In 2002, shortly after the fall of the Taliban, BRAC initiated programs in Afghanistan. In the span of nine years of operations, BRAC has grown to become the country's largest and most sustainable development organization employing over 3,000 people, 90% of whom are local Afghans and over 40% of whom are women.
June 15, 2011

BRAC Afghanistan: Changing the most dangerous place on earth for women

Today, TrustLaw, which runs AlertNet, published a "Danger Poll" identifying the world's five most dangerous countries for women, with Afghanistan topping the list.  These figures serve only to further motivate our dedicated BRAC Afghanistan staff, who strive every day to change these conditions.Among the multifaceted BRAC Afghanistan programs in microfinance, health, enterprise development, community development, and education, are 2,297 BRAC schools where 84% of the enrolled students are girls. BRAC is realizing the potential of gender equality in education by increasing the enrollment of young girls through completion of their primary education, and by training local women to teach in these schools.
May 25, 2011

BRAC USA Intern – Mel Bandler

Last year, I read Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn’s Half the Sky. Throughout the book, I was presented with stories of women who are victims to sex-trafficking, prostitution, rape, and maternal health issues. In reading the book, I could not help but feel moved to act, to be part of the movement to end these injustices. At the end of the novel, Kristof and WuDunn list organizations that work to alleviate these problems and give women voice. It was through this that I learned about the work of BRAC.
May 19, 2011

Kiva Passport Series: South Sudan: Part 2: Microfinance

The following article was originally posted by Alyssa McGarry on the Kiva blog. Each month, the Kiva Blog profiles a country we work in through a three-part profile called the Passport Series. This month, we are taking a look into South Sudan! This is the second part of this month's series, which focuses on microfinance in South Sudan. The first part was a country profile and later this month, we will focus on microfinance as a development effort to help post-conflict countries like South Sudan.
May 17, 2011

Omidyar Network Executive Forum (ONEF) Convening the World’s Leading Social Entrepreneurs

The following was originally posted by Alice Korngold on Fast Company.The heads of Kiva, Guidestar, BRAC, Wikimedia Foundation, DonorsChoose, Ushahidi, Refugees United, and others of their peers, will convene this week at the Omidyar Network Executive Forum (ONEF). As Sal Giambanco, Partner, Omidyar Network (ON) told me, this is ON's "signature event of the year that focuses on leadership.
May 3, 2011

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: Reaching the Poorest: Lessons from the Graduation Model

The following article was originally posted by Alex Pattee on the MicroCapiltal.org blog. By Syed M Hashemi and Aude de Montesquiou; published by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor), March 2011, 16 pages; available at: http://www.microfinancegateway.org/gm/document-1.9.50806/Reaching_the_Poorest.pdf
April 27, 2011

Celebrating Sierra Leone’s 50th independence anniversary

BRAC launched the livestock and poultry program in Sierra Leone in 2008. We have been developing many supporting activities such as disease management, poultry vaccination, dissemination of improved breed of cow through artificial insemination, supply of livestock and poultry feed and milk processing and distribution.
April 22, 2011

Afghan returnees forgetting fear, finding fortune

The following article was originally published by the Microfinance Investment Support Facility for Afghanistan (MISFA).  Click here to read the original article. A joint study conducted by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and BRAC show that contrary to their fears about coming home, many Afghan returnees found a better life through microfinance.
April 8, 2011

Skoll 2011: Interview with Susan Davis and Rumee Ali

The following article, written by Jenna Nicholas, was originally published on April 6, 2011 on the Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) Blog. One of the most exciting announcements at the Skoll World Forum was revealed during the opening plenary: BRAC and MasterCard Foundation announced a $45 million partnership, created to scale BRAC’s innovative microfinance multiplied model in Uganda (more about the partnership here).