In this joint op-ed, Grameen Foundation's Gigi Gatti and Nutiva's Gretchen Grani say many of the obstacles farmers face are built in to the current market system, and overcoming them requires collaborative efforts that address these root problems.
This is Swahili coverage of the launch of our new digital lay-a-way program in Tanzania. Click here to read the press release on our website.
June 30, 2017 by Monica Amponsah
It has been five weeks since the latest Ebola outbreak and we are still holding our breaths. Four people died in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (one confirmed case and three suspected cases of the Ebola virus); eight people have been infected. Although the cases were found in a remote area of the country, it is a constant reminder that Ebola is still with us and can spread beyond African borders.
Research by Grameen Foundation and Freedom from Hunger India Trust reveals promising approaches to combat anemia, improve maternal and infant health
JAIPUR, INDIA, June 28, 2017 -- New research and project results from the Rajasthan Nutrition Project show dramatic improvement in the food security, nutrition, and health practices of women, girls and infants. In just two years time, the percentage of female heads of households reporting that they are food secure increased from 21 to 53 percent, with similar increases for their children.
The Research Brief: Prevent Anemia for Better Health describes the approach and results of the Maa aur Shishu Swasthya (Mother and Child Health) Program in West Bengal and Jharkhand, where anemia rates among women and children have remain unchanged for the past decade. The program reached 178,000 women through microfinance and self-help groups, prompting members to make changes to their family’s diets and to take other protective measures.
June 13, 2017 by Amelia Kuklewicz
As an industry, we have made significant strides in understanding, measuring and tracking financial inclusion worldwide. One sign is the steady stream of emails, conferences and webinars discussing best practices for creating useful, affordable products and services, educating clients appropriately, and safeguarding their rights. But there is one crucial element missing from most of these discussions: frontline staff.
Yet, microfinance field officers play an outsized role in the lives of poor families.
May 19, 2017 by Sybil Chidiac
As M-PESA, the popular mobile phone-based money transfer service in Kenya turns ten this year, the progress towards financial inclusion in East Africa is evident. In Kenya and Tanzania, it is easier than ever to access financial services with only a mobile phone. But it is far different in West Africa, where the slower pace of development of mobile money has meant limited financial inclusion for some of the poorest communities on the continent.
This comprehensive guide was developed by Grameen Foundation and Grameen Trust to provide microfinance institutions seeking to learn from the Grameen Bank approach with the information they need to create or expand programs to provide financial services to the poor.
This groundbreaking report analyzes PPI data from 10 microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the Philippines to illustrate how MFIs and other pro-poor organizations can use poverty measurement data to evaluate their social performance.
This case study outlines how Marie Stopes International (MSI), a global family planning organisation, uses the PPI to assess the poverty status of its clients. As MSI is the first known healthcare service delivery organisation using the PPI, GF sees MSI as a model in highlighting the successes, challenges and opportunities associated with PPI use within healthcare organisations.