Anna Rana is passionate about health.
She's a familiar sight to neighbors, sharing messages about cooking and eating healthy food and getting regular medical check-ups.
When a woman in her neighborhood fell ill while her husband was away, Anna immediately took her to the hospital for care. Before, even Anna herself might have waited for the woman's husband to return before seeking care. Now, she understands the risks of waiting.
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 31, 2017 by Dr. Gabriela Salvador
Several years ago, while working with an indigenous Guatemalan community to improve health access, a pregnant woman experiencing severe convulsions arrived at the local clinic. Fatima was close to full term, and had two young children by her side. But her convulsions were already out of control. She died shortly after arriving.
Women and girls in India face higher rates of malnutrition, lower empowerment status and decision-making power than men and boys.
Grameen Foundation’s FarmerLink program combines satellite data and farm data collected by mobile-equipped field agents to help coconut farmers increase productivity, deal with crop pests and diseases, and increase the sustainability of their farms.
January 19, 2017 by Bobbi Gray
Many people consider the book, Men are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, by Dr. John Gray a classic. While it describes how men and women can better understand and relate to each other, it starts from the premise that men and women are simply from different planets. We don’t think or behave alike. We have different expectations for a relationship. But there are bridges that can bring us together—if we can locate and cross them effectively.
Food insecurity remains a significant problem in India, especially among women and children. This paper by Freedom from Hunger (now a part of Grameen Foundation) measures food security and describe associated factors in rural Rajasthan, India. The findings suggest that actions for improving food security may include facilitating saving for food needs, improving decision-making power among women, and increasing ties to organizations that cater to child development needs.
Between 2008 and 2013, Grameen Foundation helped CARD Bank to open 480,000 new savings accounts through its microsavings initiative. In this article, Julie Peachey, director of Grameen Foundation's social peformance management team, discusses the findings of a study designed to improve savings habits of these new clients through behavioral science. The study was conducted by ideas42.
February 27, 2015
Alex Counts will be speaking today at noon at a forum on "Financial Services for the Poor: Lessons and Implications of the Latest Research on Credit" hosted by the World Bank. You can follow the discussions live at //live.worldbank.org/financial-services-for-the-poor. Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @GrameenFdn