Friday, January 31, 2014

[MFP] Recruitment for CARE Senior Microfinance Advisor based in London

 

Dear All,

 

CARE is currently recruiting a Senior Microfinance Advisor (Full-time temporary contract - 12 months maternity cover) based in London. 

 

http://www.careinternational.org.uk/jobs/current-vacancies/2539-senior-micro-finance-advisor-maternity-cover


Please do not hesitate to share with your potential interested and interesting contacts!


Many thanks in advance.


Have great weekends all.

 

Kind regards,

Maude


Maude Massu
Microfinance Advisor
CARE International UK
Direct Line: +44 207 091 6054
Email: massu@careinternational.org Website: www.careinternational.org.uk 

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Thursday, January 30, 2014

[MFP] Research trends in Microfinance

 

The latest edition of Enterprise Development and Microfinance in now online at http://practicalaction.metapress.com/content/m18g26415646/?p=df357e03dbeb4e13b73f42398d3099a4&pi=0

It includes articles from the Third European Research Conference on Microfinance (see contents list below), and points to  some important trends in microfinance research, including microinsurance, opportunities for MFIs, the next MDGs, and mobile finance in North Africa.

 

If you would like to order a single copy (cost £30.00) then please email publishinginfo@practicalaction.org.uk; if you are interested in reading this edition online or subscribing you can visit our website (http://practicalactionpublishing.org/enterprisedevelopmentandmicrofinance) and follow the links.

 

Kind regards

 

Clare Tawney

Managing Editor

Enterprise Development and Microfinance journal

Practical Action Publishing (formerly ITDG Publishing)

The Schumacher Centre for Technology and Development,

Bourton on Dunsmore, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV23 9QZ, UK.

Tel: +44 (0)1926 634501       Home office:  +44 (0)1722 414855

http://practicalactionpublishing.org/enterprisedevelopmentandmicrofinance

 

Contents

VOLUME 24 NUMBER 4 DECEMBER 2013

 

Editorial: Research trends from the Third European Research Conference on Microfinance

ROY MERSLAND

 

Crossfire: ‘Should financial inclusion be part of the next set of MDGs?’

HUGH SINCLAIR and MATTHEW S. GAMSER

 

Market opportunities for microfinance institutions

ROY MERSLAND

 

The uptake of mobile financial services in the Middle East and North Africa region

FRANCESC PRIOR SANZ and PEDRO DE LIMA

 

Microinsurance demand: determinants and strategies

MICHAL MATUL, APARNA DALAL, OMBELINE DE BOCK and WOUTER GELADE

 

Towards reasonably priced microcredit: analysing Egyptian NGO-MFIs’ cost structure and financial performance

AMR KHAFAGY

 

Geography and microenterprises: clustering, networking, and knowledge spillovers

JOSE MARTINEZ, MICHAEL A. MCPHERSON, DAVID J. MOLINA and JEFFREY J. ROUS

 

 

Practical Action Publishing Limited
The Schumacher Centre for Technology and Development
Bourton on Dunsmore
Rugby
CV23 9QZ
Tel: +44 - 01926 634501
Fax: +44 - 01926 634502
www.practicalactionpublishing.org

Practical Action Publishing is the trading name of Practical Action Publishing Ltd.
Company Reg. No 1159018, England

This e-mail (and any attachments) may contain privileged and/or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient please do not disclose, copy, distribute, disseminate or take any action in reliance on it. If you have received this message in error please reply and tell us and then delete it. Should you wish to communicate with us by e-mail we cannot guarantee the security of any data outside our own computer systems. Views or opinions expressed in this e-mail do not necessarily reflect those of Practical Action Publishing.

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Thursday, January 16, 2014

[MFP] “Women Hold Up Half the Sky"

 

And women, African women specifically, are eligible for the MasterCard Foundation Microfinance Scholars Program  for the SMDP Ghana!


African women microfinance practitioners may be eligible for a Full or Partial Scholarship to attend the SMDP Ghana March 10-21, 2014 in Accra, Ghana


Apply Today!

http://carseyinstitute.unh.edu/smdp/ghana


Once again, thanks to the generosity of the MasterCard Foundation, we are able to offer several scholarships to eligible African women development finance practitioners to attend the SMDP Ghana which features a wide range of course topics, field visits and plenary sessions, and other learning opportunities.


Apply today as the deadline is February 7.


What our previous MasterCard Foundation scholars have said about the program:

"This program came at the right time for me, and I have gained practical experience which will make a huge impact on my organization."

Delali Tagboto, Total Discount Microfinance, Ghana


"I have found the Ghana SMDP programs very useful and remarkable to my life. As a female practitioner in VSLA who had little knowledge in what I was doing, I have been equipped with skills that will help me perfect my work. Through the knowledge on MIS that I have gained, I will be able to monitor the performance of our VSLA groups and make informed decisions on improving their performance."

Linice Sanga, Creative Centre for Community Mobilization, Zambia


"To me, the best experience you can ever have is gaining, sharing, and improving knowledge and mastery of your passionate career with like-minded people from all over the world; no other experience is better than this. The SMDP Ghana 2013 was such a wonderful experience."

Cecilia Nchangnwi, Cameroon Center for Microfinance Management & Entrepreneurship, Cameroon


"I had benefited a lot on the issues of risk management and mitigation, how to manage delinquency rink, and with seeing how to involve others for effective results."

Doreen Phiri, Vision Fund Malawi

Don't Miss This Exciting Learning and Networking Opportunity!



We are offering a wide range of useful course topics, field visits and plenary sessions

Course topics include:

* Microfinance Management Principles and Practices (begins with online Principles of Microfinance Pre-course)—Multiple facilitators

* Risk Management for Microfinance Institutions—Ernest Senyo Dzandu

* Credit Risk and Delinquency Management—Ernest Senyo Dzandu

* Managing for Sustainability: Monitoring the Performance of Microfinance Institutions (begins with online 'A Financial Refresher' pre-course)—Kadry Furany

* Balanced Performance Management for Microfinance Institutions—Boubacar Diallo

* Savings Groups—Programme Design and Implementation—Hugh Allen

* Savings Groups—Management Information Systems (begins with online Orientation Session)—Hugh Allen

* Practical Skills for Agricultural Value Chain Financing—Richard Pelrine


For more info please visit: http://carseyinstitute.unh.edu/smdp/ghana

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Monday, January 6, 2014

RE: [MFP] proposed changes to South African National Credit Act

 

Anyone in the group looking at the Bitcoin phenomena  and how it may apply to the poor especially in countries that do not have much regulatory protection of consumers?  If consumers become accustomed to cell phone transactions and digital money, might they be even more vulnerable?  Dick

 

From: MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com [mailto:MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Kim Wilson
Sent: Monday, January 6, 2014 5:18 PM
To: MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [MFP] proposed changes to South African National Credit Act

 




Hugh - 

 

I could not agree more. It's what Daryl Collins and I are calling Financial Companionship (grow your money in the company of friends). Finance is frightening, and not just because bankers can be snooty but because money itself is scary, and now that it is going digital, it is no less scary. Digital money makes all kinds of sense for transfers and payments but I am not sure there is a financial inclusion success story (yet) for bank accounts. Yes, people have them, but are they really using them? The GAFIS report should be out soon that documents the efforts of 4 or 5 banks to become inclusive. We shall see.  

 

Kim Wilson
Faculty, Fletcher School, Tufts University (617-763-2469)
Kimberley.Wilson@Tufts.Edu

 

From: Hugh Allen <hugh@vsla.net>
To: MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, January 6, 2014 10:14 AM
Subject: RE: [MFP] proposed changes to South African National Credit Act

 

 

Really good article Kim that succinctly uncovers the poverty of cultural suppositions that privacy and cost are king.  Here's a case where human relationships more than compensate for the cost of the service, because they make a flexible and appropriate adjustment when a customer needs it.  I am 100% certain that the reason people won't leave savings groups even when they have bank accounts, is that they'd feel the loss of the security, a sense of having human value, and the pleasure these relationships can offer.  The risk of technology and 'financial inclusion' (when what we really mean is opening a bank account) is not that  mistakes will be made (although they often will), but that isolation and fearfulness will increase.

 

Hugh

 

From: MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com [mailto:MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Kim Wilson
Sent: 05 January 2014 20:57
To: MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [MFP] proposed changes to South African National Credit Act

 

 

Here is a nice write-up on what is happening in the US on exactly this topic. 

 

 

 

 

From: Malcolm Harper <malcolm.harper@btinternet.com>
To: MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, January 5, 2014 2:09 PM
Subject: Re: [MFP] proposed changes to South African National Credit Act

 

 

Thanks Jeff, words can mean different things to different people.

 

But I happen to know someone who works in a fairly senior position for one of the 'worst offender' money shop type lenders in the UK. A single mother, immigrant, hard working and clear thinking, she is a good spokesperson for the business. It's not easy. It costs a fair bit of money to lend someone $100 for a week, 'transaction costs', risk costs, and so on, and some profit, never mind the cost of funds, it's hard to see how it can be done for less than ten dollars. "Outrageous, 10% a week, 500% a year", we say, and more if its compounded.

 

But it's really just a matter of fixed and variable costs; when you rent a house, or a car, there is often a high initial fee followed by a lower per period cost. Why not the same for renting money ? Maybe they should charge nine dollars fixed and a dollar a week to cover the cost of money and risk. The APR, effective interest rate, whatever, would still be 'outrageous' for one week money, but would actually be reasonable. Would the payday lenders accept something of the kind ? Has anybody asked them ?

 

Malcolm

 

From: M

Sent: Sunday, January 05, 2014 6:36 PM

Subject: Re: [MFP] proposed changes to South African National Credit Act

 

 

Malcolm,

 

Good point. However you cut it a lot of money to service debts. Should be interesting to come up with a workable, low cost, scaleable alternative. Getting financial institutions to reform insanely profitable products is difficult as the efforts to reform the banking industry in the USA has shown.

 

Jeff

Jeffrey Ashe
jaashe@aol.com

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Malcolm Harper <malcolm.harper@btinternet.com>
To: MicrofinancePractice <MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sun, Jan 5, 2014 1:27 pm
Subject: Re: [MFP] proposed changes to South African National Credit Act

 

Thank you Jami, interesting, maybe the UK government (and others too) could learn from what the SA government is trying to do. But 'disposable income' can be defined as what is left after paying taxes, or as what is left after paying for essentials such as food, housing, utilities and so on. It would be interesting to know which of these two meanings was intended in this article.

 

Malcolm

 

Sent: Sunday, January 05, 2014 2:12 PM

Subject: [MFP] proposed changes to South African National Credit Act

 

 

fyi article contains from very interesting stats from South Africa which you may recall has the credit legislation in place that bans 'reckless lending,' which is apparently easier said than done because they give the stats that 76% of consumers' household disposable income is being used to service debts, and more than 20% of credit active population (estimated to be 20m persons) is more than 3 mos. in arrears on loans.

 

 

 

Best,

Jami

 

 




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Re: [MFP] proposed changes to South African National Credit Act

 

Hugh - 

I could not agree more. It's what Daryl Collins and I are calling Financial Companionship (grow your money in the company of friends). Finance is frightening, and not just because bankers can be snooty but because money itself is scary, and now that it is going digital, it is no less scary. Digital money makes all kinds of sense for transfers and payments but I am not sure there is a financial inclusion success story (yet) for bank accounts. Yes, people have them, but are they really using them? The GAFIS report should be out soon that documents the efforts of 4 or 5 banks to become inclusive. We shall see.  

Kim Wilson
Faculty, Fletcher School, Tufts University (617-763-2469)
Kimberley.Wilson@Tufts.Edu

From: Hugh Allen <hugh@vsla.net>
To: MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, January 6, 2014 10:14 AM
Subject: RE: [MFP] proposed changes to South African National Credit Act

 
Really good article Kim that succinctly uncovers the poverty of cultural suppositions that privacy and cost are king.  Here's a case where human relationships more than compensate for the cost of the service, because they make a flexible and appropriate adjustment when a customer needs it.  I am 100% certain that the reason people won't leave savings groups even when they have bank accounts, is that they'd feel the loss of the security, a sense of having human value, and the pleasure these relationships can offer.  The risk of technology and 'financial inclusion' (when what we really mean is opening a bank account) is not that  mistakes will be made (although they often will), but that isolation and fearfulness will increase.
 
Hugh
 
From: MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com [mailto:MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Kim Wilson
Sent: 05 January 2014 20:57
To: MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [MFP] proposed changes to South African National Credit Act
 
 
Here is a nice write-up on what is happening in the US on exactly this topic. 
 
 
 
 
From: Malcolm Harper <malcolm.harper@btinternet.com>
To: MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, January 5, 2014 2:09 PM
Subject: Re: [MFP] proposed changes to South African National Credit Act
 
 
Thanks Jeff, words can mean different things to different people.
 
But I happen to know someone who works in a fairly senior position for one of the 'worst offender' money shop type lenders in the UK. A single mother, immigrant, hard working and clear thinking, she is a good spokesperson for the business. It's not easy. It costs a fair bit of money to lend someone $100 for a week, 'transaction costs', risk costs, and so on, and some profit, never mind the cost of funds, it's hard to see how it can be done for less than ten dollars. "Outrageous, 10% a week, 500% a year", we say, and more if its compounded.
 
But it's really just a matter of fixed and variable costs; when you rent a house, or a car, there is often a high initial fee followed by a lower per period cost. Why not the same for renting money ? Maybe they should charge nine dollars fixed and a dollar a week to cover the cost of money and risk. The APR, effective interest rate, whatever, would still be 'outrageous' for one week money, but would actually be reasonable. Would the payday lenders accept something of the kind ? Has anybody asked them ?
 
Malcolm
 
From: M
Sent: Sunday, January 05, 2014 6:36 PM
Subject: Re: [MFP] proposed changes to South African National Credit Act
 
 
Malcolm,
 
Good point. However you cut it a lot of money to service debts. Should be interesting to come up with a workable, low cost, scaleable alternative. Getting financial institutions to reform insanely profitable products is difficult as the efforts to reform the banking industry in the USA has shown.
 
Jeff
Jeffrey Ashe
jaashe@aol.com
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Malcolm Harper <malcolm.harper@btinternet.com>
To: MicrofinancePractice <MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sun, Jan 5, 2014 1:27 pm
Subject: Re: [MFP] proposed changes to South African National Credit Act
 
Thank you Jami, interesting, maybe the UK government (and others too) could learn from what the SA government is trying to do. But 'disposable income' can be defined as what is left after paying taxes, or as what is left after paying for essentials such as food, housing, utilities and so on. It would be interesting to know which of these two meanings was intended in this article.
 
Malcolm
 
From: Jami Solli
Sent: Sunday, January 05, 2014 2:12 PM
Subject: [MFP] proposed changes to South African National Credit Act
 
 
fyi article contains from very interesting stats from South Africa which you may recall has the credit legislation in place that bans 'reckless lending,' which is apparently easier said than done because they give the stats that 76% of consumers' household disposable income is being used to service debts, and more than 20% of credit active population (estimated to be 20m persons) is more than 3 mos. in arrears on loans.
 
 
 
Best,
Jami
 


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Re: [MFP] proposed changes to South African National Credit Act

 

I think you are right on Hugh about the human factor.  I have a Korean friend who came to the US when she was 9.  She has been a practicing lawyer for about 20 years, makes good $ in NY and for years has participated in rotating savings clubs with a group of other Korean friends.  Before I worked in the MF/consumer protection field i thought this odd, but now I get it.
best,
Jami


On Mon, Jan 6, 2014 at 10:14 AM, Hugh Allen <hugh@vsla.net> wrote:
 

Really good article Kim that succinctly uncovers the poverty of cultural suppositions that privacy and cost are king.  Here's a case where human relationships more than compensate for the cost of the service, because they make a flexible and appropriate adjustment when a customer needs it.  I am 100% certain that the reason people won't leave savings groups even when they have bank accounts, is that they'd feel the loss of the security, a sense of having human value, and the pleasure these relationships can offer.  The risk of technology and 'financial inclusion' (when what we really mean is opening a bank account) is not that  mistakes will be made (although they often will), but that isolation and fearfulness will increase.

 

Hugh

 

From: MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com [mailto:MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Kim Wilson
Sent: 05 January 2014 20:57
To: MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [MFP] proposed changes to South African National Credit Act

 

 

Here is a nice write-up on what is happening in the US on exactly this topic. 

 

 

 

 

From: Malcolm Harper <malcolm.harper@btinternet.com>
To: MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, January 5, 2014 2:09 PM
Subject: Re: [MFP] proposed changes to South African National Credit Act

 

 

Thanks Jeff, words can mean different things to different people.

 

But I happen to know someone who works in a fairly senior position for one of the 'worst offender' money shop type lenders in the UK. A single mother, immigrant, hard working and clear thinking, she is a good spokesperson for the business. It's not easy. It costs a fair bit of money to lend someone $100 for a week, 'transaction costs', risk costs, and so on, and some profit, never mind the cost of funds, it's hard to see how it can be done for less than ten dollars. "Outrageous, 10% a week, 500% a year", we say, and more if its compounded.

 

But it's really just a matter of fixed and variable costs; when you rent a house, or a car, there is often a high initial fee followed by a lower per period cost. Why not the same for renting money ? Maybe they should charge nine dollars fixed and a dollar a week to cover the cost of money and risk. The APR, effective interest rate, whatever, would still be 'outrageous' for one week money, but would actually be reasonable. Would the payday lenders accept something of the kind ? Has anybody asked them ?

 

Malcolm

 

From: M

Sent: Sunday, January 05, 2014 6:36 PM

Subject: Re: [MFP] proposed changes to South African National Credit Act

 

 

Malcolm,

 

Good point. However you cut it a lot of money to service debts. Should be interesting to come up with a workable, low cost, scaleable alternative. Getting financial institutions to reform insanely profitable products is difficult as the efforts to reform the banking industry in the USA has shown.

 

Jeff

Jeffrey Ashe
jaashe@aol.com

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Malcolm Harper <malcolm.harper@btinternet.com>
To: MicrofinancePractice <MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sun, Jan 5, 2014 1:27 pm
Subject: Re: [MFP] proposed changes to South African National Credit Act

 

Thank you Jami, interesting, maybe the UK government (and others too) could learn from what the SA government is trying to do. But 'disposable income' can be defined as what is left after paying taxes, or as what is left after paying for essentials such as food, housing, utilities and so on. It would be interesting to know which of these two meanings was intended in this article.

 

Malcolm

 

From: Jami Solli

Sent: Sunday, January 05, 2014 2:12 PM

Subject: [MFP] proposed changes to South African National Credit Act

 

 

fyi article contains from very interesting stats from South Africa which you may recall has the credit legislation in place that bans 'reckless lending,' which is apparently easier said than done because they give the stats that 76% of consumers' household disposable income is being used to service debts, and more than 20% of credit active population (estimated to be 20m persons) is more than 3 mos. in arrears on loans.

 

 

 

Best,

Jami

 


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