I was recently in the CARE office in Niamey Niger and saw this poster
Time for a deep breath
Weren’t we saying the same things about microcredit in the 1980’s and ’90’s? And then… didn’t things turn a little, uh, sour?
A Really Neat Idea!
My grandmother too would be smiling happily, wherever she now is, to see the fundamental principle of her system being applied to the most recently pervasive technology
Unable But Willing to Pay
Recently while visiting Naomi, a home brewer in Western Kenya, a customer came by to ask for Ksh 20 worth of liquor. He quickly ...
The Unfun
Kim takes down Dean Karlan, who for no good reason seems to be taking down informal mechanisms.
Crossing a Wild Ocean
Brett helps us learn from the German experience.
The Microfinance Meltdown - Crisis or Opportunity for Savings Groups
Where the rest of the world sees problems, entrepreneurs see opportunities.
The Conclusion of Hundreds of Experts: Savings Is Not Relevant
The Gateway requests that you “stay tuned if you want to learn more on the topic and where to find practical tips and resources from the experts.”
Monty Python's "The Merchant Banker"
I’m a huge fan of Monty Python, and enjoyed revisiting familiar skits - but this skit was unfamiliar, and, I thought, very funny. I hope you enjoy it.
Early Antarctic Savings Groups
Twenty-two castaways are struggling to maintain hope on Elephant Island, a barren and frozen speck halfway between Cape Horn and Antarctica.
Quit Drinkin' and Start Savin', you Kids
The following is excerted from the Zambian Post newspaper 21 August 2015:
What's Next? (Maybe just more of the same...)
Savings Group promoters keep looking for a New Thing, a product or service that will respond to the question “What’s Next”
Let's Look Before We Leap
I recently was asked to read a draft of an academic paper on the pitfalls of microcredit and the virtues of savings groups. The paper ...
Great Review, Great Book
Here’s a link to an excellent review of In Their Own Hands: How Savings Groups are Revolutionizing Development
The Savings Group Tiger and the Banking Shark
Tiger and Shark are both convinced they are the Most Strongest of All Animals.
Crab tells Tiger...
Digital ID's and the Peer-to-Peer Alternative
I came across this discussion on the MicroSave website:
Whither the Savings Groups?
In the introduction of a recent recruitment notice:
Beauty and Saving's Groups
I saw this Savings Group (formed by Cadecom) in Mchinji District in Malawi earlier this week. It was ...
Savings Groups and Skills Development: A Pathway for Youth Economic Strengthening
A recent Microlinks post discusses the future of economic strengthening programming and...