<p>Microfinance and micro credits are concepts that are used frequently when talking about poverty reducing actions. This paper is a case study of the poverty alleviation impacts of microfinance institutions and it contrasts the effects of Grameen Bank and Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) operating in Bangladesh. The case study examines the organisations effects in the 21st century since most of the reports have compared the effects in the past not reflecting on future conditions. The questions at issue are if Grameen Bank and BRAC can affect the poverty status of its members in a positive way and if there is a positive effect, which of the approaches are the best to use? To analyse the non monetary dimension, concepts such as health and education has been used as indicators for poverty reduction and the monetary indicator used is income through employment. Simultaneously economic models and concepts have been considered throughout the paper.</p><p>The findings of this case study implied that both organisations have positive effects on reducing poverty among its members, but BRAC has the broadest view seeing to all factors investigated and therefore its approach is the best to use. Nevertheless, as previous studies have implied sustainability and cost-effectiveness within the microfinance programme is important for the long-run poverty reduction. Evaluating the economic performance of the two organisations Grameen Bank is more efficient in using its resources than BRAC, but Grameen Bank show a decreasing rate of efficiency while BRAC is improving significantly. With this in consideration BRAC is still showing the best poverty reducing result for its members today, but if the organisation does not find a way to improve its economical performance its actions will not be sustainable in the long run.</p>

<p>In this paper we are exploring the field of microfinance; financial services given to poor and low-income individuals who do not have access to formal financial markets. The purpose of our study is to investigate if the Credit with Education program provided by the microfinance institution RCPB in Burkina Faso has had an effect on</p><p>the participating women concerning their empowerment, knowledge about</p><p>management/micro enterprises and knowledge about child nutrition and health. We are using data from two surveys made in 2003 and 2004 by the consultant bureau Sud Consult that we are analysing in a qualitative manner in order to respond to our investigation question. This paper treats theories concerning the financial market and</p><p>the importance of education, health and women’s empowerment. We present facts about microfinance in general and in Burkina Faso in particular and we review earlier studies on the subject. Our findings suggest that the Credit with Education program has achieved to increase the women’s knowledge concerning child nutrition and</p><p>health. The program has had a smaller but still a notable effect concerning the empowerment of the women, specifically in the region of West. The program has failed to increase the knowledge of business management in the years studied. In our analysis we present suggestions of improvements of the program.</p> / <p>Dans ce dossier, nous explorons le domaine de la microfinance ; des services financiers destinés aux populations pauvres et aux individus aux revenus modestes qui n’ont pas accès aux marchés financiers. Le but de notre étude est d’examiner si le crédit avec éducation fournis par l’institution finansière RCPB au Burkina Faso, a eu des répercussions sur la prise de participation des femmes en ce qui concerne leur indépendence, leur connaissance du management/ PME et leur connaissance en matière de nutrition et de santé infantille. Nous utilisons les données de deux études menées en 2003 et 2004 par le cabinet de consulting Sud Consult que nous analysons qualitativement afin de répondre à notre question d’investigation. Ce dossier est basé</p><p>sur les théories concernant le marché financier, l’importance de l’éducation de la santé et de l’indépendance des femmes. Nous abordons les faits du points de vue de la microfinance en général et du Burkina Faso en particulier et nous examinons des études réalisées précedement traitant du même sujet. Nos résultats montrent que le crédit avec l’éducation ont largement participé à l’amélioration des connaissances des femmes en matiéres de nutrition et de santé infantile. Le programme a eu une influence plus modeste sur leur indépendence, particulièrement dans la région de l’ouest. Le programme n’a cependant pas réussi à améliorer leur connaissance du management durant la période analysée. Dans notre analyse nous présentons des propositions d’amélioration pour le programme.</p>

Texte remanié de: Th. doct.--Sci. écon.--Nice, 2000. / En appendice, choix de textes et documents. Bibliogr. p. 361-372.

Diss.--Universität, Köln, 1999. / Bibliogr. p. 383-405.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Brown University, 2008. / Vita. Advisor : Andrew D. Foster. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-91).

Islamic finance is entering into a new pattern. It is deemed that Islamic finance should take initiative to meet the increasing needs of microfinance with aim of alleviating poverty and to help the poor people in their distress. Concept of Islamic Microfinance is being used to fulfill the demands of microfinance in the developing countries. Different models of Islamic finance are proposed to be used in microfinance activities to help the poor people for betterment of their personal life and to initiate the small business for the overall growth of the economy. But profit and loss sharing (Mudarabah) model is being criticized due to high risk involvement. Due to high risk factor, proper monitoring is deemed necessary for the smooth running of the contract. Our current research tends to investigate the underlying risk attached with Profit and Loss sharing project. As per theory of Profit and loss sharing financing all the risk is to be borne by the investor of the capital i.e. microfinance institution. But monitoring itself is not risk free and can result in expenses that would surpass the original price of the sanctioned loan. In the long run and at very end, we are hopeful that our research findings would play an important role to overcome the issue of monitoring in profit and loss sharing loans in microfinance. / Islamisk finansiering går in i ett nytt mönster. Det anses att islamisk finansiering bör ta initiativ för att möta de ökande behoven av mikrofinansiering med syfte att minska fattigdomen och att hjälpa fattiga människor i deras nöd. Begreppet islamiska Mikrofinans används för att uppfylla kraven från mikrofinansiering i utvecklingsländerna. Olika modeller för islamisk finansiering föreslås att användas i mikrofinansieringsverksamhet att hjälpa de fattiga för förkovran i deras personliga liv och att inleda ett litet företag för den totala tillväxten i ekonomin. Men vinst och förlust delning (Mudarabah) modell är att bli kritiserad på grund av hög risk engagemang. På grund av hög riskfaktor är korrekt övervakning anses nödvändigt för att fungera väl i kontraktet. Vår nuvarande forskning tenderar att undersöka den underliggande risken fäst med Resultaträkning dela projekt. Per teori av vinst och förlust dela finansieringen alla risker skall bäras av investeraren av kapitalet, dvs mikrofinansiering institution. Men övervakningen i sig inte är riskfritt och kan resultera i kostnader som skulle överträffa det ursprungliga priset på sanktionerade lånet. I det långa loppet och på slutet, vi hoppas att våra forskningsresultat kommer att spela en viktig roll för att lösa frågan om övervakning i resultaträkningen dela lån mikrofinansiering.

Most of the disabled people in the world live in poverty. In order to escape poverty, microfinance is said to be a solution. The Microfinance Institutions do not, however, incorporate everybody who is poor in their programs, which could be assumed. Disabled people and their families are a group which many times are not included in these programs. Since they many times already faces discrimination and also are excluded from the rest of the society they do not have a solution on how to escape from poverty. In Guatemala where the disabled people most surely also are indigenous gives them double stigmas. The purpose of this research is to identify what impacts microfinance has on the livelihoods of the families with disabled children around Lake Atitlán, Guatemala and subsequent to this what adaptations the MFIs should take when working with families within this target group. In order to collect the data a field study around Lake Atitlán, Guatemala with semi-structured interviews was done. The respondents were mothers of disabled children and employees of two NGOs. To analyze the results, DFIDs Sustainable Livelihood Framework was used. Since the frameworks give a broader spectrum than just one category of life it is easier to see what impacts the microfinance have on the livelihood and what the respondents are lacking in the microcredit program. The research demonstrates that microfinance has positive impacts on some aspects of the livelihoods of families of disabled children even if not to many MFIs within the country focus on them. Another conclusion of the study is that MFIs do not need to make big adaptions in order to work with this specific target group, they need however, inform about disabilities in order to end discrimination.

Thesis (MTech. degree in Business Administration)--Tshwane University of Technology, 2009. / The extant microfinance literature provides an array of paradigms on microfinancial services delivery. The Ohio Paradigm advocates for the packaging and provision of microfinancial services along ordinary market practices in which there are both buyers and sellers of services. As such, the poor are not considered as mere beneficiaries but only as clients or at least a segment of financial services market.This study stems from the need to broaden the scope of research on this growing sector, which in comparison to other developing nations is fairly young. The aim of this research was to investigate the applicability of the Ohio Paradigm in South Africa as well as its impact on eventuating sustainable grass root financial systems.

Microfinance and micro-credit practices have become a popular means of local development. In India, their expansion has been largest in Andhra Pradesh. These practices target primarily women, who are encouraged to construct self-help-groups in order to have a social basis for raising collateral and for receiving financial services. Microfinance has been perceived by the public as inducing strong positive effects on women’s empowerment and as strengthening the democratic fibre. From these standpoints, expansion and effects, it has been evaluated and analysed whether microfinance can empower women and if empowered women can make a difference in women’s and societal issues.

Inspired by the precedence of eradicating worldwide poverty and the unresolved discussion how to solve this problem, this paper attempts to illustrate how microfinance by the Grameen Bank can alleviate poverty beyond the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). These goals are arguably limited by the use of poverty lines and may not reflect the true level of poverty beyond quantifications. Microfinance has become a top choice for bottom-up poverty alleviation despite mixed effects over past decades. In this regard, this study seeks to explore how microfinance as a bottom-up approach to development can widen and enhance social opportunities beyond quantifications and the MDG for poor people. Guided by an explorative case study design qualitative interviews with Grameen Bank staff and borrowers were conducted in rural villages in the divisions of Tangail and Manikganj in the surrounding areas of Dhaka. Three primary stakeholders were identified for further empirical enquiry: (1) poor people and households, (2) children and students, and (3) extremely poor people or beggars. The research revealed that microfinance can alleviate poverty and enhance economic as well as social opportunities for poor people to a certain extent. In terms of economic opportunity enhancement microfinance can lead to stimulation of business sectors and village economy, increased purchasing power and general access to financial services otherwise inaccessible for poor people. With regards to social opportunities, microfinance may lead to increased choice to pursue what one desires, women empowerment, instrumental value, change in living conditions, decreased availability of household workers, increased opportunities for beggars and access to healthcare. However, the level of effectiveness of poverty intervention and opportunity enhancement varies among the groups of people explored: (1) poor people and households and (2) children and students can enhance their opportunities relatively more effectively compared to (3) extremely poor people or beggars.