According to The World Bank, approximately 20% of the world’s population does not have a toilet in their home. Cost can be one challenge for a household. According to CGAP, “In Indonesia, for example, connection to piped water systems averages $150, while a flush toilet can cost around $250. For comparison, …
Microfinance vs. Informal Finance: A Fair Comparison?
If microfinance is so effective, then why hasn’t the industry put informal moneylenders out of business? This is the question that a recent paper, Microfinance for poverty alleviation: Do transnational initiatives overlook fundamental questions of competition and intermediation? in Transnational Corporations and accompanying blog set out to find the answer …
KOMIDA’s Social Performance Management Journey
KOMIDA: Investing in a Future without Poverty in Indonesia As part of Whole Planet Foundation’s annual due diligence visits to our microfinance partners around the globe, we observe the presence or absence of “responsible finance indicators” which shed light on how our partners are serving the world’s poorest people. Many …
Field Officer Award, Asia and the Pacific
March 8 is International Women’s Day and we’d like to spotlight some of our microfinance partners’ incredible field officers for the contributions they make to their institutions and the microcredit clients (borrowers) they serve. This year we have 14 award winners for the Asia/Pacific Region, half of which are women. …
Asia/Pacific Field Officer Appreciation Award
In the latest edition of the WPF Field Officer (FO) Appreciation Award, the Asia/Pacific Region collected 13 nominations from our regional partners in 2016/17. Congratulations to all the finalists and honorable mention winners! The Finalists WPF awarded prizes to 5 finalists. Each finalist received a $500 prize. The prize was …
Adding Value in Sri Lanka
This blog comes to us from Claire Kelly, WPF’s Regional Director for Asia/Pacific. Adding Value: Berendina’s Enterprise Development Services (EDS) Providing access to credit is the fundamental service of all of Whole Planet Foundation’s microfinance partners. But what is the best way to support borrowers as they use their loan …
Sanitation Microfinance in Asia
Claire is the Asia/Pacific Regional Director for Whole Planet Foundation. She is responsible for overseeing and expanding a portfolio spanning the region – from Pakistan to Samoa. Whole Planet Foundation’s partner in Indonesia, KOMIDA, analyzed their client information and determined that about 60% of their clients do not have access …
Ture honored with one of our Field Officer Appreciation Awards for Africa
Whole Planet Foundation wants to acknowledge the achievements of the Field Officers who work for our microfinance partners around the globe. In July 2014, we piloted a new Field Officer Appreciation Award in the Africa/MENA region. In total, this region includes 22 partner institutions that collectively employ more than 6,000 Field …
Courage of One Challenge: Poverty Quiz on Sub-Saharan Africa
So you’re participating in our Courage of One Challenge with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part I and you want to learn more about Sub-Saharan Africa?
Client Stories from our partners Grameen Ghana and One Acre Fund
This quarter we received these two special client stories from our partners Grameen Ghana and One Acre Fund. Samata, a client of our partner Grameen Ghana “Whole Planet Foundation support has made me a true entrepreneur” – A story received from our partner Grameen Ghana in northern Ghana. “I am …