two people in a cornfield wearing masks

Returning to Travel and The Questions That Come First

Stephanie ManciagliCOVID-19, Field Team Blogs, Travel

While borders have mostly reopened around the world, albeit with travel restrictions and potential quarantines, Whole Planet Foundation has continued to work with our partners virtually while monitoring the global situation, as WPF’s Global Program’s Director outlines in this blog. After 18 months of working virtually, in stark contrast to …

Navigating COVID-19 in Bhutan: Providing Additional Capital to RENEW Microfinance Private Limited

Claire KellyAsia and the Pacific, COVID-19, Field Team Blogs

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of WPF’s microfinance partners have faced increasing demands from clients for both loans and savings withdrawals.  At the same time, many clients have faced difficulties in making repayments on their existing loans due to slowed business activity and/or travel restrictions and lockdowns.  In response to …

Mobile Money Ensures Continued Success Amidst the COVID-19 Crisis in Uganda

Whole Planet FoundationCOVID-19, Microcredit, Microfinance Partners

For three entrepreneurial women business partners in Uganda, the emerging COVID-19 crisis posed an immediate threat to their newly started business. Pictured above, the three entrepreneurs, Nancy, Lilly, and Irene stand on their business premises in Patira East Village. After successfully completing a training program in December 2019 with Whole …

Nine Outstanding Field Officers Recognized in 2020 Latin American Field Officer Awards

Stephanie ManciagliCOVID-19, Field Officer Awards, Field Team Blogs, Latin America and the Caribbean, Microfinance Partners

Whole Planet Foundation’s annual Field Officer Awards for the Latin American region were distributed in August 2020. This special honor is designed to go to a Field Officer who has gone above and beyond his/her role to provide financial services to low income entrepreneurs . Often, award nominations are submitted …

woman in sierra leone selling soap

Microfinance Partner BRAC Responds to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Zoe SoCOVID-19, Field Team Blogs, Microfinance Partners

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every one of our microfinance partners in different ways. The experience of this twin economic and health crisis differs from person to person, family to family, community to community, country to country. The Whole Planet Foundation team has been checking in with microfinance partners throughout …

Webinars Share Best Practices and Innovations Concerning COVID-19 in Latin America

Stephanie ManciagliCOVID-19, Latin America and the Caribbean, Microfinance Partners

Prompted by interest from our network of microfinance partners, WPF organized two webinars to bring together our Latin American and Caribbean network of microfinance partners. The first call, in June 2020, gathered ten microfinance institutions to discuss how each was managing the COVID-19 crisis; if and how they were disbursing …

WPF and Microfinance Partners Respond to the COVID-19 Crisis: Update

Daniel ZoltaniCOVID-19, Field Team Blogs, Foundation News, Microcredit, Microfinance Partners

In March, I wrote the blog Whole Planet Foundation and Microfinance Partners Respond to the COVID-19 Crisis around how those living in poverty are already in a more vulnerable position, which can be further exacerbated during any external shock such as war, earthquakes, droughts or health crises. Seven months into …

The Pledge to Protect Microfinance Institutions and Their Clients From the Economic Effects of COVID-19

Brian DoeFoundation News, Microcredit, Microfinance Partners

Whole Planet Foundation has recently signed onto the Key Principles to Protect Microfinance Institutions and their Clients in the COVID-19 Crisis, supporting dialogue and collective action to help microfinance institutions support their clients in this difficult period. Similarly WPF has been following and is supportive of other similar efforts including …