Blog
Smallholder farmers in Tanzania
It’s planting season in Mbeya, and the beginning of an intensive CGAP research project that will record in minute detail—down to the last few shillings–the cashflows of households here over the course of a year.
Smallholder farmers are by far the largest group of people living on less than $2 a day globally. Many things have been tried to help boost their incomes, and many have failed.
This video documents the beginning of a CGAP project in Tanzania that’s part of a wider research effort to track the financial diaries of farming families. Over the coming months the CGAP research team will be looking to gain insights to help develop financial products and services that make a difference in the lives of smallholder families.
Regulating digital finance
Regulators around the world comment on the challenges and opportunities for digital finance to bring more people into the mainstream financial system. Featuring the latest developments in Bangladesh, Kenya, and Ghana, this video shows how digital finance is expanding at a massive pace, and how regulators are struggling to keep up.
Islamic Microfinance Challenge Judging
Finalists in the Islamic Microfinance Challenge face the judges.
Jan Dhan Yojana
The beginning of the end of financial untouchability—that’s how Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced his massive new financial inclusion plan in August 2014.
Jan Dhan Yojana is a plan to outstrip and out-scale them all. More than 18 million new accounts were opened in the first few days—a number that’s catapulted India into the Guinness Book of World Records. And in the months following, sign ups have been in overdrive. Jan Dhan Yojana has signed up over 115 million new accounts in just five months.
In this story about the Prime Minister’s ambitious scheme, we hear why.
India’s Unique ID
As many as 500 million people in India have no form of official identification, making it difficult for them to access all kinds of public services. The goal of Aadhaar, the world’s largest biometric database, is to get every Indian resident a unique ID number. Nandan Nilekani, Chairman of the Unique ID Indian Authority, is the driving force behind the program. He hopes that Aadhaar can use technology to “help solve very very fundamental social problems.” Having a unique ID enables Indian residents to collect social welfare payments from the government, such as food subsidies, pensions, and housing benefits from bank agents anywhere in the country with just a fingerprint.
Written, produced, and directed by Jeanette Thomas.
Filmed and edited by Peter Cairns.
Janalakshmi’s journey: financial services for the poor in India
Janalakshmi is an urban microfinance organization, based in Bangalore. With over a million clients, their loan business has grown fast over the past seven years. Now they’ve embarked on a radical project to reshape the entire business around the lives of poor people. By learning more about how poor people live, they hope to develop products that simultaneously meet their needs and help the Janalakshmi business.This short film chronicles the Janalakshmi team’s efforts to transform their business to offer the next generation of financial services for the poor in India.
Written, produced, and directed by Jeanette Thomas.
Filmed and edited by Peter Cairns.
MShwari
MShwari is a new banking platform that enables customers to save, earn interest, and access small amounts of credit instantly via their mobile phones. Loan amounts depend on how much clients have saved in their MShwari accounts, as well as their repayment behavior. “We’re trying to shift the trust relationship between the bank and customer,” says Eric Muriuki of Commercial Bank of Africa. “We want to offer formal financial services to as many people, if not all, but in a way that the product actually gives them some empowerment. We don’t want to just count account numbers, we want to see impact, we want to see transformation in people’s lives.”
Written, produced, and directed by Jeanette Thomas.
Filmed and edited by Peter Cairns.
Islamic Microfinance Challenge: Kyrgyzstan
Profile of Kompanion Invest, finalist in the Islamic Microfinance Challenge.
Written, produced, and directed by Jeanette Thomas.
Filmed and edited by Peter Cairns.
Islamic Microfinance Challenge: Sudan
Profile of Bank of Khartoum, finalist in the Islamic Microfinance Challenge.
Written, produced, and directed by Jeanette Thomas.
Filmed and edited by Peter Cairns.