“Every handicraft has to be taught not merely mechanically as is done today, but scientifically. This is to say, the child should learn the why and wherefore of every process.” – Gandhi’s Philosophy of Education The greatest challenge in … Read More
Rockstar of Financial Inclusion: Business Correspondent Model of India
India is a hot bed of financial exclusion. A country which houses nearly 16% of the global population has more than 65% of its people outside the formal financial system (Global Findex 2012). The Indian banking system has adopted multiple … Read More
A Short Message from the Avaaj Otalo Project
“Namashkar… Welcome to the Agriculture Advisory and Agriculture Information service of Awaaj Otalo. Today we will discuss….” If you were a Gujarati (treatment) cotton farmer in the Sayla or Chotila taluka district in Surendranager, each Wednesday you’d be receiving a … Read More
A Ride to Remote Reality
So far I’ve only had the chance to read blogs written by others. This is going to be my maiden blog of my maiden field tour. This was not only a wonderful and educative exposure, but also had a lot … Read More
Why Government’s Rush to Use Aadhar-linked Benefit Transfers Could Derail the World’s Largest Unique ID Project
A few days ago, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declared that from January 1st, the government would start using Aadhaar linked bank accounts to transfer government benefits under 29 schemes in 51 districts across 16 states, taking on an unprecedented challenge. … Read More
Understanding Savings Monitors
In January this year, four of us made our way into a little hamlet called Beerasandra, in Kolar District in Karnataka. This was to be the first Pilot Village of the Savings Monitors Project. We had already identified individuals who … Read More
Microfinance India Summit 2012: “Financial Streams Dry Up!”
Behind the slightly catastrophic title of one of this morning’s break-up sessions stood a very interesting problematic. Indeed, the panel conducted by Vineet Rai, an equity investor specialized in microfinance investments, was set to address three questions that are fundamental … Read More
SPARK Presentation: Savings Products – Understanding What Works
In this Spark session, Nikhil & Kenny throw light on how behavioral economics and observations from studies on marketing and technology can be used in designing better savings products for lower income communities. The session also highlights features of savings … Read More
Understanding Chhattisgarh’s Livelihood Landscapes Through PRADAN’s Initiative
In a series to understand the ground realities of livelihood opportunities for the poor, CMF is currently interviewing a set of recognized practitioners. In our first episode, we feature Saroj Mahapatra, Programme Director, PRADAN – Chhattisgarh. PRADAN is a non-government, … Read More
Is Safe Box all you Need to Save Towards the Next Savings Goal?
Helping the poor save more towards a specific goal, could be as simple as providing them a safe, secure device for savings – something as simple as a Piggy Bank or a Safe Box. Sounds too simple? Based on a … Read More