Word: iskenderian
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...Iskenderian:The impact on the poor, including the clients of our network, has probably been most evident in rising food and energy prices, which have meant that families may face trade-offs like the choice between paying back their loans or putting dinner on the table for their families. Microfinance doesn't target the poorest of the poor, as they need other types of intervention. It targets the economically active poor at the bottom of the pyramid. There are signs that micro-entrepreneurs will see higher interest rates, since the global credit crunch will likely require MFIs to raise interest...
...Iskenderian: Product diversification came out of a recognition that lending alone is not the solution if our end goal is long-term poverty alleviation, which is why we in the industry no longer talk about microcredit, but microfinance. Many entrepreneurs in the developing world are only one seemingly minor catastrophe - like a hospital stay - away from financial disaster, so housing loans and insurance and savings products help create and preserve assets, leading to broader benefits for the economy as a whole. I can't tell you how many times I've heard women clients in our network...
...Iskenderian: The trend that is most shaping the industry today is undoubtedly commercialization, as microfinance is increasingly seen as a distinct asset class and a profitable business opportunity. The numbers are truly staggering. In 2006, over $2 billion in commercial capital poured into the microfinance industry. In 2007, this investment was over $3 billion. At the same time, MFIs themselves are increasingly transforming from non-profit organizations to regulated, for-profit institutions. They are doing so even as many microfinance institutions still rely on a guy keeping a big book with a ledger rather than a computer system. But there...
...Iskenderian: Continuing to raise global awareness of microfinance as a viable way to invest in poor women entrepreneurs and fight poverty around the world is our overarching goal. And the focus on women is really key not only for economic empowerment and empowerment reasons, but also because of the multiplier effect on economies and communities, since women reinvest their profits back into their communities at greater rates than men. One of the products we're developing that I'm most excited about is a pilot program for savings targeting young women and adolescent girls that we're working on with...
...Iskenderian: It is truly astonishing how the microfinance industry has changed since I began working in the field of international development. Microfinance has really come of age, and I think that many of the trends I mentioned before - from commercialization to product diversification - have all played a part in this transformation. But as I said before, to take full advantage of microfinance's potential, it is also important for the industry to continue to innovate and evolve. One of the most significant changes has been the move from group to individual lending - an area that Women's World Banking...