Blog

The FinDev Gateway Blog features interviews and blog posts from financial inclusion practitioners around the world. In this community space, we share lessons learned, new ideas, and upcoming research from the field.

Speaking the Common Language of the SDGs

By FinDev Gateway
October 2019
Sorghum farmer in Kenya. Photo by Stephen Ouma, 2018 CGAP Photo Contest.

Jean-Marc Debricon of Alterfin discusses impact investing in rural Africa as the region prepares for African Microfinance Week. Held in Burkina Faso from 21 to 25 October 2019, this major regional conference provides a unified African platform for discussion of microfinance issues. ​

Savings lock box, Uganda. Photo by Allison Shelley for CGAP.
Blog

Unlocking Capital in Financial Services for the Poor

While the financial inclusion sector has changed drastically over the last twenty years, a familiar challenge has returned: information asymmetry. So MIX’s strategic shifts to refocus on data initiatives in fintech, digital and agricultural finance - and other frontier sectors to come - are a welcome development for the entire financial inclusion community.
By Mayada El-Zoghbi & Henry Gonzalez
October 2019
Farmer in Njombe, Tanzania. Photo by Dorcas Tinga, One Acre Fund.
Blog

Three Solutions for Delivering Insurance to Smallholder Farmers

Leading microinsurance providers discuss how to solve issues with distribution, the multitude of risks farmers face and uptake.
By Céline Fillet, with the contribution of Propagate Coalition members
October 2019

MOST READ

Father and son, Vietnam. Photo by Minh Quoc Le, 2014 CGAP Photo Contest.
Blog

Microfinance in the Digital World: Seven Questions for the Future

Will fintechs take over microfinance? Can traditional microfinance lenders survive? How? Elisabeth Rhyne of the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion answers these and other burning questions.
By Elisabeth Rhyne
May 2019
Train in Bangladesh. Photo by Sohel Parvez Haque, 2017 CGAP Photo Contest.
Blog

Gateway Guide to Digital Transformation of Microfinance Institutions

Should all financial service providers climb on the digital bandwagon to stay relevant? In this Gateway Guide, we share our main take-aways from the latest research and practical lessons across the sector.
By Gayane Manukyan
May 2019
Digital financial services client. Photo credit: Accion
Blog

Consumer Protection in a Digital Age

The Smart Campaign's new standards and guidance for digital finance mark a profound shift for the sector - from a previous focus on staff behavior towards clients, to the increasing importance of product design and delivery, as well as data protection.
By Elisabeth Rhyne
July 2019
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Savings lock box, Uganda. Photo by Allison Shelley for CGAP.
Blog

Unlocking Capital in Financial Services for the Poor

While the financial inclusion sector has changed drastically over the last twenty years, a familiar challenge has returned: information asymmetry. So MIX’s strategic shifts to refocus on data initiatives in fintech, digital and agricultural finance - and other frontier sectors to come - are a welcome development for the entire financial inclusion community.
By Mayada El-Zoghbi & Henry Gonzalez
October 2019
Farmer in Njombe, Tanzania. Photo by Dorcas Tinga, One Acre Fund.
Blog

Three Solutions for Delivering Insurance to Smallholder Farmers

Leading microinsurance providers discuss how to solve issues with distribution, the multitude of risks farmers face and uptake.
By Céline Fillet, with the contribution of Propagate Coalition members
October 2019
Sorghum farmer in Kenya. Photo by Stephen Ouma, 2018 CGAP Photo Contest.
Interview

Speaking the Common Language of the SDGs

Jean-Marc Debricon of Alterfin discusses impact investing in rural Africa as the region prepares for African Microfinance Week. Held in Burkina Faso from 21 to 25 October 2019, this major regional conference provides a unified African platform for discussion of microfinance issues. ​
By FinDev Gateway
October 2019
My Oral Village and MicroSave conduct a focus group on oral information management (OIM) with factory workers in Ludhiana, Punjab, India. Photo by Brett Hudson Matthews, My Oral Village.
Blog

A New Financial Syntax for Illiterate and Low-literate People

Digital solutions that work well for literate people often fail to support inclusion among the estimated one billion adults worldwide who cannot read or write. My Oral Village is building on oral approaches to money management to broaden digital financial inclusion in Pakistan.
By Aqeel Hayat & David Myhre
September 2019
Photo credit: Jennifer Huxta, Mastercard Foundation
Blog

Becoming Intentional About Learning

We need to prioritize organizational learning to develop and enhance financial inclusion interventions. Here are some tips for how to get started.
By Anne Maftei
September 2019
A small manufacturer of silk thread wraps, Turkey. Photo by Bulent Suberk, 2016 CGAP Photo Contest.
Blog

What Would People Say?

Women entrepreneurs or those taking on a new career path in Turkey often hear this phrase from society, discouraging them from taking on less traditional roles. But now organizations in the country are working to unpack and overcome the insidious effects of gender-based social norms on women’s financial health.
By Sarah Willis & Yasmin Bin-Humam
September 2019