Social Performance Notes: 10 October 2011

At Kiva, we value being in tune with the current news, research, and findings, so each week we are going to bring you the latest updates in Microfinance and Social Performance!

In this post, we cover the following: Over-indebtedness in Microcredit, Consumer Protection from the Consumers Point of View, Microfinance and the Fight Against Child Labor, Microfinance and Solar Loans and much much more.

If you can only read one:

Over-indebtedness in Microcredit: Lessons for the Future
source: Microfinance Gateway
Microfinance continues to struggle with the problem of client over-indebtedness. Kiva is following the best thinking and monitoring its partners practices to protect borrowers. Recently, MIX has explored portfolio quality problems around the world, a common proxy to measure over-indebtedness, and various relevant patterns emerge for the discussion of over-indebtedness in Latin America and around the world.

If you can read more than one...

ASKI awarded ‘Most Outstanding NGO’, donates prize money to typhoon victims
source: Microfinance Focus
Kiva Field Partner Alalay sa Kaunlaran, Inc. (ASKI) donated its prize money as most outstanding Filipino NGO to support victims of last week's typhoon.



Consumer Protection? Ask the consumer
source: CGAP Microfinance Blog
Client protection studies are starting to include consumer viewpoints, like CGAP's new research from Senegal.

BRAC Uganda wins the Gold Social Performance Management Award
source: BRAC Blog
Kiva Field Partner BRAC Uganda wins transparency award for social performance. With global recognition that microfinance institutions should be placing emphasis on social as well as financial goals, the Association of Microfinance Institutions of Uganda (AMFIU) gathered representatives from microfinance institutions across the country for the first Social Performance Management Awards on September 27, 2011. A number of microfinance institutions were recognized for their efforts in integrating social performance management into their operations. After the bronze and silver awards were distributed, Khondoker Ariful Islam, Country Representative of BRAC Uganda was called to accept the only Gold Award for “Outstanding Recognition in Implementing Social Performance Management”.

Transforming Lives: Can Savings and Credit Group Membership Work for People Affected by HIV/AIDS? A South African Case Study (pdf)
source: Microfinance Gateway
Kiva's funding model allows it to drive Field Partners to focus on more challenging target markets. Increasingly, microfinance is moving toward including marginalized groups, such as people affected by HIV/AIDS. Check out new Kiva Field Partner ODEF to learn about its programs. Soon, Kiva will have a Marginalized Group Focus badge that will help lenders find Field Partners with this mission.

Microfinance and Child Labour (pdf)
source: Microfinance Gateway
Microfinance presents great opportunities for those excluded by financial services, but it also brings new challenges. This paper analyzes the role of microfinance in combating child labor. It reviews empirical evidence of microfinance’s impact on poverty, income stability, household wellbeing and the demand for child labor. The paper also examines MFIs’ direct experience in eliminating child labor.

Malawi’s solar micro-finance initiative builds business for women entrepreneurs
source: Women's News Network
Kiva continues to explore new partnerships and ways to expand green energy loans on its website. Read about solar microfinance in Malawi.