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Infographic: Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2018 - Piecing Together the Poverty Puzzle

World Bank poverty status infographic & new poverty lines.

Compassion for the vulnerable and marginalized people of the Philippines brought three women together many decades ago, determined to find innovative solutions for the impoverished. Known as the “pillars” of Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation, Inc. (NWTF), Cecilia del Castillo, Corazon Henares and Suzzette Gaston knew early on that the power to effect change in the community lay in the hearts and hands of Filipino women.

NWTF Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Cecilia del Castillo, has recently passed away. This link is to an inspirational feature about the origins of a Grameen replication program and how the services were expanded and deepened to meet the needs of women in the Philippines under her leadership.

The claim that removing cash would improve financial access for the poor has become a fallback argument for demonetisation, despite notebandi failing to achieve its other objectives. Like many other arguments made for abolishing cash in favour of digital payments, this claim does not stand up to scrutiny.

Interesting article about the demonetization approach in India and its effects on digitization and financial inclusion for the poor. Overall the authors find that while “account ownership rose rapidly between 2014 and 2017, the more meaningful metrics of account usage, saving behaviour, and non-cash payments suggest that financial inclusion decelerated in the 2014–17 period.”

In general, people in India still report major barriers to access finance such as, “having insufficient funds for an account (54%), services being too expensive (27%), living too remotely (23%) and lacking the necessary documentation (23%). Twenty percent reported having insufficient trust in financial institutions. However, one voluntary reason was also offered: “someone in the family has an account” (52%).”

However, is it fair to reach the conclusion that because demonetization was not effective towards the government’s goal of advancing financial inclusion, finding ways to meaningfully advance financial inclusion itself is not worth prioritizing?

WPF’s partner, Mekong Plus administers their lending program through Anh Duong NGO in the Hậu Giang Province of Southern Vietnam. Located in the Mekong Delta, travelling around this area requires constantly crossing short bridges across the network of rivers. In fact, building such bridges together with community involvement was how Anh Duong first started working with the community. This week we took a bicycle/moto ferry across one river - didn’t even have to get off the bike!

Agriculture training and Loan disbursement at Mekong Plus’ Anh Duong organisation. The days topic was preventing and treating livestock diseases, with a special emphasis on ducks which are commonly raised in the area. In addition to interest-free Loans, Borrowers in the very poor program receive feee vaccinations from Anh Duong for up to 4 pigs and 200 chickens or ducks.

Saturday morning breakfast in Sri Lanka ☕️ (at Colombo, Sri Lanka) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpJAcOwHjwqlKkg7v3JxXPPw3YSWxTt4z0FVbw0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=84knt8jblazh

Meeting with one of WPF’s newer partners, STEP, in India. The two ladies on the far left (Indira) and far right (Alpana) actually first joined STEP years ago as microcredit borrowers. For the last 11 years, they have joined as field staff, were promoted to branch managers and now they are Microfinance Coordinators. Based out of the Kolkata head office, each coordinator manages about 4 branches – following compliance, training, staff performance evaluations and supporting field operations like disbursements.

STEP has recently finalized their new MIS system which works with a mobile based app. Here the field officer is able to quickly and accurately consolidate repayments using the tool.

STEP’s staff offers different types of trainings. Above, a field officer is giving a training on savings. The STEP staff actually created a skit to illustrate different types and pitfalls of savings which the field officer is showing to the group on his smartphone. In another testimony to the staff’s theatrical side – a larger group of community members (both clients and non-clients) gather to see a STEP training on gender equality. These field staff invite audience participation and put on a skit. This attracts a crowd and serves to promote the organization as well.

WPF funds were dedicated to the income generating loan at the new Sheakhala branch. This branch is STEP’s first expansion from their traditional urban clientele to a peri-urban / more rural location. Clients visited the branch to arrange their disbursements. However STEP encourages their members to open savings accounts so the majority of loans are actually disbursed directly into their accounts.

NUBL has been integrating tablets into their operations. Right now, the field officers in Ilam are using both the old paper system and tablets as they transition from one system to the other. However, the goal is to make collections paperless which will provide significant cost savings, operational efficiencies and error reduction at NUBL operations. The other use of the tablets is to deliver a financial literacy education series. At the end of the center meeting we visited, NUBL members gathered around the tablet to watch a brief video that reinforces topics such as the importance of saving and using loan capital to invest in business development.

WPF Supplier Partners visit the Nirdhan Head office in Kathmandu and branch operations in Ilam (Eastern Nepal). At HQ, NUBL’s CEO explains Nirhdan’s lending methodology and gives a tour of the office. He explains that even at the head office there are no revolving desk chairs or air-conditioning units as the organization strives to keep costs down and allocate resources to serving their members. In the field, the suppliers visited 2 Center meetings, visited several client businesses (including lunch at a client restaurant) and had lots of memorable discussion with the local staff. Thank you Nirdhan for hosting the WPF group and sharing so many insights about the mission and operations of your organization!

NUBL Branch Staff at the WPF supported branch in Ilam, Nepal shows me the solar panels that were installed on the roof with support from WPF in the 2013-2014 High Impact Project. This 1-year grant helped install solar panels at 89 NUBL offices (85 branches + 4 regional offices). At that time, branch productivity was severely impacted by irregular electricity access. Now the electricity situation is much more reliable in Ilam, but it is still useful to have the panels as back-up for cuts that occur from time to time.

Walking to a Nirdhan center meeting with @wholeplanet supplier partners. (at Ilam, Nepal) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bnc8OW-hv_clIbWLc7owy2tbR39Cb0A7GoMYjY0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=tenf10szkedp

Last day in Kathmandu. (at Boudha) https://www.instagram.com/p/BncuBD6hqeV75cRl1SHH0r7Rt88ORM-jnQOq1I0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1jwiwwwnc9cdl

A momo cooking class with a view! Can you tell which momo’s are mine??? I have some practice to do! @wholeplanet (at Kathmandu, Nepal) https://www.instagram.com/p/BnOtL_lBHE0xAWojaIXy5V9NS9Cro4A-G3UJ5A0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1oudoclaja3ys

Trying to capture a picture of KOMIDA client, Erliana, and her roadside dried-fish stall.

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