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Readings

In case you miss downloading the recommended readings at the end of each lesson, here they are again:

  • Lesson 1 – Microfinance: what’s it all about?
    V.Mahajan, Is Microcredit the Answer to Poverty Eradication? 2000. PDF
    T.Dichter, Hype and Hope: The Worrisome State of the Microcredit Movement, 2005 PDF
    H.D.Seibel, Does history matter? The old and new world of microfinance in Europe and Asia, 2005 PDF
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  • Lesson 2 – What’s wrong with government credit schemes?
    J.Yaron et al., Rural Finance: Issues, Design and Best Practices: Part One, World Bank 1997 PDF
    E.Coffey, Agricultural Finance: Getting the Policies Right: Part One, FAO 1998 PDF
    H.D.Seibel, From Cheap Credit to Easy Money: How to Undermine Rural Finance and Development, 1994 PDF
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  • Lesson 3 – The importance of savings
    S.Rutherford, A Critical Typology of Financial Services for the Poor: Section 1, 1996 PDF
    S.Rutherford, The Economics of Poverty: How Poor People Manage Their Money, 2000 PDF
    R.Goodwin-Groen, Success in rural savings: How one donor led the way, CGAP 2003 PDF
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  • Lesson 4 – The financial reality of business enterprise
    The group enterprise resource book – Extract from Part 3: Managing the Business, FAO 1995 PDF
    R.Hernández & G.Herrerías, Accounting is a Kid’s Game – Introduction to the Dynamics of Financial Statements, ADA/Alternativas 1998/2006. (Please note this is a large file: 2.1MB) PDF
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  • Lesson 5 – Collecting and analysing financial information from micro enterprises
    L.Daniels, A guide to measuring microenterprise profits and net worth, from Small Enterprise Development Vol. 12, No.4, 2001 PDF
    M.Harper, How to find out what small businesses need: An edited extract from Consultancy for Small Businesses, ITDG Publishing 1977 PDF
    J.Sebstad & M.Cohen, Financial Education for the Poor, Microfinance Opportunities 2003 PDF
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  • Lesson 6 – Can they afford to borrow? Rates of return and the cost of money
    R.P.Goodwin Groen, Making Sense of Microcredit Interest Rates, CGAP Donor Brief 6 2002 PDF
    M.Harper, Farm credit and microfinance – is there a critical mismatch? from SED Vol.16, No.3, 2005 PDF
    N.Fernando, Understanding and Dealing with High Interest Rates on Microcredit, ADB 2006 PDF
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  • Lesson 7 – Understanding the accounts of financial service providers
    J.Ledgerwood & K.Moloney, The Balance Sheet: Lesson 2 from Accounting for MFIs, Calmeadow 1996 PDF
    J.Ledgerwood & K.Moloney, The Income Statement: Lesson 3 from Accounting for MFIs, Calmeadow 1996 PDF
    J.Ledgerwood, Viability of a Microfinance Organization: Lesson 4 from Finance for MFIs, Calmeadow 1996 PDF
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  • Lesson 8 – Financial service providers and the law
    J.Ledgerwood, Microfinance Handbook: Chapter 4 The Institution, The World Bank 1999 PDF
    The Credit Union Difference, WOCCU 2005 PDF
    M.Brownbridge, C.Kirkpatrick & S.M.Maimbo, Prudential Regulation, IDPM, University of Manchester 2002 PDF
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  • Lesson 9 – Doing without subsidy – financial planning for small microfinance providers
    E.Rhyne, The Yin and Yang of Microfinance: Reaching the Poor and Sustainability, from the MicroBanking Bulletin 1998 PDF
    J.Morduch, Smart Subsidy for Sustainable Microfinance, from Finance for the Poor Vol. 6, No.4, ADB 2005 PDF
    M.Hudon, Subsidies and financial performances of the microfinance institutions: does management matter? Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) 2006 PDF
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  • Lesson 10 – Managing arrears and defaults
    R.Rosenberg, Measuring Microcredit Delinquency: Ratios Can Be Harmful to Your Health, CGAP Occasional Paper No.3, 1999 PDF
    D.Norell, How to Reduce Arrears in Microfinance Institutions, from the Journal of Microfinance Vol.3 No.1, 2001 PDF
    D.von Stauffenberg, T.Jansson, N.Kenyon & M.Barluenga-Badiola, Performance Indicators for Microfinance Institutions: A Technical Guide pp 5-14 – Portfolio Quality, MicroRate & IADB 2003 PDF
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  • Lesson 11 – Using and promoting groups
    S.Rutherford, The Poor and Their Money Ch 5: Promoters and Providers, OUP 2000 PDF
    H.Allen, Village Savings and Loans Associations – sustainable and cost-effective rural finance, from SED Vol.17 No.1 2006 PDF
    M.Harper, Grameen Bank Groups and Self Help Groups: What are the Differences? 2002 PDF
    S.Babu and A.Singh, The Need for Individual Lending in Mature MFIs, from Eye on Micro Finance No.4 2007 PDF
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  • Lesson 12 – Commercial success or social concern? The microfinance dilemma
    D.Hulme, Is microdebt good for poor people? A note on the dark side of microfinance, from SED Vol.11, No.1, 2000 PDF
    Financial Sustainability, Targeting the Poorest and Income Impact: Are There Trade-offs for Microfinance Institutions?, CGAP Focus Note No.5, 1996 PDF
    J.Copestake, Towards a general framework for client monitoring within microfinance organisations, Imp-Act Guideline No.3, IDS 2001 PDF
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  • Lesson 13 – Adopting a client-driven approach
    D.Cracknell, Signposts to the provision of Market Led Micro-financial Services, MicroSave Briefing Note No.18 PDF
    K.Pawlak, Client-Focused Microfinance: A Review of Information Sources, MicroSave Briefing Note No.17 PDF
    G.A.N.Wright, Market Research and Client-Responsive Product Development, MicroSave PDF
    R.Brott, I.Murray, I.Rueda & A.Torrico, How Client Assessment is Making a Difference at CRECER, SEEP Network 2006 PDF
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  • Lesson 14 – Taking gender into account
    N.Kabeer, Is Microfinance a ‘Magic Bullet’ for Women’s Empowerment? Economic and Political Weekly Oct 29, 2005 PDF
    I.Mutalima, Microfinance and Gender Equality: Are We Getting There? Microcredit Summit Campaign 2006 PDF
    T.Kay, Empowering Women through Self-help Microcredit Programmes, Bulletin on Asia-Pacific Perspectives pp 69-78, 2002/03 PDF
    A.Nippierd, Gender Issues in Cooperatives, Journal of Co-operative Studies Vol. 32:3, 1999 PDF
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  • Lesson 15 – Can commercial banks “do” microfinance?
    M.Harper and S.S.Arora (eds), Small Customers, Big Market: Commercial Banks in Microfinance: pp 275 – 293 Conclusions, ITDG Publishing 2005 PDF
    J.Isern and D.Porteous, Commercial Banks and Microfinance: Evolving Models of Success, CGAP 2005 PDF
    M.Harper and M.Kirsten, ICICI Bank and its Partnership Linkages in India, FAO 2005 PDF
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