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"microfinance"
This I wrote for the Wokai blog, October 23, 2008.
I just came across this excellent clip from CCTV, highlighting how China has shifted the focus of its development to rural areas, with a focus on microfinance (hat tip to Rich Brubaker):
Last year, when I was working for the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, I interviewed Wang Li from Citi, who appears in this clip. She described how the Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards in October 2007 served as a stepping stone towards the broader expansion of microfinance in China. I am impressed to see how quickly these changes have occurred.
China has also recently transformed its rural land policies, allowing farmers to trade or rent the land on which they work.
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This post originally appeared on the Wokai blog on January 7, 2009. I think the article I’ve referenced is the best summary of the challenges facing China’s microfinance sector, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the field.
I just came across this excellent article from China International Business that gives a concise overview of the current state of microfinance in China. Jonathan Haagen profiles PlaNet Finance’s work with the Ningxia Yanchi County Association for the Advancement of Women, which Casey and Courtney have visited, and quotes Wokai alumna Kira Dubas.
The article addresses the main tensions in the field of microfinance: individual success stories vs. macro impact, poverty alleviation vs. commercial viability, large loan sizes vs. vast local outreach, etc.
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Email sent to friends and family, October 19, 2006. It inspired many responses.
Ni hao jiaren he pengyou!
(That means, “Hello family and friends”)
I hope this note finds you well.
Living in China has complicated my perspective on international development. It casts a different light on my experiences in Chile and my idealistic Berkeley education. I started thinking about this when I read that microfinance inventor Muhammad Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize.
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I'm Leslie and I connect entrepreneurs in Chile, China, California, and beyond — especially through translation, training, and trade. More about me.
