UC Davis Blum Center for Developing Economies

With little professional experience in, well, anything, and three-quarters of a bachelors degree, I was thrown into the field of microfinance, wide-eyed and excited. There is still much to be proved about the long term effects of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in developing countries, however the positive potential is undeniable.   Evaluating the impact of such institutions was the purpose of our project this summer in Peru.  We were sent to work with three MFIs; Prisma, Finca and Confianza. All offered a similar village banking style loan, but their internal structures and functions differed greatly. We worked in many rural communities in Peru to measure the change in food security since 2007. We administered both qualitative and quantitative interviews which enabled us to get to know the heartbeat of microfinance, the clients.  It was not until I was able to meet the people who receive such loans, and hear their stories, that I began to understand the importance a...

While greater consideration has recently been given to design and implementation of development initiatives that emphasize the Capability Approach as a means of poverty alleviation, no two programs are alike. Likewise, the success of one project in a particular area does not necessarily ensure the success of the similar intervention in another. The design of effective initiatives relies on an understanding of the various social, political and economic conditions of the targeted regions, both the particularities and confluence thereof, as these elements can then be evaluated in the process of adapting project parameters to most appropriately address the needs and requirements of the communities served.   This all became apparent during my last week of work in the departments of Ayacucho and Apurímac, for it is precisely this knowledge that contributes to the efficacy of FINCA Peru’s capacity building workshops. The themes and principles covered are simple, for example: the net prese...

I am home, now, in Davis, California.   I came home on August 21, after 7 weeks in East Africa.   Although my trip abroad has ended, the work has only begun.   Already I have had 2 conference calls with my partner, Rose, who lives in Kisumu, Kenya.   We will be supporting projects to improve water and sanitation in Kenya and Tanzania for the coming 12 months.   Our job is to give support to the women who are working directly with communities on the ground.   We had 2 weeks of training in Kampala, followed by 4 weeks of on-the-ground work in the communities that implemented the technologies that had been taught:   Rainwater Harvesting Tanks, Bio Sand Filters for cleaning water, Ventilated Improved Pit Latrines (VIP Latrines), Solar Cook-its (for sterilizing water and for cooking), WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) training and education.   We learned about the technologies, and then learned about what it means to transfer this knowledge into ru...