African SMEs Through COVID-19: Challenges, Policy Responses and Recommendations
This policy brief stresses the key challenges faced by SMEs on the continent and analyzes how these challenges are likely to be exacerbated by COVID-19.
Impact of COVID-19 on CICO Agents in Indonesia
This study assesses the impact of COVID-19 on the demand for financial services through agents and agent operations. It seeks to understand the ability of agents to support government assistance programs.
SEEP Selects Innovation Fund Recipients to Support Gender-Intentional COVID-19 Response Efforts
The awards support innovative COVID-19 response and recovery efforts related to savings groups, in the areas of women’s livelihoods, voice and leadership, violence against women, digital savings groups and more.
FinDev COVID-19 Update | 11 - 24 Mar 2021
A roundup of the most relevant coronavirus-related news, resources and events from the past two weeks
Catalyzing Women's Bank Account Use Through COVID-19 Relief
Women's World Banking partnered with a major public sector bank in India to see what effect the government's COVID-19 payments had on women's account activity.
CBN Adds $120M to COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Fund for Loans to MSMEs, Households in Nigeria
The government previously allocated NGN 2.3 trillion (USD 6 billion) to pandemic relief efforts, including microfinance and other programs.
YCASH Door to Door Payment Method as a Response for COVID-19 and Humanitarian Context in Yemen
The National Cash Transfer Company piloted the Door to Door Payment method as a response to the new challenging context and a preventive measure for coronavirus-related risks.
WB Approves $200M to Help Poor Urban Youths, Migrant Returnees
The Recovery and Advancement of Informal Sector Employment project will help about 175,000 poor urban youths and low-income microentrepreneurs enhance employability and productivity.
IFC, SANAD, BIO, Symbiotics Announce Loan to KCB Bank Kenya for Green Projects, SMEs
The loan aims to help the bank increase lending for climate-friendly projects and to smaller businesses, especially those owned by women.
One Year On: What a Year of Surveys Tell Us About COVID-19 and Microfinance
2020 was a historic year that demonstrated the resilience of the microfinance sector. Maxime Borgogno of Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation shares why most MFIs they surveyed remain optimistic about the future.