Expanding Impact - Innovations in Cost-effectively Integrating Microfinance with Education in Health

This paper was commissioned by the Microcredit Summit Campaign.The paper argues that microfinance institutions (MFIs) that work with the poorest populations must realize that access to financial services has to be teamed with access to healthcare for effective realization of goals.The document states that:

• The poorest population is also the most socially excluded in healthcare, education and training;
• MFIs must help the poorest overcome this comprehensive social exclusion;
• Strategies that fight poverty and social exclusion include the 'Millennium Development Goals' (MDGs) that create a framework for measuring poor people's access to financial, educational, healthcare, water and electricity services;
• Development MFIs concentrate their efforts on women.

The document details Pro Mujer's efforts in the area of development, stating that:

• Pro Mujer develops its intervention strategy taking into account the social organization of the community;
• It has adopted the path of village banks or group lending, which, apart from providing financial services, also form a powerful, social network of support, solidarity and social control for the participants and their families;
• Pro Mujer offers integrated programs and adapts its health programs to women's needs;
• Pro Mujer employs different methods for health care delivery in different countries.

The document concludes by highlighting the fact that Pro Mujer's women clients have access to healthcare facilities and they know what to demand and what to expect from healthcare providers.