The Village Phone program, created by the Grameen Foundation, enables grassroots entrepreneurs to take out loans to purchase mobile phones. They then rent out airtime to local villagers, thereby boosting their incomes and providing a much needed service.

The liberalisation and globalisation process in India has started in early 1990s and the country already has demonstrated impressive financial sector reforms. These reforms have stimulated constructive competition, diversification, transparency and openness and customer oriented services. However, the impact and penetration of these reforms have not yet improved India’s rural population who still have limited or no access to finance from either formal banking or non banking sources. The tradi more...

"Technological innovation is the great hope, although it brings with it fundamental changes to the microfinance delivery mechanisms that have become almost sacred for the microfinance sector." Stuart Mathison, Program Manager, The Foundation for Development Cooperation (2006) .pdf

The conclusions drawn from the study include: that business process change and the implementation of new technology should proceed in tandem; creative technology solutions are required to be tailored to the unique and often challenging needs in emerging markets and local contexts; and partnerships between MFIs and local companies assist in reducing infrastructure costs.
Janine Firpo, SEMBA Consulting.

A very clear summary of the issues involved in social investing and microfinance investing. This blog track all microfinance investment funds. Currently, it lists 63 funds, 13 of which provide a return to the investor. On the left side of the microcapital blog, please see the "Microfinance Funds Universe" link for the list.

Software system for small farmer microfinance (Kenya) with capability for global roll-out - a software system currently near roll-out for a small farmer project in western kenya. It is highly automated and makes extensive use of structured sms messages sent by farmers' groups and by input stockists. It is written in Postgresql functions under linux or windows with a Java front end. It is highly parameterised and is designed to be a global product with global rollout capability.

Black Pages is Australia's first and only national on-line Indigenous Business and Community Enterprise Directory.

Kiva lets you to lend to a specific entrepreneur in the developing world - empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty.

Kiva uses social networking through the Internet to help small businesses in developing countries.

In many developing countries, mobile phones are used as a tool for microfinance, as they provide access to bank accounts and allow the transfer of funds and payment of bills. As many people in these countries own cell phones, mobile banking improves access to credit.