Introduction to Microfinance for Development (Syllabus)
10:50, 15 December 2009
.. Posted in Development, Relief and Advocacy Efforts.. Link
The Center for Global Development has made available a syllabus: "Introduction to Microfinance for Development." The course, by David Roodman, explores the role of microfinance in economic development. It discusses how poor people in poor countries use financial services such as credit and savings; the history and practice of delivering such services; what is known about their contribution to development; and how stories and statistical studies shape public perceptions of microfinance. The course is in PDF format, 403 KB.
David Roodman's current focus is microfinance. He is writing a book on the subject through an "open book" blog, through which he shares chapter drafts. His earlier Microfinance as Business report, with Uzma Qureshi, shows that financial imperatives can explain much about how microfinance is conducted, from the emphasis on credit to the focus on women.
Kudos to CGD and Roodman for making this course freely available.
