Whole Planet Foundation traditionally provides our partners with funds to expand their microcredit programs. However, under our “asset finance” model – Whole Planet Foundation can finance the provision of business assets, which helps low-income individuals to increase their incomes. Our new partner, J-Palm Liberia, has received ≈ $88,000 zero-interest loan …
Sharing Voices from our Partners: Field Officer Awards in West Africa and the Middle East
Photo at the top is Assilassime’s nominee, Magnoulelen, receiving her award at a celebratory party at her branch office in Togo. WPF launched the Field Officer Appreciation Award in 2014 and it remains one of my favorite annual milestones. However, it wasn’t until 2018 that WPF requested a quote from …
“Faftai!” Covid Revival Loans Finance Kava Micro-Entrepreneurs in Vanuatu
Since 2012, Lorina had worked at her own tourism business, selling souvenirs to tourists, particularly those who would arrive on cruise ships to Port Vila. Lorina joined Whole Planet Foundation’s microfinance partner South Pacific Business Development (SPBD) Vanuatu in 2017. She had previously been involved with a different microfinance program, …
Navigating COVID-19 in Bhutan: Providing Additional Capital to RENEW Microfinance Private Limited
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of WPF’s microfinance partners have faced increasing demands from clients for both loans and savings withdrawals. At the same time, many clients have faced difficulties in making repayments on their existing loans due to slowed business activity and/or travel restrictions and lockdowns. In response to …
Community Health Facilitators Support CASHPOR’s COVID Response
One of India’s first responses to the COVID crisis was a strict lockdown from late March through May. During this period, government guidelines restricted movements, especially across jurisdictions. This in turn directly limited the ability of the staff of WPF’s partner, CASHPOR, to move across their operational area (rural areas …
Entrepreneurship in Nepal through the Microfranchise Approach
Kalpavriksha is one of the newest social enterprise partners in our Asia/Pacific portfolio. Kalpavriksha belongs to Pollinate Group and its sister organization, Asha Kiran, operates in India. Whole Planet Foundation (WPF) typically supports organizations who use financing as a means of supporting entrepreneurship for low income communities. Kalpavriksha’s program adds …
Field Officer Award for Asia and the Pacific: Highlights from Vietnam
At the end of 2019, WPF invited all partners in the Asia/Pacific region to participate in the field officer appreciation award. After a WPF community vote, there are five grand prize winners and twelve honorable mentions. You’ll notice that all three of WPF’s partners in Vietnam received the top recognition! This …
Financial Inclusion for What? Celebrating Financial Inclusion Week with a profile of CASHPOR
During this year’s Financial Inclusion Week, Accion’s Center for Financial Inclusion asks, “Financial Inclusion for What?” In other words, what are the main goals that financial inclusion is striving to achieve? Whole Planet Foundation (WPF) has been a unique capital provider in the financial inclusion space for almost 15 years. …
Front Line Financial Inclusion: Field Officer Appreciation Award – Asia/Pacific
“Microfinance has always been a high-touch business, with personal contact playing an indispensable role in the delivery of financial services for low-income clients. Human relationships and values like trust and empathy are crucial in determining whether a microfinance institution (MFI) will be able to grow and remain sustainable. And it …
Broadening Financial Inclusion Borders in Bangladesh
Spotlight on WPF’s Bold, New Partnerships According to Women’s World Banking, “Women in Bangladesh have the highest-ever rates of literacy and employment, and the country’s economy is growing. Financial inclusion now stands at more than 50 percent, nearly doubling in the past few years. But the financial inclusion gender gap …