Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “COVID-19”
While borders have mostly reopened around the world, albeit with travel restrictions and potential quarantines, Whole Planet Foundation has continued to work with our partners virtually while monitoring the global situation, as WPF’s Global Program’s Director outlines in this blog. After 18 months of working virtually, in stark contrast to …
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, …
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 …
This strange year is coming to a close. As we look back at the anxious and uncertain times of 2020, I hope we’ll also remember the bright spots of resilience and shared humanity. All over the world, we have found renewed appreciation for front-line workers and the great risks they …
For three entrepreneurial women business partners in Uganda, the emerging COVID-19 crisis posed an immediate threat to their newly started business. Pictured above, the three entrepreneurs, Nancy, Lilly, and Irene stand on their business premises in Patira East Village. After successfully completing a training program in December 2019 with Whole …
Whole Planet Foundation’s annual Field Officer Awards for the Latin American region were distributed in August 2020. This special honor is designed to go to a Field Officer who has gone above and beyond his/her role to provide financial services to low income entrepreneurs . Often, award nominations are submitted …
After five consecutive years of declines in the national poverty rate, the United States is expected to experience a spike of approximately 6.5% (from 12.4% to 18.9%) in 2020. This means an increase of over 21 million individuals living in poverty, resulting in the highest poverty level in the United …
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every one of our microfinance partners in different ways. The experience of this twin economic and health crisis differs from person to person, family to family, community to community, country to country. The Whole Planet Foundation team has been checking in with microfinance partners throughout …
Prompted by interest from our network of microfinance partners, WPF organized two webinars to bring together our Latin American and Caribbean network of microfinance partners. The first call, in June 2020, gathered ten microfinance institutions to discuss how each was managing the COVID-19 crisis; if and how they were disbursing …
Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, many of Whole Planet Foundation’s microfinance partners were already investing in better internal systems and technology to manage their client portfolios. These partners have been the best positioned to manage their operations remotely, track how clients are being affected by COVID-19 restrictions and roll-out services …
