India: Microfinance in Rajasthan and Maharashtra

Trivial Matters ^[1] has a wonderful photo-essay on rural microfinance and microenterprise in Rajasthan. “The women inside of the mud walled room are filled with a new found sense of empowerment: through their small self help co-operative they have successfully found a voice and a hand to change the society they live in and with that they have earned a reason to be proud.” On a similar note, Kiran goes to rural Maharashtra and discovers more about microfinance ^[2]. “Chetna said street vendors are among their most reliable clients, and also the biggest demographic (close to 50%). From experience, she only lends to women as their repayment rates are higher.”