Scaling up Poverty Reduction: Case Studies in Microfinance

Publication Date: May 2004
Published by: Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP)
Document Type: Case Study

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This document was prepared for Global Learning Process for Scaling Up Poverty Reduction and Conference in Shanghai, May 25-27, 2004

This document is a compilation of ten case studies prepared for the “Scaling Up Solutions to Poverty Reduction” conference in Shanghai in May 2004. These case studies present examples of scaling up in the history of the modern microfinance industry. They relate experiences of institutions that had made conscious management decision to pursue scale while serving poor clienteles.

The following case studies are presented in the document:

• The CrediAmigo Program of the Banco do Nordeste, Brazil;
• Equity Building Society, Kenya;
• The Agricultural Bank, Mongolia;
• Microfinance in Bangladesh;
• Savings and Loan Associations Network, Madagascar;
• Case Study of BRAC’s IGVGD Program, Bangladesh;
• Bank Rakyat, Indonesia;
• The BANSEFI and SAGARPA Programs, Mexico;
• The Kazakhstan Small Business Program;
• The Case of K-Rep-Nairobi, Kenya;

Finally, the paper suggests that to achieve massive scale and fulfill its huge potential, microfinance must become fully integrated into developing countries’ mainstream financial systems, rather than being isolated in a niche of the development community.