microfinance in developing countries

[amygrowe at hotmail.com]

Any suggestions on how to best enter the microfinance field?

I have business experience in all of West Africa and French language skills,
but no formal banking or teaching training. I finished an IMBA last year
with a focus in finance and business process/knowledge management--but no
'microfinance' experience.

Community level development is where I have decided to make my life's work,
but where should I start? Which organizations would give me a chance?

Best Regards,
Amy

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[dprives at gmail.com]

Amy,

There are two distinct approaches in this field, one toward
community-based microcredit and the other toward entrepreneurial
microfinance. Here's a piece I did in October of last year about the
difference:

Machismo and the Microfinanciers
Muhammad Yunis won the Nobel peace prize for transforming the business
of loan sharks into microcredit for poor women. A new generation of
(male) market-oriented investors could be reversing the process.
http://www.wheremostneeded.org/2006/10/machismo_and_th.html

Regards,
Dan Prives
Where Most Needed
The Charity Industry Blog
http://www.wheremostneeded.org

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