Microfinance

For more information on micro-finance see these websites:

• UN Microfinance - Microcredit has been changing people's lives and revitalizing communities since the beginning of trade. Currently microentrepreneurs use loans as small as $100 to grow thriving business and, in turn, provide their families, leading to strong and flourishing local economies. The year of Microcredit 2005 calls for building inclusive financial sectors and strengthening the powerful, but often untapped, entrepreneurial spirit existing in communities around the world.
• MicroFinance Gateway - The Microfinance Gateway is the most comprehensive online resource for the microfinance industry. It includes research and publications, specialized resource centers, organization and consultant profiles, and the latest news, events, and job opportunities in microfinance.
• UN Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest - More than a billion poor people lack access to the basic financial services essential for them to manage their precarious lives. CGAP is a consortium of 33 public and private development agencies working together to expand access to financial services for the poor in developing countries.