Ready for take-off!

Now mostly everything is taken care of and I am ready for take-off to Colombia for the Global Citizens Program! It was a fast and furious week starting on Sunday with a farewell apéro with friends and family. Thank you all for coming or sending me your best wishes.

Microfinance FAQs

For all interested persons having questions about Microfinance there here a good link to CGAP Microfinance Gateway.

Questions answered are:

Weather Forecast – sunny?

Going to South America still seems for many people to equal sun, fun and nothing to do! But is it really sunny, warm and relaxing in Bogota? No! The relaxing part will be minimized to the weekends, as usual when working. And the weather? Really better than in Switzerland?

Opportunity International Colombia

Soon I will work for two months at Opportunity International Colombia (OI Colombia / OIC) supporting the Operational Risk Management to further enhance their framework. Who is Opportunity International Colombia? I promised in one of my last posts trying to answer that question.

Banker and Pistols

Just read an article about Financial Inclusion and how social benefits are distributed to the receipients in India. Previously such payments were personally distributed to more than 500 million people. However, this process was prone to fraudulent activities.

Financial Capability in Colombia

The Worl Bank supported the Central Bank of Colombia to to develop and execute a survey on financial capability in Colombia. The survey’s report Financial capability in Colombia : results from a national survey on financial behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge was issued in 2013 and provides insights on consumer behavior, attitudes, and knowledge relevant to initiatives promoting financial education and financial inclusion.

Light at the End of the Tunnel?

Is there light at the end of the tunnel? If the internal conflicts should finally come to an end after more than 50 years, 2014 might become a decisive year for Colombia.

Lasting Help

Lasting Help is the slogan of the Opportunity International Network, which provides microfinance services to 4 million people working their way out of poverty. The Opportunity International Network is a global coalition of organisations dedicated to using microfinance to provide opportunities for people in poverty to transform their lives, founded in 1971.