Beyond Microfinance
Global Partnerships believes the root causes of poverty extend beyond economic to environmental, educational, cultural  and health-related challenges. We also believe people living in poverty need multiple tools to address these challenges. In addition to microloans to build farms and businesses, they need training and support, access to markets, and basic health services, to name just a few.
This belief drives our investment decisions. One of the key criteria for our microfinance partners is that they provide effective services beyond microfinance to help their clients progress out of poverty.
GP has started a new program—called enterprise development--to further support our microfinance partners in strengthening their non-financial services. This program aims to help identify, strengthen and share the most effective sustainable poverty solutions that can be delivered through microfinance channels.
Our first effort in this area is a microfinance-health initiative we launched in late 2009 with PATH, a global health leader, and Pro Mu jer, a microfinance-and-development organization that has a strong track record in integrating health services and education with credit. Our goal was to create an effective and economically sustainable model for reaching people living in poverty with health solutions and education.
During the first year of the initiative, the three partners designed a new model for Pro Mujer's health programs in Nicaragua to reach more clients, be financially sustainable and have more impact. In October 2010, Pro Mujer launched a three-year pilot project to test the “Nuevo Modelo de Salud”—“New Health Model”-- with clients in Nicaragua.
Eventually, all 30,000 client in Nicaragua will have access to the model. Early data on the success of the model are promising.
Global Partnerships aims to help other interested microfinance organizations strengthen or add health programs, adapting elements from the microfinance-health initiative for their own clients, business model and needs.
Global Partnerships may also work with microfinance partners who specialize in rural economic development, such as coffee cooperatives, to strengthen and share models for helping rural farmers access new markets and improve their income.
More information
October 2010 slideshow about microfinance-health pilot launch
June 2010 GP newsletter article about the initiative
Backgrounder about the about microfinance-health initiative
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