Necessity entrepreneurs: Microenterprise education and economic development

摘要

When Muhammad Yunus started his out-of-pocket microfi-nance experiment nearly 40 years ago, he realized the great potential of innovative financial services to alleviate poverty. The Grameen Bank has since become legendary within the development community for its successes in helping Bangladeshi women work their way out of poverty. But at the global level, microfinance has not always lived up to expectations, and some recent studies even have shown little or no impact of microfinance for alleviating poverty. Given these disappointments, it is not surprising to now see literature that tries to ascertain what is wrong with microfinance and offer solutions for better outcomes.