Johan Benichou | Blog BNP Paribas | The bank for a changing world

October 5th, 2010

FTT : “Microfinance works” in Senegal

We’re on the final stretch! After travelling through Asia, Oceania and South America, we’re now in Africa. During the next month and a half, we’ll be crossing Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso. The rainy season has forced us to abandon our bikes, but not our walking shoes…We’re discovering the simplicity of backpacking, all the while [...]

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Johan Benichou

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August 4th, 2010

Microfinance Develops and Grows in Bolivia

Although Bolivia is the poorest country in South America, microfinance is more highly developed there than anywhere else on that continent. The reason is simple: almost all the country’s banks view microfinance as one of their key products, and the provincial branches of those banks are dedicated exclusively to serving a low-income clientele with a [...]

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Johan Benichou

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June 18th, 2010

FTT: Travelogue from the other side of the world

After Chile, FTT tackles Argentina! A huge country, the eighth largest in the world by size, extending nearly 4,000 km from North to South, with an incredible variety of climates and landscapes: from the summits of the Andes in the West, to the cloud forests to the North-East, through the deserts of the Pampas in [...]

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Johan Benichou

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April 15th, 2010

An MFI conscious of the environment

Initially, the idea was to lend money for reimbursing customers’ bank overdrafts, through relatively small loans. But in 2002, following the administrators’ realisation that this use of funds provided neither economic profitability nor social performance, a change in methodology was made. It was decided to increase the value of loans to finance assets, tangible goods, rather than working capital: “The idea was to increase the profitability of the loans while also making them more productive, in other words more likely to increase family income as a result of conducting business”, said Thomas Mouliac. [...]

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Johan Benichou

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March 24th, 2010

FTT: riding through Vietnam

One of the countries included in our Asian adventure was Vietnam. The former French colony where the 20th century conflict was one of the most widely reported in the media is now leaving its turbulent past behind and entering the modern age. However, it has lost none of its charm and mystery and attracts visitors [...]

FTT: Cambodia, microfinance is a small piece of the puzzle to help people develop their lives

Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Paul Luchtenberg of the “AMK” MFI
Once again, we found superb accommodation awaiting us, and the employee who brought us to the office of Paul Luchtenberg, an American, was bilingual – a very rare thing! Mr. Luchtenberg has lived in Cambodia for 16 years, and has worked for a variety of microfinance institutions [...]

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Johan Benichou

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November 9th, 2009

First stop for our young FTT reporters: Kathmandu

In Kathmandu, Nepal, we were able to meet several micro-entrepreneurs. They told us their stories and recounted their experiences.
We met Sarita Tuladhar in the Swoniga Design workshop of her business, which specialises in producing clothing made from Pashmina. With the help of the SMElink programme offered by PlaNet Finance (which includes technical support and training [...]

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Johan Benichou

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