Poverty and Sustainability Issues of Microfinance in China : A Case Study in Fu'an, Fujian Province
(2007)Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University
- Abstract
- Microfinance has a unique position in China. Currently striving for recognition as a tool for poverty alleviation, microfinance programs in China especially the NGO types are competing with local rural credit cooperatives and other existing financial infrastructures to provide similar services. NGO microfinance programs are currently at crossroads as to where and how their existing organizations would lead to with issues on sustainability and on the dynamism of poverty in the landscape of an economy with double-digit growths. This thesis focuses on NGO type microfinance programs and the challenges faced by them to survive and continue providing services for poverty alleviation. The notion of sustainability for microfinance programs has... (More)
- Microfinance has a unique position in China. Currently striving for recognition as a tool for poverty alleviation, microfinance programs in China especially the NGO types are competing with local rural credit cooperatives and other existing financial infrastructures to provide similar services. NGO microfinance programs are currently at crossroads as to where and how their existing organizations would lead to with issues on sustainability and on the dynamism of poverty in the landscape of an economy with double-digit growths. This thesis focuses on NGO type microfinance programs and the challenges faced by them to survive and continue providing services for poverty alleviation. The notion of sustainability for microfinance programs has been an indispensable discussion amongst international donors, academics and practitioners. The concern for China is that mainstream concepts of sustainability, especially in the achievement of financial sustainability, can misguide and discourage microfinance programs from achieving its main objective of poverty alleviation. This thesis attempts to redefine the concept of sustainability so that microfinance programs in China can continue to serve the financially marginalized. By empathizing the concept of poverty and bringing insights of various aspects of financial services in response to the villagers? needs based on a case-study in Fu'an, Fujian Province, this thesis also illustrates the conditions unique in China for the design of products and improvements in the programs which can contribute to the long term sustainability of microfinance programs. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/1325033
- author
- Lau, Lilian
- supervisor
- organization
- year
- 2007
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- Microfinance, Microinsurance, Poverty, Sustainability, China, Social sciences, Samhällsvetenskaper
- language
- English
- id
- 1325033
- date added to LUP
- 2007-03-13 00:00:00
- date last changed
- 2007-03-13 00:00:00
@misc{1325033,
abstract = {{Microfinance has a unique position in China. Currently striving for recognition as a tool for poverty alleviation, microfinance programs in China especially the NGO types are competing with local rural credit cooperatives and other existing financial infrastructures to provide similar services. NGO microfinance programs are currently at crossroads as to where and how their existing organizations would lead to with issues on sustainability and on the dynamism of poverty in the landscape of an economy with double-digit growths. This thesis focuses on NGO type microfinance programs and the challenges faced by them to survive and continue providing services for poverty alleviation. The notion of sustainability for microfinance programs has been an indispensable discussion amongst international donors, academics and practitioners. The concern for China is that mainstream concepts of sustainability, especially in the achievement of financial sustainability, can misguide and discourage microfinance programs from achieving its main objective of poverty alleviation. This thesis attempts to redefine the concept of sustainability so that microfinance programs in China can continue to serve the financially marginalized. By empathizing the concept of poverty and bringing insights of various aspects of financial services in response to the villagers? needs based on a case-study in Fu'an, Fujian Province, this thesis also illustrates the conditions unique in China for the design of products and improvements in the programs which can contribute to the long term sustainability of microfinance programs.}},
author = {{Lau, Lilian}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Poverty and Sustainability Issues of Microfinance in China : A Case Study in Fu'an, Fujian Province}},
year = {{2007}},
}