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Confessions of a Microfinance Heretic: How Microlending Lost Its Way and Betrayed the Poor

Hugh Sinclair

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Confessions of a Microfinance Heretic: How Microlending Lost Its Way and Betrayed the Poor

by Hugh Sinclair
Save up to 67%
Compare to estimated retail price: S$38.89  

The item you've got your eye on is secondhand. You probably already know that, but just in case!

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Confessions of a Microfinance Heretic: How Microlending Lost Its Way and Betrayed the Poor - Thryft
Confessions of a Microfinance Heretic: How Microlending Lost Its Way and Betrayed the Poor - Thryft

Insider reveals microfinance's darker side, disillusionment.

If you've ever been curious about the true impact of microloans on poverty, Sinclair’s book will open your eyes to the industry's underbelly. His personal journey from believer to skeptic provides a unique perspective on the microfinance world, offering compelling insights into why this billion-dollar industry might actually be failing the very people it purports to help. It's not just an analysis; it's a personal narrative filled with real-world experiences that could change how you see financial aid to the poor.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.
Sale

Confessions of a Microfinance Heretic: How Microlending Lost Its Way and Betrayed the Poor

by Hugh Sinclair
Save up to 67%
Compare to estimated retail price: S$38.89  

The item you've got your eye on is secondhand. You probably already know that, but just in case!

The estimated retail price shown next to any listed item represents the first-hand prices we've seen elsewhere, or the estimated original retail price of a comparable item of the same quality, construction and material offered elsewhere in new condition.

Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

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This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

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This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

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*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

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*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

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ISBN: 9781609945183
Author: Hugh Sinclair
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Date of Publication: 2012-07-09
Format: Hardcover
Related Collections: Sociology, Business, Economics
Related Topics: Social Justice, Finance, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Social Issues, Poverty, Management
Goodreads rating: 3.97
(rated by 153 readers)

Description

Very little solid evidence exists that microloans make a dent in long-term poverty. Sadly, evidence does exist for negligence, corruption, and methods that border on extortion. Part exposé, part memoir, and part financial detective story, this is the account of a one-time true believer whose decade in the industry turned him into a heretic.Hugh Sinclair worked with several microfinance institutions around the world. He couldn’t help but notice that even with a booming $70 billion industry on their side, the poor didn’t seem any better off. Exorbitant interest rates led borrowers into never-ending debt spirals, and aggressive collection practices resulted in cases of forced prostitution, child labor, suicide, and nationwide revolts against the microfinance community.Sinclair weaves a shocking tale of a system increasingly focused on maximizing profits—particularly once large banks got involved. He details his discovery of several scandals, one of the most disturbing involving a large African microfinance institution of questionable legality that charged interest rates in excess of 100 percent per year and whose investors and supporters included some of the most celebrated leaders of the microfinance sector. Sinclair’s objections were first met with silence, then threats, attempted bribery, and a court case, and eventually led him to become a principal whistleblower in a sector that had lost its soul.Microfinance can work—Sinclair describes moving experiences with several ethical and effective organizations and explains what made them different. But without the fundamental reforms that Sinclair recommends here, microfinance will remain an “investment opportunity” that will leave the poor with hollow promises and empty pockets.
 

Insider reveals microfinance's darker side, disillusionment.

If you've ever been curious about the true impact of microloans on poverty, Sinclair’s book will open your eyes to the industry's underbelly. His personal journey from believer to skeptic provides a unique perspective on the microfinance world, offering compelling insights into why this billion-dollar industry might actually be failing the very people it purports to help. It's not just an analysis; it's a personal narrative filled with real-world experiences that could change how you see financial aid to the poor.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

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