The MasterCard Foundation and the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) Launch Expansion of the Successful MicroLead Programme Promoting Financial Inclusion in Africa
UNCDF in partnership with The MasterCard Foundation today launched the expansion of the successful MicroLead programme at the 5th Annual African Microfinance Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The $23.5 million, six year project will increase access to microfinance, particularly savings services, to 450,000 low income people in Sub-Saharan Africa. Read More
MIX Data and Map Provide a Comprehensive View of African Financial Inclusion for the Poor
MIX (Microfinance Information Exchange), today launched the Africa Map of Financial Inclusion for the Poor (africa.mixmarket.org) to help practitioners and policymakers better understand access to finance in Africa. This interactive tool is part of a $2 million, 3-year partnership with The MasterCard Foundation to enhance core functions of the MIX Market web platform, and improve visibility and access to financial inclusion information in Africa. Through contextual data, the map helps to identify gaps and highlight priority markets in the region. Read More
Donald H. Morrison Joins the Board of The MasterCard Foundation
The MasterCard Foundation announced today the appointment of Donald H. Morrison, Former Chief Operating Officer of Research in Motion (RIM), to its Board of Directors. Read More
Swisscontact and The MasterCard Foundation Launch Partnership to Provide Market-Relevant Skills to Rural Youth in Tanzania and Uganda
The MasterCard Foundation and Swisscontact, a Swiss-based NGO, today announced a five-year, $5.6 million partnership that will introduce and expand Swisscontact’s signature Learning Group model in Uganda and Tanzania (U-LEARN project). The Learning Group Model is a proven, market-based non-formal training model that provides skills and entrepreneurial training to youth in subsistence agriculture economies with little formal education, and enables them to access jobs or start a business. Through this partnership, Swisscontact will introduce and expand the model in the Lake Victoria regions of Uganda and Tanzania and will enable 4,600 economically–disadvantaged youth to create opportunities for themselves. Read More