Grameen on MicroFranchising

By David Stoker, Guest Author

The Grameen Bank has been the leading institution in the field of microcredit and microfinance. They are also leading the way in the field of MicroFranchising as they have expanded into a Grameen Family of Enterprises.

Perhaps the most impactful of their microfranchises has been Grameen Phone and its Village Phone Initiative which is akin to a public pay phone microenterprise run by a rural woman. A Grameen Bank borrower uses their loan to become a Grameen Phone microfranchisee. The new business owner gains access to the branding, training, and partners of Grameen Phone which includes Telenor, the largest telecommunications provider in Norway. To date there are over 200,000 Village Phone operators in rural areas bringing increased access to regional markets, knowledge, and services to the rural poor. The model is being replicated in other areas around the globe including by MTN Village Phone inUganda. GrameenPhone is also expanding the model to bring Internet access across Bangledesh.

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