Portfolio of Stories:

I. Cameroon:	Download
According to the Grameen Foundation, rural communities in Cameroon account for 45 percent of the total population and 87 percent of the people living in poverty. The half of the population living in rural areas is isolated and particularly vulnerable to poverty and health issues. Health issues include malaria and HIV/AIDS (5.1 percent of the population aged 15-49 is HIV positive). Thirty-three percent of Cameroon’s population lives on less than US $1.25 a day. The life expectancy is 50 years. Tontines, a traditional form of microfinance, have existed in Cameroon for more than a century; however, a formal microfinance sector did not emerge there until 1963. In the past decade, there has been a sudden proliferation of financial institutions, especially in the microfinance industry, but they serve less than five percent of the Cameroon’s poor population. In Buea, Cameroon women with AIDS are often rejected from obtaining access to financial services. Because of cultural norms and ignorance they are rejected within their society and continue to suffer.
II. India:	Download
India is home to one third of the world’s poor, who make up 42 percent of the more than one billion Indian people. Out of India's population, 76 percent—800 million people—live below the poverty line of $2.50 a day. About 87 percent of poor rural farmers still do not have access to formal credit. Although Indian MFIs reach an impressive 15 million borrowers, total demand estimates are more than 90 million poor. In Gujarat, India villagers at the BoP from the scheduled caste, also referred to as Dalits, find it difficult to obtain access to consulting and microfinance services, although there are a plethora of options from countrywide MFIs, such as, SKS Microfinance to top-tier consulting firms.
III. Malawi:	Download
According to the Grameen Foundation, Malawi, home to approximately 13.9 million people, is a landlocked country in southeastern Africa. It is among the world's least developed and most densely populated countries. The economy is heavily based in agriculture, with a largely rural population. Average income per capita is US$250.Nearly half of Malawi’s population struggles to live on less than $1 a day. 50 percent of children under-five are stunted. 35 percent of Malawians suffer chronic malnutrition. When comparing Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Malawi ranks 132 out of 178 countries. Underserved community members from the Nkhata Bay village in Malawi have been able to secure microfinance services, but have faced two main challenges. First, they have incurred punitive interest rates charged by local moneylenders and microfinance institutions (MFIs). Second, MFIs placed their priorities and self interests ahead of the villagers’ interests. For example, they forced villagers to purchase chicks and start a poultry farm and poultry business, even though chicks are prone to catching flu, diseases and dying from other medical related issues. Similarly, starting a poultry farm is both capital and labor intensive that is not affordable by those at the economic base of the pyramid.
IV. Ghana:	Download
According to the Grameen Foundation, there is a huge demand for financial services in Ghana, but the microfinance industry in the country is still young, reaching only a fraction of the estimated three million Ghanaians who would benefit. Unregulated financial non-governmental organizations (FNGOs) currently reach out to the poor, and regulated savings and loan companies (S&Ls), located in urban areas, focus on higher-end clients. However, rural areas, especially in north Ghana, still seriously lack financial access.Life expectancy in Ghana is 60 years old Literacy rate is 65 percent Almost one-fifth of children in Ghana under 5 are underweight Almost one-third of the population lives on less than $1.25 a day In Ghana, local village women produce palm oil to sell to other villagers and to stores in the Accra. MFIs are often focus exclusively and narrowly on villagers’ produce and profitability, but fail to recognize the importance and value of connectivity. Although women entrepreneurs at the BoP in Ghana can produce oil, they often find it difficult connecting to their clients and other villagers.
V. United Arab Emirates:	Download
The United Arab Emirates, U.A.E. is a federation of seven emirates and one of the most developed economies in the Middle East. It is currently the thirty sixth largest economy at market exchange rates, and has a high per capital gross domestic product, with a nominal per capita GDP of $46,584 as per the IMF. U.A.E. is classified as a high income developing economy by the IMF.U.A.E. is a founding member of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Persian Gulf, and a member state of the Arab League. It is also a member of the United Nations, Organization of the Islamic Conference, the OPEC, and the World Trade Organization. In March, 2010 during the HCT Third Global Entrepreneurship in Dubai, U.A.E., Shaykh Khalifa bin Zahed Al Nahyan stated that the value of activities and engagements will come when entrepreneurship becomes a key driver behind a vibrant, dynamic, and strong national economy.