The Hand in Hand's Story of Making Microfinance Work for the Bottom of the Pyramid

Abstract

The case is about Hand in Hand (HiH) International, a global group of Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) co-founded by Percy Barnevik, a renowned Swedish business executive and Dr. Kalpana Sankar, a nuclear physicist. HiH International consists of network partners in India, Southern Africa, Eastern Africa, Afghanistan, Sweden and UK. Their model focuses on enterprise development and job creation. However, they do have a strong microfinance program aimed at serving those at the very bottom of the pyramid who have no option in the mainstream market. The case gives an overview of the microfinance industry in Kenya detailing significant challenges such as inadequate legal infrastructure however it also demonstrate the tremendous growth opportunities. Given the opportunities and challenges currently present in the microfinance industry in Kenya and keeping in mind HiH business model should HiH Eastern Africa expand the scope and lending cap of its micro finance loans?