Nov 22, 2016

e-MFP marked its 10th anniversary during EMW which offered a great opportunity to reflect on the achievements so far, and look ahead as well.

 

How it all began

The European Microfinance Platform was set up to better share and disseminate ideas among European members of the microfinance sector working in developing countries. As one board member said right at the start: "There's a thirst for learning each other's experiences, for stepping beyond [our] boundaries...". 10 years later, we are proud to share with you a special edition of our newsletter. A lot has happened; what we do has evolved alongside the sector has a whole, and this is a good time to reflect on the past ten years and look ahead to the future as well. The Platform's membership, now over 120 organisations and individuals, from consultants and support service providers; investors; multilateral and national development agencies; NGOs and researchers (plus others), is larger and more diverse than ever. The scope of the Platform's focus has broadened beyond microfinance into various aspects of financial inclusion – mirroring the trends in the sector as a whole.

These trends have meant it's been a fascinating decade in this sector, but as much still needs to be done as ten years ago. Population growth in developing markets means that progress is slow, and iterative. 2.5 billion people remain excluded from financial services, and the purpose of the Platform remains to address this: e-MFP members  believe that everyone should have access to financial services and that microfinance contributes significantly to this development. Enabling synergies and knowledge sharing, fostering innovative action and research, and advocating sustainable and responsible microfinance are key to achieving this challenging goal.

Read more in our special anniversary newsletter

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