Welcome to our monthly Impact News Roundup, where we highlight interesting news in
the impact investing industry along with insights from Oikocredit US. We are dedicated
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Remembering Tutu’s Transformative Vision
Mercy Mbatia is a client of Oikocredit’s Kenyan savings and loan partner, Unaitas Sacco Society Ltd (Unaitas). In 1971 Mercy Mbatia’s husband passed away, leaving her a widow and single parent of four children. As her children grew up and left the house, Mercy needed to diversify and improve her income. So in 2015 she decided to start a chicken farm, but she didn’t have enough money to get started. Read how a loan from Unaitas helped Mercy improve her livelihood and empower other women around her.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Annapurna Raises $35m from Accion, Encourage Capital, Oikocredit to Support Green Microfinance, Digitalisation
Annapurna Finance, an Indian microfinance institution (MFI), recently raised $35 million to support the growth of the clean energy sector in India. Committing to a future without fossil fuels is creating opportunities for investors as clean energy companies look to expand how they meet the needs of small businesses and individuals.
"The energy sector presents one of the largest opportunities for investment because putting money into clean energy, such as solar and wind, makes perfect sense."
Providing Options to "Unbankable" Communities
As the former Founding Executive Director of Shared Interest, Donna Katzin helped to provide banking opportunities to South African communities previously considered "unbankable."
In the latest episode of Alignment: Using Your Values to Invest in Social Change Oikocredit US’ CEO Matt Eldridge talked with Donna about how she helped fight Apartheid and revolutionized access to financing for black South Africans.
Financial Inclusion Drives Investment Opportunities
Seeking Alpha tackles the important topic of financial inclusion, a core principle of Oikocredit US' mission and vision. This article highlights Mexico, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Indonesia, three regions grappling with a lack of access to financial services.
"For investors, this translates into numerous opportunities to gain exposure to financial inclusion via companies with diverse geographies, business operations, and risk profiles."
Sustainable Investing Year In Review
For many investors, market volatility has been the main story since the start of the new year. However, sustainable investing was a notable market trend in 2021. Increasingly, investors who seek positive social or environmental impact have been turning to sustainable investing, and are signaling a longer-term, patient commitment to their investments.
University of Arkansas Group Focuses on Impact Investing
Cash Acrey, managing director of the Master of Science in finance program and finance professor at the University of Arkansas helped to launch an initiative that’s expected to accelerate impact investing in Arkansas. "Impact investment for me is profit with a purpose. That means you can go put money into something that’s doing good things, not just squeezing nickels out of people."