Insights and stories

Every week, across villages in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, millions of people gather to do something remarkably simple. They contribute small amounts of money into a shared pool, issue loans to one another, repay those loans with interest, and collectively decide how their financial future should be managed. There are no marble bank branches. […]

The World Bank estimates that 1.4 billion adults globally remain unbanked without access to an account at a financial institution or through a mobile money provider. Alongside that figure sits another: in 2025, over 30 million savings group members collectively saved more than $11.5 billion. Group members see income grow an average of 275% within […]

The World Bank estimates that 1.4 billion adults globally remain unbanked. At the same time, across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, millions of people are actively saving, borrowing, and managing money through informal systems. Savings groups alone now serve over 20 million members globally, with collective savings exceeding $11.5 billion. These groups consistently demonstrate financial […]

Financial services are often taken for granted in many parts of the world. Opening a bank account, saving money securely, or accessing a loan for a small business are routine financial activities for millions of people. For a significant portion of the global population, however, these basic financial tools remain out of reach. According to […]

In 1908, women marched through the streets of New York demanding better working conditions, fair wages, and the right to be recognized as workers. That moment would later become part of the foundation for what we now know as Women’s History Month. More than a century later, the context has changed, but something else has […]

In many parts of the world, managing money has never depended on a bank branch or formal financial institution. Instead, it has depended on communities themselves. Across regions and cultures, people have long created systems that allow them to save together, access small loans, and support one another during financial need. These systems are known […]